PROCEEDINGS OF THIRTY-SIXTH FRUIT-GROWERS'' CONVENTION. 173 



and the well directed expenditure of some money. The Country Life 

 Commission has pointed out in no uncertain terms that if we would 

 conserve our farms we must make them livable. 



How often have the half -ills and discontentment due to unvaried and 

 incessant work on a cheerless, homeless farm led children to unwise 

 immigration to the city. The farmer is too busy, the mother is too 

 overworked and disheartened by the monotony of her daily round to 

 investigate the half -ills of these children, and in the end they go. The 

 neighbors say, "Well, I don't rightly know what was the matter with 

 the Doe family. They didn't like the farm. The old man and his 

 wife still stick to it, but the children have all scattered. The two girls are 

 clerking in some store in the city, and the last I heard of the youngest 

 boy he had a job hauling lumber somewhere in the mountains. Poor 

 stock, I guess." More often it is poor opportunity. If our farmers 

 would apply the same keenness of observation and deduction to the 

 development of good health on their farms that they apply to the devel- 

 opment of good trees, the number of farmers whose sons are also farmers 

 would increase many fold. 



The generalities which have been emphasized thus far deal with 

 things which a man may provide for himself and his own family with- 

 out cooperation from his neighbors, but there are many other things 

 entering into the health of the farm which require cooperative manage- 

 ment. Professor Herms' excellent paper has demonstrated how the 

 mosquitoes of the farmer's right-hand neighbor may bring him malaria, 

 how his left-hand neighbor's flies may bring typhoid fever. His 

 neighbors to the north come to call, bringing their baby, and the baby 

 leaves the whooping-cough. His neighbors to the south in the course 

 of years contribute many expensive things. Scarlet fever comes to 

 him in his cream cans, which are returned from the city each day. The 

 passing tramp frightens him with smallpox, and the temporary fruit 

 picker suggests many possible dangers. It is only by community 

 cooperation that these experiences — expensive alike in life and money — 

 may be avoided. 



In conclusion, let me repeat good health is a crop, and demands atten- 

 tion and necessary outlay of money if adequate returns are to be 

 expected. (Applause.) 



PPvESIDEXT JEFFREY. I think you will all agree that we have 

 had a treat to-night, and I know how well you will all appreciate the 

 remarks we have heard from the two friends who have come down here 

 to-night for this special purpose. 



The convention then adjourned until December 10. at 9.30 o'clock 



A. H. 



