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advancement, and better prepare themselves for 

 the discharj^e of the puljlic duties of life. Refer- 

 ring!; to youn"; men — how is it that so manv aban- 

 don the rural pursuits of their fathers, and rush 

 into cities and towns, to intensify the already 

 severe competition generally existing in com- 

 merce and the professions ? 



There are doubtless several causes which con- 

 spire to produce this social phenomenon; the 

 principal I believe to be, what has already been 

 referred to — the false and low estimate commonly 

 put upon farming a3 a pursuit. It is yet too 

 much regarded as a monotonous life of drudgery, 

 naturally inferior in social status to the more 

 dazzling occupations of city life, and utterly pow- 

 erless as a means of acquiring a fortune. Young 

 men of ardent imaginations and undisciplined 

 minds soon become dissatisfied with what to them 

 is one dull and dreary round of duty. How little 

 is done in many country homes, to make them 

 attractive to the young, and often still less on 

 the farm, to render its various seasonal opera- 

 tions a source of rational interest and agreeable 

 information! Give to youth such an education 

 and training as will enable them to comprehend 

 and appreciate the wonderful phenomena of their 

 daily life, and they will soon feel convinced that 



