The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1911-08-17
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great American humorist, said in speech before
the representatives of the Associated Press that
everybody thought they could write play, run
hotel or edit newspaper" He might have en-
larged his list by adding become successful
farmer" To put seed in the ground and see 1t
grow seems so easy that almost every one 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 can
make just as complete failure Of farming as he
can of practicing law, running a hotel or edit
Ing newspaper 1t would be worse than useless
to encourage the Back to the Soi' movement IL
1t is not planned and executed in way that is
likely to be successful. The natural yearnng to
get back to the soip 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
cultvators 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 more of failures than sue
cesses; in more Nf 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 If
men OF means, who also have the disposition to
help their fellow men, would realize that they
could make good paying investment, as we'll as
relieve distress and suffering by helping others
to return to the soil in the right way the "bac tn
the soil" movement would then give promise of
accomplishing all that its enthusiasts have claim
ed Tor 1t. Such a movement must of course ba
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 Ego back to the
SOIL; but for the successful accomplishment of
such result money and considerable money is
required One cannot expect to make a living on
few hundred dollars invested in farm and the
machinery necessary for it's cultivation, any more
than one can expect to make living the same
amount invested in any other business. So, in
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 it's cultivation
to support family You cannot expect large re-
turns from a poor farm, from good farm poor
ly cultivated. You cannot expect to receive 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