FORTY-THIRD ANNUAL CONVENTION 107 



To be specific let us take the bo}^ living on a dairy farm ; on 

 your farm, if you will. From his earliest recollections he has 

 heard you talk of cows, why this one was better than another 

 and so on. As soon as he is old enough to help with the chores, 

 he doubtless helps to take care of the calves and before long he 

 will have one singled out that he likes better than the rest. He 

 calls that one his and perhaps gives it a little extra feed and 

 care. Right there, is your opportunity. Give that calf to him, 

 or better still let it be understood that he gets it in return for the 

 help he gives you. Then you take notice of the kind of care that 

 calf gets. Make it a point to be around once in a while when 

 the boy is feeding it and compare his calf with the rest. Is it 

 doing as well as it should? Is there any reason to believe that 

 that calf will develop into a very good cow? If there is, say so. 

 Show that boy that you are interested in what he is doing and 

 wherever he has shown good judgment or done his work par- 

 ticularly well, compliment him on it. If he stumbles and gets 

 discouraged with the work, as he sometimes will, encourage him. 

 When he meets wqth difficulties, help him out. Possibly one of 

 the yearlings from last year's calf crop is coming on particularly 

 well or it may be a two-year-old from the previous year. If 

 there is such a one, call the boy's attention to it. He will re- 

 member that as a calf that one was no better than his is now 

 and the desire to do as well or better than you have done will 

 spur him on. 



There is no hard and fast rule that can be followed in this 

 work of boy development, nor is it a case that will take care of 

 itself. You can't simply say, ''Here, son, is a calf, develop it into 

 a cow and you yourself into a dairyman." You have got to be 

 on hand to advise and encourage and sometimes to reprimand. 

 When and how to do it is your particular problem and a great 

 deal depends on how you solve it. 



After a few months the boy wnll have developed a heifer 

 and you and the calf will have done much toward the develop.- 

 ment of the boy. He will have learned to be patient and to be 

 kind", both virtues well worth cultivating. Moreover, if your 

 advice has been good he will have mastered some of the first 

 principles of dairy husbandry and of business, and will have 

 met and overcome some of the most common difficulties which 



