KEEPING YOUNG FOLKS ON THE FARM. 215 



KEEPING YOUNG FOLKS ON THE FARM. 



IIENRV HUSSER, MINNEISKA. 



There is complaint from all over the country that the young 

 people dislike farming and go to town, where they expect shorter 

 work hours, better pay for work and. above all, to get' a better 

 chance to attend pleasures of all kind. While only a few succeed and 

 become wealthy and influential in the city, the great majority will 

 be swallowed in by the average laboring class and make a living 

 from hand to mouth and will very seldom be able in their lives to 

 call themselves independent, as almost any earnest farmer gets able 

 to do after he works his farm faithfully and intelligently. 



It is therefore the duty of every farmer who needs his young 

 folks at home to keep them there, first, by educating the young folks 

 of the dangers of city life and the vain hopes of success there for a 

 great many and, next, of the great advantages and pleasures of 

 farming by an earnest worker, the healthful occupation in free air 

 and sunlight, the great variation in farm work, which makes the 

 business more admirable than the monotonous work in factory or 

 shop ; the independence of the farmer and, above all, a happy old 

 age for the farmer who has not to go begging for an odd job, to 

 make a poor living at that. 



But to keep the young folks at home we have to make their 

 state pleasant and happy, we have to give them reasons to love their 

 home place, we have to make our homes not only profitable but also 

 attractive. Work your farms so that at the end of each year you 

 can point to some improvement, so that the children will see the 

 farm is paying, and never grumble to them that farming does not 

 pay. Manage so that the young folks have not to work more than 

 ten hours a day on the average and never more than twelve hours in 

 the busiest season, chores included. If you have reason to correct a 

 child, do it sensibly and explain to them in fair way at once, and 

 don't be cranky with them for a whole day or week. This useless 

 crankiness drives a great many away from home. 



Another point, and a point of greatest interest, is : Our children 

 are not given merely to be used as working tools or slaves, but they 

 are given us to raise them to be good Christian, loyal citizens, faith- 

 ful workers, for which they should be trained to work always with 

 a good zeal and with all earnestness. We should make our children 

 to be partners in the farm business, and we should give them a 

 chance to raise or cultivate something for themselves, to their joy 

 and for the getting of some spending money for themselves. To 



