AN IDEAL FARMER'S HOME. 287 



years and by continuous repetition. In a few years one can have 

 distributed about his house vines, shrubs, hardy perennials and 

 evergreens enough to make the landscape a thing of beauty, while 

 easily grown annuals and bulbs of many kinds may make the lawn 

 brilliant with color. 



The mother who loves flowers, loves them so she will cultivate 

 them, will soon find help in those who admire them, and willing 

 hands will aid her in doing the necessary work of spading, trans- 

 planting and watering. She who thus leads her household forth 

 into realms of beauty and perfection is doing more for them than 

 she may think. I often recall a reply my mother made when a 

 friend wondered how she could find time for the cultivation of flow- 

 ers with so many children about her. She answered, "I cultivate 

 them for my children." I think she might truly have added "for my 

 own good," as well, for there is no other pleasure so gratifying and 

 refining. 



Let me stop for a moment, just here, as my mind turns to the veg- 

 etable garden, and give a list of vegetables which should come 

 crowding upon the farmer's table. There are asparagus, radishes, 

 lettuce, greens of many kinds, peas, beans, beets, carrots, cauli- 

 flower, cabbage, turnips, corn, celery, onions, squashes, tomatoes 

 and pumpkins, besides the omnipresent and, it may be, too much 

 used potato. These, well prepared, together with the fruits which 

 should come from field and orchards and the viands which are the 

 result of mixed husbandry, as well as the delicious dishes resulting 

 from compounding milk and eggs, make a well furnished table. 

 The farmer may have them in abundance and three times a day sit 

 down to meals a king might covet. Let us not for a moment think 

 of denying ourselves these comforts in the mad rush to make 

 money! Let us make home instead of money! In this and other 

 things many might realize "The Sweet By and By" in the present if 

 they would only calculate for it. Too many try to get away from 

 the farm — not the boys and girls alone, but those of larger growth, 

 because they seem to see fewer privations in town or city. Many 

 farmers do not live for home-life Srst. Christ's "Seek ye first the 

 kingdom of heaven and its righteousness" as regards home-life 

 might be given as an exhortation to them, and the exhortation re- 

 peated many times, for they seem to have come to think that "mak- 

 ing money" or "getting on," which means to them the same, is the 

 aim of man. Some one has said that "no emploj'ment can drag a 

 true man to any lower level, but he may lift any honest, honorable 

 employment to a higher level." By this we see it is the farmer who 

 is to do this; no one else will or can do it for him. Farming need 

 not be degrading*. Let farmers elevate it by their wit and bravery* 

 and it need not be so. 



As the family becomes rounded out, and those who gather round 

 the fireside come to number six or ten the family has developed in- 

 to a kind of school, and much thought must be given to training in 

 order to maintain an ideal home for the children. School education 

 is not enough in order to prepare a boy or girl for practical living. 

 Indeed, many boys and girls are to be pitied who get no other train- 

 ing than that which they get at school. Some parents saj- "John 

 and Mary are attending school, and I ask nothing more of them;" 

 others expect that all the time out of school should be given to 



