112 ADVENTURES IN IDEALISM 



work with the soil is satisfying; and how a man can 

 overcome the handicaps and trials Nature imposes on 

 him on the road to successful husbandry. The native 

 farmer, whose family has lived on the land for many 

 generations, has grown up with this knowledge. The 

 love of the soil is in his veins, and that is what makes 

 him keep to the farm in spite of discouragements. My 

 husband felt that this entire farming tradition must 

 be built up if Woodbine colonists were to become and 

 remain the equals of the native farmers. Therefore 

 he intended that the colonists should be instructed in 

 every branch of the theoretical and practical knowl- 

 edge that would make for a farmer's success. Not 

 only this, but he meant to bring up the sons of the 

 farmers, from the beginning, to understand and love 

 the work on a farm. 



We had tried to develop the social side of life in 

 Woodbine so that the young folks might, have an outlet 

 for their natural love of fun. There should be nothing 

 of the dull, uninviting farm life about our Woodbine 

 Colony! And my husband worked constantly, as I 

 have shown, to have so many schools and such good 

 schools in Woodbine that the growing minds of the 

 youngsters would find ample food and opportunity for 

 growth. Now he felt he could turn to the job that 

 interested him most of all. He was going to build up 

 a thorough system of agricultural education that should 

 develop the best material among the farmers' sons ; that 

 should cultivate professional ambition among the boys, 



