346 Bureau of Farmers' Institutes. 



There seems to lie no place where young men can congregate 

 for an hour's social chat with each other. Even in our villages 

 there are no reading-rooms, no libraries, nothing belonging to 

 thom as a class or society by themselves, except the ever-ready 

 barroom or the welcoming billiard-room. 



Can we say that Ave are doing all in our power for our boys 

 and young men while this state of society exists in our town? 



Alas ! for the owners of fine houses and elegant drawing-rooms. 

 Let them see to this for the sake of their own posterity. 



Therefore, it is but natural that our boys seek employment in 

 the city, and being mostly of honest, industrious habits, they are 

 welcomed by employers, and if the charms of city life do not over- 

 come these good habits, they are often promoted to positions of 

 trust and honor. 



There are many men of my own acquaintance who are now 

 holding positions of trust in large cities, who look back to their 

 boyhood days, spent in the country, on a farm, as the stepping 

 stones to their present prosperity. 



I will mention one family with whose name many here are 

 familiar, viz., Mr. Marsh, who lived on the farm now occu- 

 pied by Mr. Rugg, our Grange Chaplain. 



Mr. Marsh dying, left a widow and seven boys, most of whom 

 grew to manhood on this farm. 



All these seven boys have held, and all who are living now 

 hold trustworthy positions in business, and are honorable mem- 

 bers of society. 



I could mention many more were it not that I do not wish to 

 be personal in my remarks. 



I have mentioned this one instance, because there were so many 

 boys in one family; and this brings me to another point in our 

 sul > ject. 



Many farmers are living on small farms — farms sufficiently 

 large to maintain their families in comfort; but as their boys 

 grow to manhood and desire to earn money for themselves, they 

 have no opportunity except to work for some farmer by the 

 month, or to run in debt to buy a place of their own. 



Either of these experiences is not enticing as a lookout, and 

 it is as natural for boys to strike out for themselves as for the 

 young birds to leave the nest. 



Not ninny farmers are rich enough to place their sons on a 

 farm of their own as they grow into their majority, especially 

 if the family includes several boys. And as one and another 



