Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1911-08-18
N ne ~ or M HAREJV re

great American humorist, said in speech before
the representatives of the Associated Press that
everybody thought they could write play, run
a hotel or edit newspaper" He might have
larged his list by adding become successful
farmer" To put seed in the ground and it
grow easy that almost every mag
ines himself capable Of doing it successfully. But
we know that farming that is, successful farm
ing, is both a science and business. One
make just complete failure of farming he
can of practicing law, running a hotel edit
ing newspaper. 1t 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 to the soil that comes to most people
causes such movement to appeal to those who
are we'll qualified, we'll to those who are
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 a successful pioneer. To undertake in
discriminatory, unscientifcally and without proper
method and organization, to get people back to
the soil will result in 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 as 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 is 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 thew
could make a good paying investment, as we'll as
relieve distress and suffering by helping others
to return to the soil In the right way the black to
the so1P' movement would then give promise of
accomplishing all that its enthusiasts have claim
ed for it. Such movement must of course be
under taken on a bushes basis; upon a 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
1t is easy enough to say to 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 living on
a few hundred dollars invested in farm and the
machinery necessary for it's cultivation any more
than one can expect to make living on the same
amount invested In any other business So in
the first place, 1t requires money or credit to
buy farm, and money credit to secure neces-
sary implements, machinery, horses, cows etc. to
successfully conduct it. 1t will take from five to
one hundred and sixty acres according to the char
acter of the soil and the methods of its cultivation
to support family. You cannot expect large re-
turns from poor farm, from good farm Door
~ cultivated You cannot expect to receive a re-
turn from farming investment out of all pro-
portion to the value of the investment and the
labor expended thereon. The difficulty in this
proposition begins at once. Many of those whom