ssible.

The greatest asset that the country has to offer relates to the health and
character of those who live close to nature. It has long been recognized
by many European countries that the ownership of even a small tract of
land, no larger than a city lot, perhaps, is a definite asset in building
a nation and in building individual character. In Germany, in Denmark and
in many other nations, the government lends its aid toward the
establishment of people in the country and makes it possible for them to
acquire and retain small holdings of land which they may call "home." It
is on these small tracts that one sees veritable bowers of pastoral
industry and beauty.

Residence in the open country, in contact with the soil, contributes to
physical strength and to mental health. When a man lives in the country,
his house, his way of living and his contribution to the community stand
out where all may see them. These latter assets have always been inherent
in country life. When to these are added the conveniences and the
opportunities for community enjoyment that are now a part of rural life,
its appeal is not difficult to understand.

Anyone who intends to live in the country has his individual problems to
meet and to solve. In the solution of these problems there are many
resources and avenues to which he may turn in the present day for help and
for guidance. The tragic mistakes that have been made in the past can and
should be largely eliminated in the future. A clearer understanding should
be gained as to what one may obtain in the country in the form of a better
way of living, serving as an anchor to the windward even under favorable
economic conditions.

_Chapter_ II

GETTING ESTABLISHED IN THE COUNTRY

In the selection of a residence in the country, the settler must decide
whether he wishes to locate on a farm of considerable acreage or whether
he wants to have a relatively small tract ranging from 2 to 15 acres. In
the latter case, he is thinking primarily of a place of residence with
sufficient acreage to make it possible to secure a partial living from the
land immediately surrounding the home. The trend in such purchases is
toward the smaller place for a number of reasons.

A large farm acquired by a relatively inexperienced person means a very
considerable burden in the development and maintenance of the land itself
on a producing basis. Capital is required for the purchase of equipment
and power