Evening star., 1914-08-22

his warren is in danger Of suffering
from neglect.
Ned finds solace. though. in the fact
that he is to have one-half the pro-
ceeds from the sale of popcorn-even
ing the crop. I had about reached the
conclusion that fairness would compel
me to insist that Jim should have more
than a half share. as he had done a
great deal more than half the work.
but Jim himself relieved me of the
necessity of such a decision. We had
a private conference on the subject,
and he declared Ned in for half the
proceeds He reasoned that Ned was
two years his junior. and on that &C
count allowances must be made for
him. This verdict was a good deal of
a surprise to me. in view of the
amount of grumbling Jim had done
was nothing for me to do but concur
in the decision. 1t is a spirit of gen.
erosity I am glad to see manifested by
Jim. and I can only hope 1t will make
stead Of confirming him in the belief
that he has chosen the wiser way.
The boys have a whopping big crop
Of popcorn. 1t was so far advanced
suffer. and now it is about ready to cut.
We have hdsked and shelled out dozen
average hills. and on the showing they
made the entire crop should bring about
and fertilizer. leaving s44 to be divided
between them. Aside from plowing and
narrowing the ground at the beginning.
the boys did every bit of the work
profit is very creditable one. Next
year ! am going to give them all the
land they want for popcorn.
An outsider listening to the table talk
concluding that the family had gone
money mad. 1t Is a fact that we talk
more of income and profits than of any
other thing. but Jane and I realize and
and-cent measure of values is at best
a superficial and misleading one.
Forced to Dollar Standard.
But the fact remains that we are com.
PEELED to measure our success in units
of dollars. We can't afford the luxury
of any other standard Rich men can af-
ford to have farms, even II their butter
and eggs and fruit and vegetables cost
several times what they can be bought
for In the city markets. but we are not in
that class. There Is no way to put a
money value on the joy of living in the
country, but unless we can make country
Joy, any more than we can afford an
automobile or annual trips to Europe.
So we have to count our eggs and value
our potatoes. and take the pleasures OF
the life as something we are mighty
glad to have SO long as they come with
out cost.
Even at that. doubt if rich man
ever realizes the full fun of farming.
would like to grow prize pumpkins and
have sleek cattle to exhibit at the coun-
try fair. but ! would want to produce
them on prefit-paying basis. No sane
man runs newspaper just for the fun
of it. Men do not sell dry goods OF
operate steamboat lines just because
they find the occupation fascinating.
There would be no fascination to 1t If 1t
didn't pay. Yet men buy land and create
model farms. and lose money year after
year. Maybe they charge the costs up
to the account Of pleasure" just as
they do their yachts and other luxuries.
But why should they? Farming is a
business. and a very prosaic one. l can't
for the life of me see why man should
want to own model. but non profitable
farm any more than he would a model
but non-profitable, grocery store.
Chance for Real Sport.
1t seems to me there would be a lot
more sport having a model farm that paid
per cent on the investment. There arr
very rich men, l am told, who play ten.
cent-limit poker, and are as keen to VIII
as II the loss of jackpot meant standing
the landlord off for the months rent
Why shouldn't a rich man look upon hi.
model farm in the same way-that he !,
a winner II he makes 1t pay and a lose
II he doesn't?
Then he would have an opportunity t.
become a real benefactor to his com
munity. What do care about the hous
ing and breeding and feeding methods o,
Mr.. Milionbucks poultry farm when ever!
egg he gets costs him half dollar
But II Mr.. Miliionbucks makes each her
he keeps pay a net profit Of 81 a year.
am very keenly interested and publica
ton of his methods would be genuin,
benefaction. not only to poultry keepers
but to consumers Of poultry products tn,
country over. II Mr.. Millionbucks Is go
ing to bother with chickens at all. i
seems to me 1t would be lot bette
sporting proposition for him to try t.
make them pay. and then to give JohI
Smith and Bill Jones the benefit OF hi.
experiments.
we are having for breakfast ever,
morning now the finest cantaloupes 4
ever has been my privilege to taste. bu
Z don't really enjoy them. They hav,
cost me too much in the way Of tim.
and labor. couldn't grow such canta.
IouDss for market. unless I could fint