Plans to Keep Young People Interested 



One of the problems that is all the time tugging at the 

 heart of the farmer of this country is the absence from 

 the farm of the young man. There are many neighbor- 

 hoods in which not one in ten of the male members of 

 the community may be truthfully called a young man. It 

 used to be thought that the time of the young man 

 belonged to his father till he was "one-and-twenty" ; but 

 the day of his departure has gradually dropped until now 

 long before he is of age he is away at some other kind of 

 business. With all the drift toward the country that we 

 hear so much about today, it is a drift of men quite well 

 along in years, and not a movement which takes the boys 

 and young men back to nature. The shops, the factories, 

 the stores and the offices are swallowing up sturdy young 

 fellows everywhere. 



Some of the best farmers of this country are finding a 

 solution of the young-man question in the plan of settling 

 their sons early on the farm. If these farmers are fortu- 

 nate enough to be the owners of large farms, the problem 

 is easier of solution ; for then they may cut the old home- 

 stead up into two or three good-sized farms, build houses 

 on these, and have their children near to them as long as 

 they live. 



This is a happy method of working out the problem. 

 As the father and mother grow old, and less able to carry 

 on the farm work themselves, they may have within easy 

 call their boys and girls. Where a spirit of harmony and 

 love exists between the different members of the family 

 this state of affairs may be said to be almost ideal. 



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