No. 4.] AGKICULTURAL EDUCATIOX. 97 



have this opportunity, then he will see attractions else- 

 where. 



In the third place, the 3"oung nmn is ambitious for large 

 things. Every 3^oung American is ambitious, and he sees 

 achievement makes very largely from the city, and he thinks 

 the farm is too small a field of action. In its larger eco- 

 nomic and social aspects it is a very gratifying thing that the 

 American boy does not necessarily follow the occupation of 

 his father, whether his father is a farmer or lawyer or physi- 

 cian. He has full opportunity to follow whatever line of 

 business he chooses ; and I do not know why a farmer boy 

 should follow the occupation of his father any more than a 

 boy from the city should follow the occupation of his father. 

 And I am wondering, if statistics were studied, whether we 

 should not find, after all, that as fair a proportion of the 

 boj's, as they come and go, follow the occupation of farming 

 as those who follow other occupations of their fathers ? 



Fourth, there is less financial risk for the young man in 

 some other occupation. He works for others, or does not 

 work for himself, and knows at the end of the week or month 

 how much salary he is going to have, — a measured wage. 

 He is learning something at somebody's else risk and ex- 

 pense. There are new concerns springing up in the city 

 every day ; how are they formed ? Nearly always they arise 

 b}^ two or three young men getting together and establishing 

 a concern of their own ; often they have learned the business 

 at somebody's else expense. 



Fifth, there may be more money elsewhere. The farm 

 returns a large rate of interest on its investment, but its in- 

 vestment is nearly always small. If you were to figure the 

 rate of interest on the investment of any farm, — an ordinary 

 farm, that merely su})ports a farm family, — I think you 

 would find that the rate of earnino- is larg-er than that which 

 accrues from almost any mercantile business, but the amount 

 of investment is usually very small. The young man and 

 the young girl on the farm ordinarily have very little money 

 to spend that they can spend in the wa}^ they choose. 

 Many times I have asked young fellows why they were dis- 

 satisfied with the farm, and they say, " Oh, I have no money 



