1 Ava., 1902.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 103 
banks, shops, warehouses, factories, or try to secure Government billets of 
some kind—anything in preference to farm life. Why do they do this? Some 
say it is due to the succession of bad seasons and low prices for all kinds of 
farm produce; but, even without those causes, many hundreds would still have 
left their country homes. The fact is our young people develop quickly, and 
find farm life too slow. The glamour of the city and towns is attractive, and 
they think they will have short hours of labour, good pay for it, and no end of 
leisure and amusement. They are full of animal spirits, with robust health, 
and the staid older people are not always in sympathy with them, but expect 
their children to run in the same groove with themselves. How can this evil 
be remedied? A return of good seasons would induce some of the young. 
people to stay on the farm, but this is not within the control of man, though it 
may be admitted that better crops and more payable results can be ensured in 
many cases by the adoption of a better system and cleaner and more rational 
methods in conducting work on the farm. Then parents are likely to fail in 
noting the advance in intellect and knowledge of their children. ‘They treat 
them all along as children, and do not show sufficient sympathy with their ideas 
and aspirations. Why not give them a direct personal interest in the farm ? 
Let them have a few acres to cultivate on their own account, let them rear a 
few animals for themselves, give them an insight into all the work of the farm, 
buy and sell a little inthe market. If they make a bad bargain, show them in 
a kind and sympathetic way how they could have done better; if they make a 
good one, give them all the credit of their business ability. They should know 
the prices going for everything connected with the farm, the best kinds of 
implements and machinery, and the defects, if any, in certain kinds of 
implements, tools, animals. Let the young fellows have the best team and the 
best machinery to work with. It breaks a lad’s heart to see the hired labourer 
driving the best team and using the best implements whilst he lags behind with 
the worst of everything. See that there is no scarcity of good books and 
papers, especially of the best upon farm work, poultry, horses, cattle, sheep, 
pigs, machinery, and the like. Above all, let the young people have young 
companionship, let them attend literary society meetings, institutes, &c. Give 
them reasonable time and opportunities for recreation, make the home as 
pleasant as it is possible to be, and if all this is done the city and towns will 
not possess the allurements that at present offer themselves to the fancy of the 
dull-living farm youngsters.” 
In discussion it was remarked that some farmers are too prone to cr 
“stinking fish” at home and abroad. There was no disputing the fact that 
there are long hours and hard work at some seasons, but there are times when 
it is possible to take it easy, to have a few days ofleisure. Very few employees. 
in towns can get away from their work ; and, if they do get a little more money, 
they have to spend morein dress and‘for their keep. Farmers could not pay their 
sons and daughters such wages that they must pay to hired labourers; but 
although labourers on Government works got higher pay than on farms, yet 
with board and lodging added the labourer was better off on the farm than on 
the Government work. Still, the boys and girls should not be required to work 
Sundays and week days for their bare food and clothing. One member 
remarked that he did three times as much work as an ordinary labourer on the 
farm. Another said farmers’ children sometimes are better educated than their 
arents, and may feel somewhat ashamed of the “ rough-and-tumble” life at 
Perna: Efforts should be made to put a little more neatness and comfort in 
such homes. The Chairman was proud to be a farmer; life on the farm was 
being made easier day by day. ‘There were seats on nearly every implement he 
used. He certainly thought that the parents were often to blame for the 
children wanting to leave the farm. Make.the life more pleasant and easy for 
them. The farmer can take a holiday whenever he decides to do so, . He has no 
master to control him. At one time every colonist was for going on to the land; 
now, from the talk, one would think they all wanted to leave it. With brains, 
improyed machinery, and practice, and with the use of fertilisers the farmers 
