The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-06-02
Keep Your Farm.


The newspapers these days are full
of items recording the sale or trans
Ter Of farm property. Some Of these
transfers have a foundation in good
business sense and some have not.
Under most conditions, the best adj
vice would seem to be that of Punch,
" don t.
The "retired farmer has some
thing of a legitimate excuse for dis
posing of his farm. He is supposed to
he retired from active life aud exist
ing ON the proceeds of a arduous and
well-spent life. But who ever saw a
happy retired farmer? Who ever saw
one who was a help to the community
in which he elected to Iive2
Most farmers, barring those whose
age or disability makes it necessary,
give up farming and move ITO town
on account of the women folks. The
trivial round, the common task
pals on women usually much earlier
than ON men, and NO wonder when we
consider the familiar arrangements of
the farmhouse not more than a dec
AIDE since.
y farmer would be- readily inter
ested in improved farming machinery
He would build good barns. equip a
good dairy and stable his horses and
CATTLE for the best results, while his
women folks had to put up" with
announcement kitchens, wornout stoves.
poor fuel, primitive sanitary arrange
mcuts. no hot water boilers and houses
| apparently designed to require the
most steps possible for cleaning and
caring for the various rooms.
The women stood this about so
long, probably until the girls grew mp
land went to high school. then there
would be one concerted demand for a
new house or a rebuilt house, and in
many eases Father threw mp his hands.
sold out and moved to town and never
passed another contentcd dav.
There are, of course, people who
must be on the move; who have sort
Iof wandcrlust that drives them one
/ year from Barnet to Peacham and the
next back to DanviIlc. or rrerhaps
'out west for four o. five wears.
then back to surer profits and less
| risk.
To all of these the present seems
to say: Keep your farm. 1t may have
tits disadvantages, hut all farms have.
1t may be hard for the women. but
4 new range, hot water boiler and
La Ford viii go long way toward fix
ling things up ut the house.
! The money expended in moving. if
intelligently invested on the farm,
may turn a dubious success or par
/ ti1l fqil4frg mt a II
! but the lure of the town is the NEST
fatuous of all motives for moving.
There is nothing in iowa for the
farmer but watching his income shrink
under the pressure Of war conditions.
There is no satisfaction in the pleas
ure of the white lights when pro
duction has to be stopped. There is no
lasting satisfaction in the new init.
macies Of the avenue when every ex-
Ipedltion, excursion, party, shopping
trip, food purchase or change means
spending money that would be pro.
ducing real revenue if it were at work
farming.
Business is for business men. and
farming is for farmers-and sue.
ecssful farmer has to be a better all
round man in every way than the
leverage business man. Reduced to cold
figures, the successful farmer, cent
per cent on his investment. can show
profits that make the average bust
ness man look sick.
If tempted by an attractive offer. il
alarmed by the labor scarcity. il
scared Of grain prices, the advice still
holds: Stick to the farm. 1t will out
profit the average business before Tho
war is over.