22 City Homes on Country Lanes 



this department of health is concerned, the city is 

 far in advance. So with the oculist, and all other 

 fields of specialization, the city has absorbed and holds 

 in its firm grip the best of everything. And it scores 

 heavily on the side of health for the city-born and city- 

 reared against their brothers of the backward rural 

 districts. 



It is popularly believed that rural life is most favor- 

 able to physical development, but athletic instructors 

 generally have come to the conclusion that it does not 

 develop the body symmetrically ; that certain muscles 

 are exercised to fatigue, while other muscles are exer- 

 cised insufficiently. The report on athletic exercises 

 and organized play at the 1920 session of the National 

 Country Life Conference in Chicago favored special 

 types of athletic exercises in country schools on that 

 account. 



The young of all animals, and particularly human 

 beings, attain S3 r mmetrical development through play. 

 City children now have their playgrounds and organized 

 play efforts, while country children really play little 

 and work a great deal. Probably there is more child 

 labor on the farm than in all other industries combined. 

 By that same token, there is less balanced physical de- 

 velopment. 



It was hoped the record of physical rejections in 

 the World War would throw a strong light on the rela- 

 tive health of urban and rural communities. While the 

 record is marvelously complete, it does not help much 

 in this inquiry, for the reason that the Census unit of 

 2,500 as the dividing line between urban and rural 



