Judith Gap journal. [volume] (Judith Gap, Mont.) 1908-19??, 1913-02-14

y yet far from being reached. There
IL little chance to tOse money on ,.nu
provided 1t Ii wisely Invested. I, IA the
lack OF Snow'edye Ut what constitutes
q good farm that makes land au IN
safe Investment for the city uan
Ihere may be some honest iu,ri
agents. but unfortunately they have us,
Trademarks to distinguish them from
the "ther variety. To buy land with.
Out seeing 1t Ia painless way Ut rar,.
ing with hard earned money. As tor
the promised profits. they usually tun
their way to the pockets Of the land
agent. leaving the investor y .adder
and wiser man.
Between 1!NN and 1906 the average
Mcreasr In tue value Ut the farm land
IN the United States was ~ l,.v cent.
Between 1910 and 1910 much Of tho
'tnd III the western part Of the MisSiS.
sippi valley doubled in value. With y
system OF farming that keeps M the
fertility prices will 20 higher rather
than lower
The man VIII" owns a farm has con.
'in'iaI opportunities to put his money
into better fences. better stock and
better buildings He has opportunities
to invest 10 more land ut home or far
ther west.
From financial standpoint farming
Offers opportunities to young men that
are duplicated In few other railinyx.
Farming rs profession is new. and
Its ranks are still fur from full. The
young farmer Is not entering an over.
crowded calling where he must com.
bine with his fellows and boost prices
unnaturally In order to make a bare
living. In agriculture there are room
and opportunity for all. The country
is throbbing with the vitality Of new
awakened life. The password is nmbi.
ton. and the reward Is success
1t ia not the call Of money alone that
Is turning the ambitious young man
to the farm. 4 calling that can ofler
no reward but financial one Is scarce
" worthy Of the name. The chief call
Ut the city has been the call Of the dol
lar combined with the call Of the
crowd. Better roads and Il denser poI,-
ulation have enabled the country to
offer social life which is superior to
that Of the city. Higher prices and
scientific methods have enabled 1t to
duplicate the financial rewards Of the
city. In addition. 1t offers to the young
man the opportunity TO live the br,,Ad-
est. fullest life OF which he is capable.
1t offers him business be can call his
own aud an independence which he
could gain in the city only after life
time Of toll. The greatest need Of
most rural communities just now is
leaders-mcn who can demonstrate on
their own farms the possibilities Ut
scientific agriculture: men who under
stand the possibilities and the need O1
broader community life.
The stories Of some Of the young
men who needed the call Of the coun.
try and gave themselves to the devel.
opment Of their community read like
| romances. 4 dozen years or so ago II
little Massachusetts community was OH
the downhill road. The nearby cities
| had sapped it of its strength and Wig.
or. Iniudicious cropping had taken
away much Of the fertility of the
soil. and the people had lost all an:hi-
! ton and were content to let things
! drift from bad to, worse. About this
time a young man. a son OF one 1T the
farmers. graduated from an agrcnl-
tural college He received Il teuptin.
offer from the department OF a.ricu!-
ture to take up work ut Washington
| A brother in Iowa wrote him n glow
ing invitation to come to the fertile
lands OF he middle west lie rejected
both offers and went home.
The most optimistic resident would
have laughed at the idea Of there be-
ing any opportunity there. Enf the
young man went to work. lie did not
lecture to the neiglbors or advise
them He merely set out to show them
what the impoverished land was ca
pablc Of. lie made the old farm pay.
snd its dilar:,lation changed 70 an air
of prosperity. His neighbors gradually
began to follow his methods and to
catch some Of his spirit. The conimu-
nifty started to go forward instead Ut
backward As soon rs he could spare
the time from his farm the young
farmer set about reorganizinE the VII
iage school He gave one corner Of