may
reasonably expect to live 35 years, or until he is 55 years old. A man
at 50, however, still has an expectation of life of 20 years, and the
man of 70 of 10 years.

A farmer of 50 will usually have one or more sons ready to go to
farming if they ever expect to engage in farming. But, as has been
shown, a man of 50 has a reasonable expectation of 20 more years of
life and cannot turn over the farm to his son, completely, without
destroying his own opportunity for earning a livelihood. As things are
usually arranged, therefore, there is no place on the average farm for
the son, except as a hired hand, which is not desired permanently by
either father or son.

Frequently the father fails to appreciate the earning power of his
son, and, what is more important, that the boy has grown into a man.
One day a teacher called a student of agriculture to his office, when
the following conversation occurred:

[Illustration: John Armstrong, Austinburg, Ashtabula county, Ohio, was a
dairy tenant farmer for twenty years with nothing to show for his labor
but a debt of $500. He then bought the farm of 144 acres on which he
lives, without cash payment, assuming a debt of $7,000. At the end of ten
years he owned his farm and equipment valued at $20,000. He has two sons
who have been important factors in his success. A year ago one of them
married and went to a farm of his own, the father paying him $3,000 for
his former labor.]

[Illustration: John M. Hunt, Ackley, Iowa, two years a student at Iowa
State College. He returned to the home farm of 120 acres, which, without
any capital, he rented from his father. At the age of 25 his gross
receipts from this farm were a little over $4,000. After paying rent,
living, keeping a family of four, a few trips to fairs and corn shows,
he had net $1,500 for his year's work. Picture shows home with father,
mother and sister in the foreground.]

"The Bureau of Soils at Washington," said the teacher, "has asked me
to recommend several of our students to them for positions as field
assistants. If you desire to have me do so, I would be glad to
recommend you for one of these positions. The compensation is $1,000 a
year and field expenses."

"I do not believe that I can accept," said Mr. Manning, "my father is
in poor health and needs my help on the farm."

"Does your father want you to take charge of the farm and manage it so
that you can make your training count?"

"No; my father expects