The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-11-09
pTTF.AIIs FOR TEIE CrTY MAN
 WHO WANTS TO BE A FARMER
Department of Agriculture Advises Him to Try It Out as 3 Farm Hand Before Tying Up His sav-
 tngs in Q F'aEIn.

Washington, Nov. 9-The Depart ment of Agriculture receives many | letters from city people who have read
 glowing accounts of the Wealtht that | may be made on the farm A large percentage of these people have al rady bought farm land. Some of them appear to believe that the reason all | farmers are not rich is because of eK- and lack of business ability. To these letters the Departments special ists reply much as follows:
 .sAs a matter of fact, farmers as 9 class are intelligent, industrtous, and
 economical, and many of them are men of good business judgment Fur ther, those who have made a thorough study Of the business side of farming know that it is not an easy matter to 1
 make money on the farm. Only the most practical and experienced farm CTS are making any considerable prof l it out of their business. Most of the money that has been made on the l farm in recent years has been made. not by farming, but by the rise of price on farm lands In the nature I of things this rise can not continue l indefinitely. and some one will own
 this land when the price becomes practically stationary or perhaps starts 1 to decline. ssWhiIe 1t is true that occasionally | a city bred family makes good on the t TaTIn, In1S IS the sSAC6pl1On <I12u Ota 1 the rule. It is always a risk to in-l I vest in a business without first making 1 a thorough study Of that Business.
 Many city people who have saved up
 a few hundred dollars and who have f had little or no farm experience. but who are innbued with rosy vision of the joys and profits in farming, buy l poor land at high prices and thereby lose the savings they have been years
 in accumulating. One city family paid $1o000 cash and assumed a $12.000 I rnorfgage on a farm worth only about T s11.00o. Another paid $2,000 cash 1 and signed a mortgage for $6.000 on a farm that was later appraised at $S.- l 00O A city family that had saved 1 $2 900 used this money to make first Il payment on cheap farm land. and I when their eyes were opened found they still owed considerably more | than the farm was worth. For seven l years they have worked almost night l and day to meet the interest. without 1 being able to reduce the principal l These instances could be multiplied l almost indefinitely.
 ssIn purchasing a farm great cara 1 should be taken to get good farm l at a fair price. To pay or agree to l pay more than the farm is worth is to kinyfte failure. From a business stand point no farm that does not pay fn- l terest on the total investment. de- | preciation on equipment and wages l for all labor performed on that farm | is successful.
 1 tsEven when great care is taken in 1 making the investment only in excep- tional cases should the city bred fam I iiy attempt farming. Generally the ] best advice that can be given to the 1 city bred man who desires to be- l come a farmer is that before pur- 1 chasing farm he work as @. farm l hand for two or three years, This 7. will give him an opportunity to learn
 at first hand many things about the
 business, as well as the practical side,
 of farming In no other way, as a
 rule, can he get good farm training
 and experience at less trouble and ex-
 pense or without danger from fnan-
 ciaI disaster"