718 BOAUD OF AGKICULTUKE. 



able to set' It. I hiive often tliouKht that ii' tliere was some kind of 

 hydraulie iiu'thud ut ditoliiiij; Invi'iited M!icii'l)y land could bo drained by 

 leaving the tile on top of the ground where they could be seeu, whether 

 or not these same men would not go to work and drain these places. My 

 notion is you had better have your money in ditches than on the credit 

 side of your bank book. 



Next in order conies fences. 1 have endeavored to build fences wher- 

 ever needi'd. and with the present low prices of fencing no farmer can 

 alford to do without them. If I had my fencing to do over again I would 

 adopt one kind, either .■5(5 or US inch woven wire with one barb wire above; 

 this makes a good fence that will turn any kind of stock down to a very 

 small pig. 



Now I believe that you take a farm rigged up like this or similar to it 

 and it leads up to advanced ideas in other directions, such as improving 

 your stock and in cjiring for it, selecting the very best in the way of seeds, 

 in building up the (piality of your lands and in various other Avays, one of 

 which is the tendency to interest the boys and keep them on the farm. I 

 noticed a short time ago in a newspaper an article headed "Warned 

 Against the (Mty."' It went on to say that the farmer boy of Northern 

 Indiana should beware of Clucago, and tliis is one of the statements in 

 an otticial bulletin which is being sent out to teachers all over Indiana 

 by the State Board of Public Instruction in an attempt to stem the tide of 

 emigration of the farmer boys to the great cities of the country. The 

 State Board determined nn this action after receiving statistics showing 

 estimates on the number of boys AAiio have deserted the farm for tlie 

 city during the last few years. It believes the vitality of the State is 

 being sapped and will at once begin a crusade to stop the movement. 

 This, to my mind, is a very grave question and one which can not be 

 acted upon too quickly. Teach them, which is a fact, that farming is 

 one of the noblest callings to Avhich they can aspire. 



And now while I havi' been forced to give my ideas of an ideal farm, 

 I propose to force upon you uiy ideas of !io\a to run one. I am now speak- 

 ing of a rented farm, and while this may not interest all of you at the 

 present time you do not know how soon cii-cumstances may force you to 

 become eitlier renters or dependent on one. You take the subject of Land- 

 lord and Tenant and it seems to nie iliat it has been entirely overlooked. 

 Perhaps there is no other business in the world today that has made the 

 advancement in the last few years as has that of fai-ming. Farmers are 

 taking more interest in institutes of this kind, in farmers' organizations 

 and, in fact, in everything that tends to their advancement, and yet in 

 this one subject there seems to be no cliauge. fake the farmers' journals, 

 of which there are many able ones, some of which I take, and as yet I 

 never saw an article upon this subject. Is it possible that we already 

 have the best system that can be devised? Now my notion is this: go 

 to work and put your farm in )iroi)ei' shape to care for everything yon 



