144 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 



And this leads me to what is perhaps the most important factor 

 in this development of citizenship in the country home. It is the sym- 

 pathetic relationship that exists in the farm family. Three times a 

 day the whole family gather at the table for meals. All of them 

 know what the others are doing and they are interested in talking 

 about the things that affect the whole family. In the evenings, after 

 the work is done, again all enjoy this companionship, lying on the grass 

 in the yard to cool off on summer evenings, or sitting by the fire in 

 winter with popcorn and apples and books and music. 



What sort of place is this country home that offers so many 

 advantages for the training of citizens; where shall we find it and 

 how may we know it at sight? I would say that it will be found 

 surrounded by evidences of good farming. We may expect to find 

 good barns and outbuildings of all kinds kept well painted, a silo, 

 good herds of well-bred live stock kept in by good fences, land well 

 tilled and crops well diversified and with evidence of a careful con- 

 servation of soil fertility. The dwelling will be of permanent con- 

 struction, will be designed to harmonize with its location, and will 

 be surrounded by a grassy lawn with enough shade trees and simple 

 landscape planting to make a good play ground for children and a 

 pleasant resting place for grown people. Inside the house we may 

 expect to find modern conveniences, including a bathroom, modern 

 heating system, electric lights, mechanical laundry equipment, com- 

 fortable furniture, a piano or a phonograph or both, and many good 

 books and current magazines. This is the kind of country home 

 that in this twentieth century will induce companionships within the 

 family, develop in children a love of farm life, bring out the best 

 there is in them, physically, mentally and spiritually, and give them 

 a memory of home to cherish always. 



How FAR WE ARE FROM THE IDEAL 



I wish I might stop here and say that I have described the ma- 

 jority or even the average of farm homes in Illinois. If that were 

 true we need have no concern about the future of our agriculture. 

 Unfortunately it is not true, for so far in our development we have 

 built very few permanent farm homes. The great majority of them 

 have been merely dwelling houses built only with the idea of furnish- 

 ing the lodging facilities necessary to carry on the farm business. But 

 the time is coming, and it seems to me that it is not far distant, when 

 we shall realize that the farm home must furnish more than lodging. 

 It must furnish comforts and conveniences that will make country 



