available to every farmer, in most cases without cost, and all that he
needs is the will to avail himself of such expert help. In the cases of
farms that have been abandoned, we find that the operators did not make
contacts with dependable sources of information, an indication of the
necessity of cooperating with the agricultural agencies or with
experienced and successful neighboring farmers.

Still another cause of failure lies in the purchase of a farm at a price
which requires the assumption of a mortgage which is too high in relation
to the income from the farm. In short, an attempt to operate on an
overcapitalized basis will, sooner or later, lead to disaster. Failure to
locate on a productive type of soil may easily lead to loss of the
investment. If the local conditions, including good roads, school
advantages and a healthy community spirit, are lacking, there will develop
a feeling of discouragement and mental dissatisfaction which destroys
morale and creates the desire to get out from under at any cost.

_The Stocked Farm._--The question is frequently raised as to whether a
farm should be bought already stocked with work and domestic animals and
with farm equipment or whether it should be stocked by the operator
himself. This will depend, of course, upon the type of equipment which may
be available in the individual case. Sometimes fairly good equipment will
be sold with the farm as a means of facilitating a sale, but the value of
each item should be determined by someone experienced in prices of such
livestock or commodities as may be sold with the farm.

In many cases the buyer has loaded himself with animals or equipment that
are ill adapted to the farm or that are of no particular value, and in
struggling to get along with them he may seriously handicap the efficiency
of his labors. In most cases it will be found a better practice to add
stock and equipment as the need becomes definite and the finances of the
operator make it possible for him to add them to the farm. In this way he
will be fairly sure of acquiring only those items which will be of direct
use and benefit to him and will avoid an accumulation of worn-out or
antiquated articles which will not meet the requirements he must observe
in selecting tools for his work.

_Avoiding Fire Loss._--Possibility of loss by fire is an ever-present
reality to the owner of a country place. There are two methods of
preventing loss, and the observance of bot