The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1870-12-13
keep the Boys on the Farm"

This is a worthy object, and the
motive that impels agricultural writers
to work for its advancement is worthy
motive. At the same time, we submit
that they 60 to work in the wrong way,
and that when carefully scrutinized,
their writings are seen to be q fraud
upon themselves and upon all who be
lieve in them. A great deal of non
sense is constantly being written on
this subject, always has been, and probs-
bly, always will be.
There is no more perfect embodiment
of "human nature than q farmer boy
who knows how to read. He has his
own way of looking at the life he leads,
and at the lives he fancies that other
BOYS lead. He is no dolt, and his
Young head is as full of dreams as any
poets. He may seem dull, and about
the ordinary business Of the farm and
the usual occupations of men he may
be so; but however much he may lack
in other respects, he can build castles in
the air with the best OF us. Wealth
ease luxury-as he pictures them-good
clothes and good food-yisions OF these
fill the head of every boy, rich or poor,
whether he rolls in rich fathers ham
mock, or loafs on poor fathers hay
NOW. And these natural emotions
emotions which every hook and news
paper fosters, and which are the first
glow of universal ambition-must be
taken into the account il we hope to
exercise any real influence. In them
lies the germ of the final impulse that
leads the young man away from his
early home, and if we would counteract
this impulse we must recognize Its ORR
gin, and find some other means for
satisfying the natural craving. 1t is of
no use to tell our boys that farming is
the most noble occupation Of man. 1t
is no more noble than any other hon
orable employment, and they know il as
well as we do. In certain way 1t is a
hateful occupation. Its narrow round
of increasing toil-froln the early feed
ing to the late finishing of the evening
chores-has the opposite OF an ennobl-
ing effect on the characters OF those
who make it the aim rather than the
means of their lives. The song Of the
morning lark is very charming 10 him
who goes into the country by way Of a
change, and to whom all country sights
and sounds are novel and strange but
the farmer needs them no more than
the city man needs a strolling hand
organ, which would bring the farmer
from his plough and his wife from her
dough.
No occupation which is man reg
ular daily work is in his eyes any
thing but work. Dickens-whose crea,
tons have such charm for all readers
found writing so irksome that he
hated the sight Of pen, and only
wrote because writing was his business
NOT for the sake Of the pleasure 1t
gave him, but for the sake OF the money
he made by it.
A healthy, hearty, ambitious young
man, who has spent a good many hours
of his boy-hood in dreaming Of the good
things he should achieve when he be,
came a man, cannot see that he should
be satisfied with a life Of drudgery, As
he wades through the frosty mud OF a
badly kept barn-yard, to milk fourteen
cows before breakfast, be will, in spite
of all the agricultural writers in the
world, wish either that be had pleasanter
work or that there was prospect that
his work would bring him better re-
turn than his plain living.
What is most needed is radical
change in the arguments and induce.
ments we lay before our young readers
They want more money This is the
material expression of all their wants
If they have money, they will get al
else they need. Let us not try to make
them contented with poverty, for VI
shall attempt a hopeless task bu
rather let us show them first Of all, tina
they may make money on the farm
more than they are likely to make any
whore else; and that the best way io'