Missouri Home Makers' Conference. 613 



tried and have had mothers tell me, "I need every cent I make 

 out of my poultry. I can't give a part to the children to use 

 as they want." 



Did you ever stop to think that either paying your child 

 for his work or giving him an interest in the business helps him 

 to be fitted to battle life in other lines of business when he 

 is older! Now few children if allowed to have spending money 

 of their own, if properly taught and especially if they earn it 

 themselves, will squander it. Wouldn't you rather give your 

 boy or girl an interest in the work so they will have an income 

 of their own, rather than go to the city, as so many do, meeting 

 temptations on every hand? 



It makes children very proud when they can say I bought 

 these shoes or this dress with money I earned helping mamma 

 or papa. We do not believe in paying children for everything 

 they do, neither do we believe in paying large sums, but start 

 them with small sums and see that they earn it — and be sure 

 and pay them. To give you an illustration, to show the dif- 

 ference in boys earning their own money and just having it 

 given to them, I saw two little boys (about eight years old) 

 together a short time ago. Each had a quarter; one earned 

 his, the other his parents had given him. His money was 

 burning his fingers, he wanted to spend it so badly. I asked 

 him what he wanted to buy. He said, "Oh, I don't know, just 

 anything, candy or something. The other one said, "I am 

 going to keep mine and save it and see if I can't get a dollar. 

 I want to see how much money I can save this year." 



But let us get back to the main subject, poultry and chil- 

 dren. We believe it is best to start the child on a salary. A 

 very small child can begin to do the little things. I have seen 

 them take a half gallon bucket and make many trips to fill a 

 trough for the chickens with water, and how they enjoyed it! 

 They perhaps said, "Mamma is going to give me a dime if I 

 keep water there every day for a week." How they would 

 work to earn that dime. I have seen a little boy take his little 

 wagon (in fact, our own little boy, eight years old) when papa 

 and mamma were very busy, clean all the dropping boards in 

 three hours, rake and sweep the boards, haul the droppings 

 down in the field, all for 25 cents. He was so proud of his work 

 and he came in and said to me, "Mamma, I tell you I am 

 making that ground 'wich,' we sure will have lots of wheat 

 there next year." He enjoyed the work; he was allowed his 

 own time and only worked an hour at a time. We think he 



