The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1913-03-13
bhCk lAl.D FARMER
Interesting Pointers on Garden
ing for the City Man Or
Suburbanite,
WHAT TO PLANT AND when
Advice by an Expert on Agricultural
Matters-The City on the Farm
Notes on Chicken Ralsfnq-
Care Of the Lawn.
By PROF. JOHN WILLARD eoLTE.

BY PROF. JOHN WILLARD eoLTE.
The title to this talk is a question
that is asked the writer more often'
possibly, than any other. Does the
farm hold out promise of comfort
able living along with it's advertised
independence? Can the ordinary city
bred man, with or without cash cap
ital of his own, undertake farming
with any assurance Of success III
money way.
Unfortunately, this question cannot
be answered, save in a qualified man
ner. Hundreds, yes, probably thou
sands of city men have gone into
farming in some of its branches and
have been entirely successful. Pos
sibly as many more have taken the
same step and have been mighty glao
to give up their independence Tor a
( regular job at the risk OF some one
else. As in all other Independent pur-
suits. it depends almost entirely on
the man.
The farm is no place for lazy man.
It is not all new mown hay and fresh
Strawberries with clotted cream. Most
of it is hard work, with plenty OF
perspiration mixed in. 1t means long
hours, from before dawn until after
dark, most of the year. City farmers
who have failed have been, for the
most part. those who expected to put
in an eight-hour day and let nature DO
the rest.
The fact that must be borne in mind
is that nature by herself rarely pro-
duces profitable crops. The profit IN
farming is represented by the differ
ence between what nature would pro-
duce if left alone, and what man
forces her to produce by his thought
and work, the cost of his work being
deducted from the gross receipts
from the crops. Work is what makes
for success in farming as in any other
line-work and careful planning.
We are entirely safe in saying mere
that a city bred man of intelligence
and perseverance can undoubtedly
t make as good a living on the farm al
he can in business, on the average
/. If he has to do manual work, as III
r certainly will, his reward will come II
: strong muscles and a clear, fresi
. brain. If he has to put in longe
I hours. he will be able to sleep night
4 and awake in the morning as fresh
a lad. The lowly natural things tina
v he comes in contact with in his dali
Il work are at least as nature MAD
Q them, which cannot be said OF tn
e f1thv s1,rroundings in most section
l. of every large city.
n What line should a city man tax
up in order to be reasonably sure
n success at the start? Subject to locs
conditions, we would name the follow
d ing list of agricultural pursuits in tn
o order of their precedence: Poul1r
It and fruit, dairy farming, small fru
farming, truck gardening. A NUMBER
e other special local lines could be ad
n ed, but we do not advise any inc
e perienced man to attempt gener
Il farming or the handling OF a lart
le tract of land until he has had time
o, become familiar with general farml1
r. practice. 1t is absolutely certain tn
any of the above lines, carefully ma
1T died on a small scale, will enable
to man to earn a hundred dollars mon
. on an average, over and above
penses, provided he owns his land al
buildings. AS he becomes famlll
with his problems he can hire othe
O. to work for him and materially
III crease his own income.