228 The Farm Boy's Interest in the Business 



the farm and help develop rural life into what it 

 should be. Hence the necessity of finding a way to 

 interest such boys in some of the many business 

 affairs connected with the farm home. Perhaps there 

 is no better way to develop the lad's interest in the 

 affairs of the place than that of allowing him to 

 participate in the practical business transactions as 

 the conditions may allow. Let the parents take him 

 to the store, the bank, and other such places for the 

 benefit of his experience. Send him in with the 

 produce with authority to sell and to invest a part 

 of the proceeds in whatever the family may need. 

 The father should have the boy with him when se- 

 lecting and buying machinery or live stock at public 

 sales. Send him to the bank with checks or drafts 

 to be deposited or collected. Give him an oppor- 

 tunity to keep the family accounts, or at least to 

 keep his own recorded in a book. 



The ordinary farmer can think of more ways than 

 the foregoing whereby to give his growing son the 

 needed experience in money matters. The best re- 

 sult of such practice is that if there be anything in 

 connection with the affairs of the farm in which the 

 boy will have a native interest this aptitude will be 

 discovered ; and it can then be made the basis of the 

 young man's introduction into a successful participa- 

 tion in some practical business. The boy's perma- 

 nent calling is seriously involved in this discussion. 

 On page 279 of this book will be found a description 

 of three methods of vocational training. 



