342 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE OCf. Doc. 



shall show to the child the possibilities along these lines. Mistakes 

 will be made as mistakes have been made in the past. Educators, 

 in their zeal for agricultural, industrial and domestic education, 

 will he prone to iulroduce into the school many things which could 

 be better taught in the home and on the farm. We shall need to 

 exercise an oversight and bring our judgment to bear in these prob- 

 lems. There is no lack of opportunity for usefulness for the edu- 

 cated farmer and farmer's wife in connection with this public prob- 

 lem. 



So, too, it is the duty of every man to lend his aid to the church. 

 1 care not whether you are a member of this or that church or indeed 

 of any church, you cannot afford to neglect the things for which the 

 church as a whole stands for. Sweep from our present civilization 

 the things which have been the outgrowth directly and indirectly 

 of church life and activitv and little would be left which makes life 

 best worth living. Unquestionably the country church has had in 

 recent years a hard struggle. It has lost some of its oldtime in- 

 fluence. It faces the need of a readjustment in its methods and 

 obligations. It needs the help of every earnest man and woman 

 within the sphere of its influence. I believe the church should be 

 in closer touch with the aflairs of the community in which it is 

 located; in other words, with the farmer and the home. I count 

 it a most encouraging sign of recent times that one of our agricul- 

 tural colleges has established a summer school for the teaching of 

 agriculture to ministers. 1 shall not be surprised to see in the near 

 future the establishment of agricultural courses in our theological 

 seminaries, for 1 believe that the minister who is to render the 

 greatest service and be of most help to his people in the country 

 community is to be a man who understands agriculture and knows 

 the problems and perplexities of the farmer and the farmer's home. 

 There is greater need that the country church should be a social 

 center for the community than in the case of the city church. In- 

 stitutional churches have been established in cities in which libraries, 

 game rooms, gymnasiums and similar facilities exist. There is 

 greater need for those things in connection with the country church, 

 though the problem of securing them is far more diflQcult. I wish 

 the day might come when every country community could ])ossess 

 such a church. Personally I would have in that church some things 

 which perhaps might shock the sensibilities of some good people but 

 which nevertheless I believe would contribute to the moral and 

 spiritual welfare of the young people of the community. 



Thus far I have dwelt entirely upon the duties facing the American 

 farmer, but there come to him privileges as well, though, as I look 

 these over it seems to me that most of them lie within the farm- 

 yard gate rather than without it. There is no bar to the passage 

 of good literature and good books of all sorts through this gateway. 

 The cost is little and every farm home has open to it boundless 

 possibilities along this line, the companionship of the noblest men 

 and women which the world has produced, at their best moments. 

 Music, perhaps not of the most fashionable or approved type, but 

 music which shall enliven and upbuild human life may be found 

 therein. Art, too, may find its place there. Good pictures are not 

 expensive. Better yet, there lies spread before the farmhouse window 

 landscape pictures unequalled by any artist's brush, pictures chang- 



