No. 4.] HEALTH ON THE FARM. 89 



in the country would be considerably extended. It is the duty 

 of those who have in their hands the direction of agricultural 

 improvements to give this thought particular attention. I 

 therefore desire to emphasize these points before this Board, 

 which has in its hands the direction of the agricultural in- 

 terests of this State. May I not ask you in the near future to 

 look into this condition of rural health which is so threatening 

 and see if the cause of the greater prevalence of disease and a 

 shorter lease of life in the country in this State may not be 

 discovered and removed? In my opinion you would confer a 

 greater blessing on the agricultural communities by a work of 

 this kind than you could possibly by increasing their crops or 

 improving their marketing conditions. The health and com- 

 fort of the farmer and of his wife and children should be the 

 first consideration of boards of agriculture. 



The improvement of sanitary conditions, thus making the 

 home more attractive, will do much to keep the farmer's boy 

 and the farmer's girl away from the town. If they can live 

 in greater comfort at home, have facilities for education, have 

 social centers for amusement and entertainment, the lure of 

 the city will not be so strong, and more of our sons and daugh- 

 ters will remain in our country homes. My plea to-day, there- 

 fore, is for an improvement in the living conditions, especially 

 from a sanitary and medical point of view, of our agricultural 

 citizens. They should know the principles of health, what 

 sanitary science can do for them, and the best and most 

 economical ways of securing its services. They should be 

 taught the theory and practice of nutrition, and especially the 

 foods which are most useful for infants and children, that the 

 farmer's boy and the farmer's girl may grow up with strong 

 bodies as well as vigorous minds, free from disease and the 

 perils which threaten so often the health of the home. Es- 

 pecially, in view of the fact that typhoid fever seems to be the 

 most prevalent of those deadly diseases which decimate the 

 country home, the methods of safeguarding against its ravages 

 should be made known to all. The people of rural Massa- 

 chusetts, especially, should be warned by the present unsatis- 

 factory condition, and take early steps to improve the health 



