26 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



parks, lakes and quick transportation are the things that pertain to 

 his every day life. 



If a boy has not acqnired any taste for farm life it is a decided mis- 

 take to expect him to stay on the farm. I think however, it is the fault 

 of the parents and not the boy's that they leave the farm, in many cases 

 it's the parents duty and privilege to be intimately acquainted with 

 our boys and girls, we should learn to interest ourselves in our children, 

 study their and)itions, ideals, habits, and impress upon them that we 

 are their dearest chums. Make them our confidents in all matters, their 

 physical well-being, their love affairs, their ambitions and their material 

 successes. 



Recently in Iowa babies were judged by the scale of proper care and 

 development and some farmers having competing babies found fault 

 Avith this method who were receiving ])rizes on their stock judged from 

 this standard. If farmers will be as particular about the mating of 

 their boys and girls as their stock there Avill be fewer unhappy farm 

 homes. 



The boy who is fitted for a farmer must show a taste for farm life- 

 and his education should be encouraged along that line. As parents 

 we should expect him to excel us, if we don't encourage the best in 

 him and allow him to profit by our mistakes he is not developing as 

 we should expect. If the father cannot give the boy a full course at 

 the Agricultural College, give him what he can afford. I know of a 

 farm in Cass county that has been rented by one man for over twentj'- 

 five years. He had a family of girls, they all have been given an educa- 

 tion and are now successful home-makers and teachers. I think we all 

 will agree that farmer used good sound sense, if so why don't we do 

 it with more boys and girls. This question is solved by having a more 

 intinmte relation between the parents and their children. Educate 

 them to love and respect you and then this becomes practical. Common 

 sense is a big factor in the successful management of our home affairs. 

 If tlie parents constantly showed their diildren that they were interested 

 in all matters, trivial or important, a mutual confi<lence would be en- 

 couraged. Then when the parents needed tlie aid it would be anticipated 

 and given with hearty appreciation. The relations would then be recip- 

 rocal and that universal law of compensation i»ractically illustrated. 



I firmly believe the duty of every ])arent is to educate our children in 

 Christian living. We desire in our chiUlren tiie best development men- 

 tally, physically, and spiritually. By christian education I mean that 

 it should encourage and stimulate those characteristics that may repre- 

 sent the best qualities of our personality, for tlie life and teaching of the 

 only Perfect man as applied to ourselves can only be for our entire bet- 

 terment. 



"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." The practical 

 and sensible application of a christian life in the home, makes better 

 husbands and wives and consequently happier children. This is an 

 incentive to act and think aright and when api)lie<l to ourselves it 

 means better fathers and mothers, better boys and girls, consequently 

 better liomes. 



I am particularly interested in young people and think our homes 



