The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1874-04-02
HOW % rAxr BoYs HATH FARMING.

A farmer wrote to q member OF the
New York Farmers Club, requesting
him, if possible, to find . boy who was
honest, truthful, not lazy and who
would be likely to love farming. He
wanted a boy to pick up stones, churn,
milk the cows, turn the grindstone, etc.,
and one that will not hate farming and
run away every chance he gets. The
chairman handed it to Serene Edward
Todd to answer, who replied as follows:
If boy is ever justified in running
away, most assuredlyhe would be when
he is directed to go alone to perform a
job every faithful laborer hates. Ifyou
wish to keep boy on farm never set
him alone, when the birds are singing,
the squirrels chattering and the violets
are unfolding their charming petals, at
picking up stones in large field The
truth is, those little arms and soft mus
cles are no more suitable for handling
stones than the muscles of young
colt are for drawing subsoil pillow.
If you wish to make boy love the
farm better than any other employ
ment, don't keep him turning big
grindstone at noon, when all the men
but the one who is grinding are lying
in the shade; and don't bear down on
it with all your might, so hard as to
stick him, and then ridicule him taunt-
ingly. telling him that he must eat more
pudding and milk before he can turn q
grindstone like man. Perchance that
boy weighs only so pounds. You weigh
$50, and the grindstone $50. Now then,
suppose we let you turn q huge stone
of $50 pounds, while giant of $50
pounds weight bears on, which is fair
proportion between yourself and the
boy. Before the giant has applied
half his weight if we don't See you
balk square from the mark: if you don't
break the third commandment, and
assume pugnacious attitude, then
write me as false prognosticator.
Unless you want to make good boy
hate farming, and every other employ
ment connected with it, don't manage
it in such an underhand manner that he
will have to milk the cow which every
one dislikes to milk, because she is so
hard. When the boy comes in at night,
so tired that he would rather lie down
on the hard side Of a maple plank than
to eat his supper, don't tell him to hur.
ry up with his supper, SO as to do that
churning, when all the other men or old
er boys are allowed to read the news
papers or smoke unmolested. Ii you
wish to induce boy to think that corn
or potatoes are profitable crops, don't
give him an old rusty hoe that no sensi-
bic man would use, and then tell him
that if he will cut in smart hoeing you
will help him keep his row up even with
the rest. II you don't want to make
boy hate the country, when task is as
signed to him don't pile on so much as
to compel him to work hard and sum
mon all his energies for threc-fourths of
a day to complete it, and then, as soon
as the job is done, tell him he will have
to go to the mill, or the cook can make
no bread next day If You don't want to
make a boy hate all the operations oil
the farm don't tell him while the men
are taking their incoming. in harvest
time, to water the cows and horses,
and to hurry up, SO as to go with the |
men to the field. Don't encourage the |
boy to rear nice calf or colt, and tell
him the animal shall be his when grown
up, and then sell the beast for good
price, and pocket the money, and tell
the boy the price received don't pay for
the hay, oats and grass consumed. III
you want to make an energetic and sue
cessful farmer Of boy, don't encour-
age him to rise before day.break so as
to rake the wheat stubble while the
dew is on, and tell him, when he in
quires about his share Of the money,
that the little sum received will not
half pay for his board next winter.
Don't badger a good boy to the verge
Of desperation with mischievous and
obnoxious go boys" system of man
agement. If you want to make him
like farming operations, don't fret every
ambitious desire out of the young aspi-
rant with the repulsive and incessant
of
Jim do this, and Jim do that
When all Jim gets Is an old straw hat
There is no precept and reasoning
hat will induce bows to stick tn the