The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1913-09-11
Forward to the Land.


Forward to the Land.
For a number OF years the slogan
Back to the Land" has been uttered
by immigration societies, the press and
particularly by real estate dealers and
false colony schemers, but with little
effect in increasing the number Of farm
ers and the products OF the farm.
Millions OF dollars have been taken
from the pockets OF men charmed with
the idea Of getting a small farm in some
elysian paradise, where a few acres
would make them a good living, but
Of all those buyers very few Of them
have actually been able 10 become
farmers at all, and not all OF those sue
cesslully. Farming is a business like
anv, other and must be learned. It
does not come by nature. Most Of
those TO whom the "back.to'the land"
idea might be supposed apply, being
those who have left the farms because
they imagined, truly or ialsly, that they
could do better in village, town or
city, have not needed the cry. Those
who have for the most part given ear
to it are those who have never lived
on farm. The country beckons to
thousands Of city toilers, in. workshops
and office, who have never learned
how to farm and are totally unfit iol
farming without first going through ar
apprenticeship, and also getting more
capital than most Of them can com
pand.
Back to the land" does not prop
erly express the idea in their cases
In Boston a convention has just beer
held OF a Forward TO the Lane
League" which comes much nearer
expressing the actual conditions
There is a wide field Of labor for such
league il it can show to the lane
hungry thousands of the cities how i
is practicable Tor them to go forward tc
the land. Plenty OF them want TO 60
but they know that they have neithei
the necessary capital nor the in
dispensable knowledge to make sue
cess OF farming. The man who ha!
by years Of work become a good me
chanic or bookkeeper realizes it take'
similar practical experience to make ;
farmer. Furthermore he knows that i
takes money 10 get start. Un
fortunately, it takes more money thar
most OF them realize, and many ia lure!
made by those who have attempted i
are chargeable to this fact as much al
to the lack Of knowledge OF iarmi ug
II this new league can devise I
practicable scheme Of sending m er
forward 10 the land in such a way
that they will have enough capital tc
equip their farms and enough know
ledge Of farming to work them pro p
erly, there will be no trouble in fnlt
ing plenty OF men who would like Il
20 forward to the land. One Of thu
chief reasons why so many young mer
leave the farm is that they lack capita
to 90 to farming on their own account
though they have the needed know
ledge Of farming. Perhaps more sue
cesses might be had in setting up such
young men in farming than in trying
to take from the cities men who have
neither the capital nor the knowledge
One Of the chief results OF back t
the land" agitation has been the sell
ing by spectators of a lot Of land tc
eager city buyers for far more than /
was worth and which they have founC
themselves unable to use. The For
ward to the Land League must do bet
ter than this il 1t expects to accomplish
any practical good. st. louis Globe
Democrat.