60 THE LURE OF THE LAND 



and care may well abide with him during his threescore 

 years and twenty. 



The farmer's girl is not so fortunately situated as the 

 farmer's boy. Through false and sometimes fatal mod- 

 esty on the part of her mother, she grows to puberty 

 utterly ignorant of her real nature. Alas ! too often a 

 chronic invalidism is the price of such criminal negli- 

 gence. 



The time is not far distant when every farm will be 

 subjected to rigid sanitary provisions, such as are found 

 in the best of our cities. The police powers of the 

 State, in so far as sanitation is concerned, will be ex- 

 tended beyond the cities and into the rural communi- 

 ties. 



The sick-bed of the country home will be guarded by 

 the same precautions for the protection of the well, as 

 are now found in the hospital and the well conducted 

 city residence. 



Taking all the favorable and unfavorable points to- 

 gether it may confidently be predicted that the average 

 life of those who live in the country will soon greatly 

 exceed that of any urban population. I urge the 

 farmers of this country to give heed to the problems of 

 sanitation outlined above. Do not buy a motor car 

 until all your houses are clean and well ventilated. 

 Provide a place for your children to have their daily 

 bath. Put hot and cold water with bath and toilet in 

 your home, provide a septic tank to dispose of the 

 wastes of the house so no danger of infection may occur. 

 Your life, that is, your health, is your greatest wealth. 

 Don't scatter it like a spendthrift to the four winds of 

 ignorance, infection, bad food and bad cooking. 



