Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1866-08-28
FARMERS BOYS.
BIZ MIS- L b. ADAMS.

No tact is more evident among
farming communities than that the
boys almost universally grow up
with a distaste for farm pursuits
No sooner are they Of age than they
tarn to seek for more varied ifnot
less laborious duties in town and city
life. Thus agriculture is yearly rob
bed OF what should be its strength
and hope; the places these boys
should have been qualified to fill, and
should have filled, with the gathered
wisdom Of experience aided BY the
light Of progressive science, are left
to doubtful experimenters while
aged parents, deserted at q time
when fihal care is most needed, can
only look upon their loneliness and
say, "There must be something
wrong somewhere"
Yes, in regard TO farmers boys,
there has been something wrong" a
great while. In the first place.
many Of them never should have
been farmers boy IS at all, at least not
Farm boys, though they may happen
70 have Leep born upon the farm
1t IS not every nature, even among
boys, that is or can be accommodated
20 The requirements Of such an occu-
patton, though parents are far too
prone to think that being Boys a
farm is the only proper place for
them, and the weapons best suited to
them in the warfare Of life the shovel
and the hoe. Their physical, mental
and intellectual peculiarities are sci
dom taken into considerations The
strong, rough nature, the delicately
organized, sensitive one, and the one
with craving hunger for the intel
lcctual or scientific, are Ill kept to-
gether on the farm that they may
grow up and be taught to work, out
Of temptations way. The father in
vests them like so much capital, on
which he is to receive Q per diem in
terest in the Improvements of his
farm, and works them to the limit OF
endurance under sanction Of short
sighted Interpretation Of that sophism
OF securing the greatest good TO
the greatest number"
The necessities OF the family, it is
thought justify the sacrifice Of indi-
viduality
The usual expectation is, that
when the pccuniary ends of the farm
81 are accomplished or the boys
grown out of his hands, they will ac
cept portion of - many acres each
and settle down to plod through the
same routine with the next genera
ion Much seeming wisdom and
tarental affection are thus manifest
cd hut the wisdom too often proves
unwisc, and the affection only mis-,
AIKEN form Of we'll developed selfish.
ness. The possibility is, that out of
Il family of three or five one may tul
III the desire If anxious parents, nc.
cept tic acres, and with the home
stead in prospect settle down to be
the stay Of their old aye but the
greater probability is, that as soon
as legally free, Nature will assert her
claims in each and they will go out
into the world seeking for the life
that should have been theirs through
early years OF preparation for 1T ; but
having been cheated of that prepare
ton, neither the world nor parents
need wonder if they come forth i'll
developed disconnected spirits, seek
ing their places and finding them
not.
AS farming heretofore has 5cen
considered business that any ignor,
anus might engage in successfully,
it has not been thought necessary to
Tighten or brighton the labors of the
farm by any rays Of science or CLEANS
OF intelligence from the world Of
thought and action without. Work
was the one thing wanted from sun
rise till bed time, and the physical
nature often over wrought, had
neither strength nor sympathy to
give to tie mental, which of course
grew dwarfed and distorted in the
unnatural atmosphere. Struggle
against it as they might with bits Of
candle and lighted tirebrands in the
chimney corner oVerwcaried nature
has been more than a match for fans
cy, philosophy and metaphysics; and
where one boy with such culture has
eome forth perfect man, mentally,
morally, and physically, nine hun
dred and ninety nine have proved
unhappy failures.
Boys on the farm as well as in col
lege, have future before them, and
should be educated in reference to
the place in that future which their
natural abilities entite them to fill,
Parents who do not act upon this
principle, bat simply drive their Loys
like horses or oxen to the plow, will
find their farm improvements paid
for at dear rate, and need not won
der at finding themselves deserted
and left to a lonely old age
The class offarmers now fast com
ing upon the stage are beginning to
learn that they must progress with
the times, and that they must admit
science and intellect into their fields
and barnyards where they want their
boys to work, or the boys will soon
grow restless, performing their labor
like 50 much mere drudgerY, and
longing for their days of freedom
when they can 90 out into the world
and be like other people and they
will so, as generations past have