EIGHTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART X. 699 



A Memeber: I would like to ask a question. In the township high 

 schools, which are coming, would you omit literature, Latin, algebra, 

 geometry, etc.? 



Professor Oioens: As far as literature Is concerned, no; so far as Latin 

 is concerned, yes; I would substitute French or German or some other 

 modern language for it. I think geometry should be omitted, but I would 

 put in algebra. My reason is this: By taking French or German one 

 can read some of the best literature in these languages and get the same 

 exercise for his brain as he would get with Latin. The same thing applies 

 to algebra. Some of the best problems are worked out by algebra. As 

 for geometry, it is not so much in demand. This covers what I think we 

 are trying to teach at institutes. Now, you get the farmer to understand 

 that he is not a slave, that life is not only a matter of money, and you 

 lift him out of the rut and put him on a higher plane of living. To do 

 this you need literature. It will help to keep the young men on the 

 farm, and our girls will not care to rush into the factory, where they may 

 not make quite as much as they do in the kitchen, but where they have 

 no brain work. It does not take nearly so much brains to make a stock- 

 ing as to make a cake. If a girl works in the kitchen she has to use her 

 brains; she has to make a cake; then she has to make bread, and so on. 



THE FARMER'S BOY AND WHAT BECOMES OF HIM. 

 A. M. Leichliter, Spencer, Iowa, Before Clay County Farmers' Institute. 



He is a factor that has to be reckoned with. He is by no means a 

 nonentity, and must not be treated as such. He is very much in evidence 

 on the farm, and oftentimes elsewhere. By birthright he belongs to the 

 farm, and by the right of inheritance or succession the farm ought some 

 day to belong to him. Whether it does or not will depend upon himself 

 more than upon luck or chance or upon any other person. 



There comes a time early in the life of every boy when he knows a 

 great deal. He cannot learn very much, for he already knows everything 

 that is really worth knowing. About this time he begins to wonder why 

 Father is always scolding him about the way he does his work, and why 

 Mother is everlastingly lecturing him about his personal habits and his 

 company. In fact, he comes to think of himself as a very much abused 

 person. He reflects upon the drudgery of the farm. He envies the town 

 boy his good clothes, soft hands and easy ways, and comes to the con- 

 clusion that he was never cut out for the farm. He therefore resolves 

 that just as soon as he is of age, or, better still for him, as soon as he 

 can buy his time, he will quit the farm and seek his fortune in the city. 

 It is often disastrous enough for the father, after years of economy and 

 discipline on the farm, and after accumulating a modest competence, to 

 leave the farm, move to town and take up the role of the idler, but for 

 that boy, without the fortune, without the discipline, and often unaware 

 of the many temptations and pitfalls in the city, such a career is extremely 

 hazardous and often disastrously so. 



But "that farmer's boy" is just like any other real live boy. He has 

 desires, ambitions and hopes that must be satisfied. He has industry. 



