FOURTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART VIII. 677 



sons, the Beechers; families of merchants as the Stewarts, the Wana- 

 makers; families of physicians, and likewise families of farmers. 



The sucessful farmer's son, as a rule (of course there are exceptions 

 to all rules), naturally turns to farming as a vocation; plans to be a bet- 

 ter farmer than his father and sees visions of larger and better hogs, 

 finer steers and more of them, improved machinery of all kinds and 

 everything else in proportion. But if a son sees his father slaving on 

 from early morning till late at night, if he realizes that he is denying 

 himself all privileges of reading, of society and recreation; if he sees 

 no positive improvement for the better from year to year; if he himself 

 is dragged into the mill and made to hurry, hurry from dawn till dark, is 

 it strange if he thinks "I'll get out of this," "I'll never be a farmer." So 

 the man with his nose to the grindstone finds himself left in the cold, 

 deserted by his sons and daughters and finally compelled to sell the farm 

 or run it alone. 



It requires brains as well as muscle and energy to run a farm. The 

 wise farmer lays his plans shrewdly and carefully; maps out the details 

 of his work -masterfully; studies the arrangement of his barns and sheds 

 with an eye to the greatest ease in doing the morning and evening chores. 

 His little boys never realize that father has a hard time. They think 

 it all fun. Then, as they grow older, and father takes them more and 

 more into his confidence they realize that father does a good deal of 

 planning to keep the old farm in shape, to turn out that fine lot of steers 

 and the prize porkers, besides keeping garden, orchard and yard things 

 of beauty and thus "joys forever." But still they never doubt but what 

 they can do the planning too, when it becomes necessary, and with 

 proper education I think they can. 



A farmer's life is an ideal one where the work is well planned, where 

 plenty of help is kept and where some pleasure is part of each day's pro- 

 gram. One helpful and entertaining feature would be a farmers' club, 

 limited to twelve families; the program to be arranged for a year in 

 advance, meeting once a month at the home of a member and taking the 

 whole family to hear the discussion, and incidentally having a good time. 

 Topics of general interest could be discussed, such as "Women and the 

 Pocketbook," "Shall a Young Man With Small Capital Buy or Rent a 

 Farm?" Then, of course, add music and refreshments. It can't be all 

 play on a farm any more than all work. There must be days and weeks 

 of constant application during the busy season of the year. But know- 

 ing that it will not always last the sturdy boy takes delight in his ability 

 to put forth extra effort in haying for instance, and eagerly watches to 

 see which is putting in more loads a day, his father or Mr. Smith. 



Boys also enjoy being taken into father's confidence and being al- 

 lowed to help plan a little. Suppose a boy says in the evening, "What 

 are you going to do tomorrow, father?" Well, sir, if nothing happens I 

 am going to cut the grass on the south lot the first thing in the morn- 

 ing, and maybe we can get some of it in before night. You get up bright 

 and early and have the team ready before breakfast." The answer is 

 a cheery one. "All right." Another father in reply to the same question 

 37 



