Mo. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 291. 



Then, too, we hear much of the necessity of education for the 

 faimer, which is a dire necessity, but how shall we reach that far- 

 mer, for very often the one most in need of information is the one 

 who lias least ambition along that line, takes very little literature, 

 and will not attend institutes; saying, he knows as much about 

 farming as anyone. 



Now, the best way to reach the masses is to awaken the mothers 

 of the present to the grave fact that such education begins with 

 the child in the home, and have them aim to have that education 

 given a broad, wide foundation. Educate morally, mentally, physiu- 

 ally and socially for you find that the greatness of most of our noted 

 men was owing to the home training at the mother's knee. You 

 have no doubt often heard the saying of the priest, "Give me the 

 first seven years of a child's life and I do not care who has him 

 after that." He knew that he would be so rooted and grounded in 

 the truths he taught him, that no after storms would be able to 

 sway him from those teachings. Kow, if this is so, how doubly im- 

 portant that the training of the child begins early. 



In the first place we want to have the best environments possible 

 surrounding the child. Be we rich or poor, we can have bright, 

 pleasant homes, filled with cheer and good humor. Sanitary homes 

 flooded witli light and sunsliine. No matter if the carpets do fade 

 a little, we want to let the sunshine in. Some of you would be 

 rather surprised to know that there are yet liomes where the shades 

 are kept down and rooms closed, until they really smell musty when 

 opened for guests.. We want no part of the house too good for the 

 family to use. Use all sanitary precautions to keep the liouse bealtli- 

 ful and clean. Have a neat lawn about the house and have the 

 home cheery and tidy outside as well as in. Then too, we want to 

 pay especial attention to furnishing wholesome, appetizing food, 

 seeing to it that we do not impair the digestion and health of the 

 children as we want to fortify them with sound minds in sound 

 bodies as far as in us lieth. 



Since the most important school is the home, and that there are 

 implanted the strongest impulses that determine the future char- 

 acter of the child of today, wlio will be the man or woman of the 

 future, how important that we are awake to the duties and respon- 

 sibilities that rest on us as instructors and helpers of our fellow 

 man, that we give the home life on the farm more attention. 



If you doubt how messages pertaining to home life and child 

 training will be received, some day look into the faces of an aud- 

 ience when these topics are talked on and note the rapt, eager look 

 on the faces of many mothers and I think you will experience some 

 of the pity that must have swayed the great Teacher, who taught 

 the multitudes, and you will wish for the power to lielp and brighten 

 tlieir cares, and above all, the power to awaken in every heart the 

 importance of proper child training. So much of this training de- 

 pends on the mothers in the home, yet so often they allow the tasks 

 of the day, the worries and anxieties to so engross their time and 

 thoughts, and in their endeavors to be faultless housekeepers they 

 overlook the fact that it is just as important to be good home- 

 makers, and the all important matter of proper child training; that 

 is made a secondary matter often. The fact of children being good 



