The Arvada enterprise., 1911-08-17
ar mr. I'M or E1Hx AAREEJZ ~

great American humorist, said N a speech before
the representatives of the Associated Press that
everybody thought they could write play, run
a hotel or edit newspaper He might have en-
larged his list by adding become successful
farmer To put seed in the ground and 1t
grow seems easy that almost every one imag-
ines himself capable of doing 1t successfully. But
we know that farming that is, successful farm
ing is both science and business. One can
make just complete failure of farming as he
OF practicng law. running n hotel edit.
ing newspaper II would be worse than useless
to encourage the Back to the Soil" movement II
1t is not planned and executed in way that is
likely to be successful The natural yearning to
get back 10 the soil that comes to most people
causes such movement to appeal to those who
are well qualified, well to those who
poorly qualified successfully TO do their part as
cultivators of the soil. To go back to the soil
is to the man OF ordinary means and under ordi.
nary circumstances something like pioneering,
and not every man, by any means is capable OF
becoming successful pioneer. To undertake in.
discriminatory. unscientihcally and without proper
method and organization, to get people back to
the soil will result In more OF failures than sue.
cesses; In more of injury than of good. But this
work can be accomplished in way that will be
both effective and successful and which will in.
crease the proportion OF producers compared
with consumers, All that is necessary for the
accomplishment OF this result is that the same fore
sight and Organization should be adopted in start.
ing the business Of farming as IL adopted in the
inauguration OF any other business enterprise II
men of means, who also have the disposition to
help their fellow men, would realize that they
could make good paying investment. as well as
relieve distress and suffering by helping others
10 return TO the soil In the right way the back to
the soil" movement would then give promise OF
accomplishing all that its enthusiasts have claim
ed for H. Such movement must OF course be
under taken on bushes basis: upon n plan which
will promise not only profitable return on the
investment. but result in giving good homes and
steady employment to many people who need both
II is easy enough TO say 10 the poor OF the large
cities that they should go back to the
SOIL but for the successful accomplishment OF
such result money and considerable money. is
required. one cannot expect to make Il living on
few hundred dollars invested in n farm and the
machinery necessary for its cultivation, any more
Than one can expect TO make living on the same
amount invested in any other business So In
the FIRST place Il requires money credit to
buy farm and money or credit TO secure neces
sary implements, machinery, horses. COWS. etc, TO
successfully conduct II It will take from FIVE to
one hundred and sixty acres according to the char
acter OF the soil and the methods OF it's cultivation
10 support family You cannot expect large re-
turns from poor farm or from a good farm poor
~ cultivated You cannot expect to receive a re
turn from a farming investment out OF all pro
portion TO the value of the investment and the
labor expended thereon The diffcuty in this
proposition begins at once Many OF those whom