The Glenwood post., 1911-08-19

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 en-
larged his list by adding become successful
farmer. To put seed in the ground and see 1t
grow seems easy that almost every mag
ines himself capable of doing 1t successfully. But
we know that farming, that is, successful farm
ing, is both science and business. One
make just complete failure of farming as he
can OF practicing law, running hotel or 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 yearnng to
get back to the soil" that comes to most people
causes such movement to appeal to those who
are well 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 ord
nary circumstances something like pioneering
and not every man, by any means, is capable Of
becoming successful pioneer. To undertake in
discriminatory. unscientifcaly 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 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 tbey
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 back To
the soiP' 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 busnes basis: upon plan which
VIII promise not only a 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 a result money, and considerable money Is
required One cannot expect to make a living on
few hundred dollars invested in a 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 frst place, 1t requires money 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. or from a good farm Door.
y cultivated You cannot expect to receive a re-
turn from farming investment out of all pro-
portion to the value of the investment and tho
labor expended thereon. The diffculty in this
proposltion begins at once Many of those whom