664 ANNUAL. REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



The}' are ambitious and wide-awake; they do not lie under the 

 shade trees while the crops ripen to drop into their j,^arners, although 

 there are allurements. They are surrounded with the beauties of 

 nature, breathe pure air laden with the perfume of blooming flowers, 

 they have the birds about them busy building nests and singing 

 sweet songs of love and cheer, the bees as they hum and the butter- 

 tiies as they liit to and fro sipping nectar from the sweet flowers. 

 From morning to night the whole year round, the many duties in 

 farm life give them but little time for ease and idleness. Neverthe 

 less, their lives are illumined either with pleasure or with profit, 

 perhaps with both. Do not say: "There is nothing in farming." 

 There is a keen sense of ownership and independence, full health, 

 physical power, good water, wholesome food, a happj' home, rest, 

 pleasure and amusement, besides many things which are unmen- 

 tioned. 



Thomas Jefferson said, that "the strength and prosperity of the 

 government depended on its strong, prosperous and independent 

 agricultural class and after caring for them by giving fair and just 

 legislation, all other industries would build themselves around this 

 industry, as necessity required, in a strong and vigorous manner." 

 Boys and girls on the farm "may get weary and think work is dreary; 

 but 'tis harder, by far, to have nothing to do." It is in farm life, like 

 in anything else that we find well-bred, cultured, useful boys and 

 girls; on the other hand, there are those who are sluggish, useless 

 and unprogressive. 



It is unnecessary to state the manifold duties of boys and girls 

 on the farm, that is readily seen. Where the family is industrious, 

 all lend a helping hand in the discharge of their duties; no matter 

 whether it is out-of-door work or household tasks. There are some 

 farmers' girls who work in the fields all day, taking a hand with 

 their brothers, and then weary and over-worked, toil on with their 

 household tasks until dark, and even longer. As a rule, they are 

 generally out in the early morning enjoying the blessings of the 

 daW'U, and as the day goes on, they follow the daily routine of work 

 with cheerful hearts and with willing hands. After the day is well 

 spent and the long shadows of evening fall over the land, when 

 everything is hushed to silence and repose; they gather into the 

 home — and who, but the boys and girls, know the meaning of an 

 evening on a farm? They talk over the events of the day, and lay 

 p'ans for the next day. They sing; play games; read books, papers, 

 and magazines; and have many other pleasant amusements. This 

 is true to a certain extent in families, only where there is a desire 

 to progress and some intelligence — where the parents look after the 

 welfare of their boys and girls. Boys and girls in humble farm 

 homes, in which each add their mite so that all may share the com 

 mon good are just as happy and in some cases happier, than those 

 in more beautifullv adorned homes, so that contentment in striving 

 for useful manhood and womanhood is what makes boys and girls 

 happy. 



Boys and girls on the farm should be as well educated, as Avell 

 cultured, as well represented, as well dressed, and as much re- 

 spected as anyone else. It is an honor to them to feel that the daily 

 bread of the highest and the lowest of mankind is the fruit of the 

 farmer's labor. 



