How One Farmer Manages 177 



his parents. The wise father will see to it that his 

 youthful son has some outside incentive for work, 

 as well as money payments and words of praise. 

 Vacation periods and holidays judiciously placed 

 will prove a splendid tonic for the working boy's 

 mind. The schedule given below will indicate the 

 relative amount of time that should be given to such 

 recreative indulgences. Even in the matter of 

 holidays there is a tendency of some fathers to re- 

 gard them as so much stock in trade to exchange 

 for the boy's extra effort. So, some farmers will 

 map out more than a reasonable week's work and 

 say, "Now, boys, finish that up by Saturday noon 

 and you may quit." In such case we have mere 

 exploitation of the boy's strength and energy in 

 the interest of the work and the profits. The scheme 

 will fall flat sooner or later and leave the boy still 

 despising the work and mistrustful of his employer. 



The plan pursued by a prosperous farmer in dealing 

 with his two sons may serve to illustrate a very 

 good method. This thoughtful father reports sub- 

 stantially as follows : 



" The work on our place is never ended, but when- 

 ever I find that the boys need a vacation they get it 

 just the same. They are fourteen and sixteen and 

 splendid help during the summer. I never permit 

 them to work more than ten hours a day, while they 

 are allowed a full half day off each week to use as they 

 please, and about once each month they have an 



