FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 189 



AFTERNOON SESSION. 



Prof. W. J. Boal gave a lecture on the ''Improvement of our Grains, Fruits 

 and Vegetables," (see lectures given at more than one Institute). 

 Mrs. Ellis, of Kalamo, next read a short essay ou 



HOUSEHOLD ECONOMY. 



The essayist advocated system as essential to proper housekeeping, while 

 claiming that it was more difficult to be systematic in housekeeping than in al- 

 most anything else, there being so many liabilities to interruption. 



The importance of a good garden to the farmer's household was set fortlv as 

 being enhanced by remoteness from market. 



The essayist took a very correct and liberal view of household economy, iu 

 claiming that it was a false idea of economy to be deprived of things that per- 

 tained to tlie growth of character and the culture of the mind, or tliat would 

 bring needed rest for the body, merely for the sake of saving money. 



Mr. John Griffin, of Olivet, read the following essay on 



''the educatiox OF farmers' children." 



To tlie casual observer it might appear that the education of farmers' chil- 

 dren, in the State of Michigan, at least, is well provided for. To substantiate 

 this assertion it can be asked, and with pride, too, what State has a better edu- 

 cational system than ours? In what State is the district school, the high 

 school, the academy and college found more frequently than in our own? 



And certainly, as far as the provision of money is concerned in the education 

 of our children, we have no reason to be ashamed. But in the education of the 

 young there are other influences necessary to be thrown around them which can 

 not be purchased with monev. The consideration of those influences will form 

 the topic of this essay. 



If a true account of the moral, intellectual and social condition of the chil- 

 dren of our country were given to us, we should be surprised to note the defi- 

 ciencies of our children in these respects. It would be found that if they had 

 ever been taught it, they had entirely forgotton the maxim, " Honor thy father 

 and mother." It is a common occurrence to see families in which all filial respect 

 on the part of children is entirely ignored. It is a noted fact that children 

 are to be found in the families of prosperous farmers, whose moral characters 

 are far below what they should be. This should not be the case, as farmers, 

 being more isolated from the world than people of other professions, can exer- 

 cise a greater influence in moulding the characters of their children than any 

 other class of people. It certainly is of the greatest importance that that in- 

 fluence sliould be a right one. Parents are often to blame for the vices 

 their children possess. If you hear a boy use profane language, it can 

 usually be traced back to the parent, and if you find a young scapegrace who 

 visits orchards and melon patches in search of plunder, there is a strong prob- 

 ability that his father did so before him, and has related how cunningly he did 

 tliese things when a bov himself. I will venture the assertion that more than 

 lialf the bad boys are made so by the example and teachings of their parents. 

 Parents, have you ever seriously thought of the influence your character and 

 and teachings Inive over your children? If in such observation you find any- 

 thing wrong in yourselves, try immediately to correct it, for procrastination 

 may result in irreparable evils. Some one may ask how will you do this? How 



