The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1911-06-15

Wort course ri two years ~
nne of these will 60 long
way toward gru,lIniing the city farmer
iD the principles of scientific agricul-
ture Even such course IL imp0Gsi
BILE for the greater share OF the city
men who see the opportunities of farm
life and would like to become farmers.
The next best thing is a course Of
home study. A number of agricultural
colleges offer correspondence courses
in agriculture. by means of which the
science Of agriculture can be learned
quite thoroughly Then there are
great number OF experiment station
and government bulletins which may
be had for the asking. fhere are
many good bnoks on agriculture IN its
various branches Last but BY no
means least. there Is the agricultural
press. Much of the advancement that
has been made in agriculture Is due 10
the agricultural papers They stand
for all that is best and most progress
sive In rural life. and they contain
fund of information Oh methods Of
farm practice that are invaluable to
beginner.
There yet remains the art of farm
ing that is, the art OF handling the
plow. of caring for the horses. of feed
ing the cows. of regulating the ma
chinery and the thousand and one 9TH
er things that the farmer must know
how TO do The only way the art Of
farming can be learned is BY prac-
tice The best way for the city man
with limited capital to learn Is to hire
out to some good farmer by the month.
Farm help is scarce. ard farmers are
always glad to get faithful men at
fair wages. They prefer skilled men.
but these are often impossible to OBJ
tain. It is not at all difficult for so
Der. industrious city man who really
wants to learn farming to get q job
with good farmer. In such a place
BIZ can learn how to meet all the emer-
gencies that come up on a farm. 1t Is
even easier for a married man to get
this sort of job than 1t Is for single
man Farmers have theory. which
ia generally correct, that married men
are more to be depended upon. Many
Of them are willing to furnish house
and garden to man for the sake OF
getting one with family.
After spending year or two work.
ins for some one else the would be
farmer will have fairly good idea OF
the art of farming. If he has been
putting in his spare moments studying
lie will have fair understanding Ot
the science Of farming His own com
mon sense and the training he has re
ccived in town will tit him to handle
the business end. He is now in a no
work for himself. He will have saret
something from his wages while on th'
farm. and he probably had littI'
money saved up before. Then comes
the question of whether to buy or t
rent. 4 good MANY beginners in farm
ing u,ake the mistake of tying all thei
capital up in land and having moth
ing left for stock and equipment. II
order to make the farm pay the farme
must have plenty OF working capital
1t is usually better to rent for a fey
years until enough money has bee'
saved to make fair payment ON III
lnnd Then a farm can be- bOugll
without robbing the equipment fund
The question of where to locate Is a
important one and one which the cor
Hicting mass of evidence makes har
to decide. The irrigated districts q
the west offer some of the best OppO'
tunities to be found anywhere. Th
country Is new. and settlers are we
come Land Ia high. but 1t does nc
take much OF it to yield good living
The dry farming districts Of tn
west have been loudly doomed. TIL
dry farming land can be bought ver
cheaply 1t costs little to get star
: At the same time the man who gat
on a dry farm must remember th'
only half of his land will yield
crop each year. sometimes not moi
than a third of 1t. The principle I
dry farming Is to cultivate the lar
: for year or two without sowing
crop. This prevents the rain whit
falls from evaporating. and by Il
second or third year enough moistu
will have been stored up to raise
crop. No one should think Of gOil
on a dry farm without having enoul
:. money laid by to pay expenses Z
: two or three years without any
2 ? come. Dry farming means maj
: losses and much Encouragement. D
: the success OF many dry farme
: proves that 1t offers opportunities
the man who has the courage to stick
. The fertile lands Of the middle we
have been little advertised Of late. a
many people are Of the opinion tn
:. this part of the country is alrea'
:. fully settled This is far from bel
: the case. The Mississippi valley cou
= support four or Eve times its prese
" farming population with ease. In
;, is high. but 1t Is worth the price. 7
" middle west offers the advantage
;; progressive neighbors. good church
schools and colleges and modern &
), veniences Of every sort. There .
= thousands Of chances for the city %
- = IN this section.
- In the east probably the best opp
4, tunities are found IN truck farmtl
~ Only a small tract of land Ia requir
- and the returns are large.
., The abandoned farms OF New Fl
ho land can be purchased very cheaE
NJ lucy can ne'e' oe 'uo 30