Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1914-12-04
FOR WOULD BE FARMERS.
Should Try It Out First as Farmhands
Before Buyinu Farms.

The United States department of
agriculture receives many letters from
city people who have read glowing &C
counts of the wealth that may be
made on the farm. A large percentage
of these people have already bought
farm land. Some of them appear to
believe that the reason all farmers are
not rich is because of extravaganza,
wastefuness, ignorance and a lack of
business ability. To these letters the
departments specialists reply much as
follows:
"As a matter of fact, farmers, as a
class, are intelligent, industrious and
economical, and many of them are men
of good business judgment. Further,
those who have made Il thorough study
Of the business side of farming know
that it is not an easy matter to make
money on the farm Only the most
practical and experienced farmers are
making any considerable profit out of
their business. Most of the money
that has been made on the farm in re-
cent years has been made, not by farm
ing, but by the rise OF price on farm
lands. In the nature of things this
rise cannot continue indefinitely, and
some one will own this land when the
price becomes practically stationary or
perhaps starts to decline.
"While it is true that occasionally a
city bred family makes good on the
farm, this is the exception and not the
rule. 1t is always risk to invest in a
business without first making a thor
ough study of that business Many
city people who have saved up a few
hundred dollars and who have had lit
tie or no farm experience, but who are
imbued with n rosy vision of the joys
and profits in farming, buy poor land
at high prices and thereby lose the
savings they have been years in accu-
mulating. One city family paid $10,-
600 cash and assumed $4,000 mort
gage on a farm worth only about SILL
600. Another paid $1,000 cash and
signed a mortgage for $4,000 on farm
that was later appraised at $4,000
city family that had saved $1,000 used
this money to make first payment on
cheap farm land and when their eyes
were opened found they still owed
considerably more than the farm was
worth. For seven years they have
worked night and day to meet the in
terest without being able to reduce the
principal. These instances could be
multiplied almost indefinitely.
'In purchasing a farm great care
should be taken to get a good farm at
a fair price. To pay or agree to pay
more than the farm is worth is to in
vite failure. From n business stand
point no farm that does not pay inter
est on the total investment, deprecia-
ton on equipment and wages for all
labor performed on that farm is sue
cessful.
Even when great care is taken in
making the Investment only in excep-
tional cases should the city bred fam
fly attempt farming. Generally the
best advice than can be given to the
city bred man who desires to become
farmer is that before purchasing a
farm he work as a farm hand for two
or three years. This will give him an
opportunity to learn at first hand many
things about the business as we'll 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 expense or without danger
from financial disaster"