240 AGRICULTURE FOR BEGINNERS 



in diameter for the larger birds ; but if the house is to be 

 headquarters for the wren, a one-inch opening is quite large 

 enough and the small door serves all the better to keep 

 out English sparrows. 



The barn attic should be turned over to the swallows, 

 Small holes may be cut high up in the gables and left open 

 during the time that the swallows remain with us. They 

 will more than pay for shelter by the good work they do 

 in ridding the barn of flies, gnats, and mosquitoes. 



SECTION LIII LIFE IN THE COUNTRY 



As ours is a country in which the people rule, every 

 boy and every girl ought to be trained to take a wide-awake 

 interest in public affairs. This training cannot begin too 

 early in life. A wise old man once said, " In a republic 

 you ought to begin to train a child for good citizenship 

 on the day of its birth." 



Happy would it be for our nation if all the young people 

 who live in the country could begin their training in good 

 citizenship by becoming workers for these four things : 



First, attractive country homes. 



Second, attractive country schoolhouses and grounds. 



Third, good country schools. 



Fourth, good roads. 



If the thousands upon thousands of pupils in our schools 

 would become active workers for these things, and con- 

 tinue their work through life, then, in less than half a cen- 

 tury, life in the country would be an unending delight. 



One of the problems of our day is how to keep bright, 

 thoughtful, sociable, ambitious boys and girls contented on 



