HOME ECONOMICS AND EDUCATION 673 



themselves easily. Experience proves agricultural students to be 

 earnest and capable, winning the respect of their fellow students. 

 Let the rural schools prepare them for standing shoulder to shoulder 

 with those educated in larger schools and outstripping them if they 

 can. This means a larger pride in the rural school, greater care to 

 secure practical teachers, more expenditure of money for healthful 

 conditions and better supervision to make the rural school correlate 

 its work with the high school and college. The boys and girls are 

 worth it and the stimulus for growth and advancement must be 

 placed in the rural school or else the country boys and girls will 

 have less chance in life than their city and village friends. 



After all the most valuable products of the farm are the chil- 

 dren. Why do the boys and girls leave the farm? Why do they 

 long for the city? Possibly because they think they can have better 

 times there. A "good time" is the goal of many a childj^. ambition. 

 Then give them such a good time that they will not want to leave. 

 Give more time to their consideration. Make home the most beau- 

 tiful place on earth to them with flowers and trees, lawn and shrubs 

 about the house. Set aside a place for outdoor games, tennis, base- 

 ball, croquet, football and such sports. Let them have a personal 

 interest in it all, give them some place to call their own, to plant if 

 they wish or use as they see fit. Let their gardens be good ground, 

 give help and advice if asked for. Let them have animals as pets 

 and for profit. Many a boy and girl loves his chickens and makes a 

 nice little sum from them during the year. Some may choose to 

 have bees, or pigeons, or rabbits, or lambs, a calf or a colt. The joy 

 of owning such are denied to city children, but the farmers' children 

 should be encouraged to care for them. 



Encourage them in their school work, school entertainments, 

 and school contests. Take an interest in the boys' corn contests, po- 

 tato growing contests and the girls' bread-baking contests. Do not 

 be too busy to attend the school apple show if tney have one or to 

 appreciate their showing of vegetables and flowers. Subscribe for 

 some of the best magazines and papers, especially to some devoted to 

 country life. If the child shows a natural inclination toward some 

 particular thing encourage him and develop his talent to the best of 

 your ability. 



Just as soon as the boy or girl expresses a desire for a book on 

 any practical or rural subject, get it. If one of the children likes 

 poultry, buy a poultry book. You may need one on birds, or garden- 

 ing, or trees, or horses, or pets. No child is beyond hope if it likes to 

 read in the sight of father and mother. The child that steals away 

 to read in secret should be looked after. Can you not afford five books 

 in one year on subjects connected with the out-of-doors? Cornell 

 Bulletin No. 28 Farmers' Wives' Reading-Course gives a list of books 

 for children. Since the bulletin was circulated, many have asked for 

 names of five or six good out-of-door books, and the following are 

 suggested as suited to give wholesome reading to the children and 

 interest them in the beauties of country life : 



