316 State Horticultural Society. 



positions in the towns and cities. When I would inquire into the 

 cause I always received the same reply — "too lonesome, no social 

 life, too long daj^s and much hard work." 



The time was when the farm was isolated and, doubtless, lone- 

 ly, but each year finds the farm, and town coming nearer; the ad- 

 vancement of time and science is fast overcoming the old distance ; 

 we are having the rural delivery ; the telephone is in every country 

 home — and, as a medium of social life, simply ask for connection 

 with a suburban line some rainy morning and hear the wonderful 

 exchange of ideas, enough to fill a morning paper. As for "hard 

 work and long days:" It is true there are hustling seasons on the 

 farm, when every one has to hustle early and late, but is there any 

 line of business of which this cannot be said ? 



The farm offers to the wide-awake boy such rich opportunities 

 for soul and mind. There is always an opening for the use of his 

 God-given brains, undimmed by the constant balancing of Saturday 

 night and his wages. Just here I should like to add that I would 

 rather a boy be a peanut vender than to receive a regular salary 

 that was not dependent upon the quality of service and the boy's 

 interest in same, for in a peanut venture he must develop push and 

 thought in order to make a success, while in the latter he would 

 unconsciously fall into the habit of simply doing what he must. 



Our present system of education has largely to solve this 

 problem. Just look over the list of boys' studies and you will find 

 they are fitting him for every vocation in life but the one nearest to 

 our hearts ; hence, he is being educated away from the farm. True, 

 nature studies are being introduced into our schools, and some 

 others have a few months in agriculture, with some practical ex- 

 periments. 



Mrs. James told us last evening of what interest the city gar- 

 dens were to the city boys and girls. If this be true of them, how 

 much more vital is it to give our boys the same advantages. So 

 mj^ plea tonight is for the small, rural schools where the mass of 

 our farmers are educated. 



Little Switzerland, with her handful of subjects, realizes the 

 necessity of keeping her people in close touch with this interest, 

 compels agriculture to be taught in every school and in every grade, 

 for she is dependent for her entire revenue upon her agricultural 

 resources. When we say agricultural, we mean in its broadest 

 sense, for the boy and the big red apple are inseparable friends, 

 and nothing could interest him more than to thoroughly under- 

 stand how to propagate and care for the tree that bears such fruit. 



