The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1877-04-12

-
ing un thr interesting subject Of Farm
Villages
The paper considers the way in which
land may Doc divided % as 10 secure the
end ia view with the least Inconvenience
"a the men who have 81 TIL the fields,
and with the least drawback b. the busi-
ness uf the farmer Two cases are con
aldcrcd; /. When IL Is question of the
settlrmentof new lunds. 2 Where farm.
houses ure already scattered over the
country, earh uu It's own farm. Ia both
cases a iz attempted a. show how th- de
tails Of thr plan may be- gUlatcd 30 as
Ia cause the least annoyance and loss of
time o. the men, 10 compass the great
est convenience and comfort ui the Wo-
men, and to provide the best advantages
for thc Younger members of thc cummu-
nifty. These two schemes are illustrated
lay sufficient diagrams which indicate
thr way iu which the farming band and
iii, village tract should bc divided
Suggestions are also given rs t. the
LAYING ont If the village green, the cane
uf roads, paths, grass ground, and other
open spaces, 81 FAR as such suggestions
aIr appropriate lu tlls connection.
The way ia which the proposed change
would affect tAe work uf the farmer, hln
wlfr. his hired men, and hIs teams. Is
fully considered, and il seems Ia be dem
uuslmtrl while 10 is admitted that IN
immediate money making there muy be
some slight disadvantage lhat on the
who'll and ia the long run the general
prosperity of our agriculture would be
advanced hy thy change.
Considerable .t.-4.a as B44.W a.. fh.a
cumpuratly. effect az the life ui the iso-
lated farmhouse audof the more sociable
life of the village uu the character ui the
farmer aud has family, and, therefore, on
the future farming people Of the country.
The following quotations indicate the
line 90 argument:
Ii may seem O strange doctrine % bc
advanced by somewhat enthusiastic
farmer. hutlt D. q ductrluc that has been
slowly accepted after many years ohser-
NAtlun-a convection that las taken pos
session ~ au unwilling mind that the
Young mBu who takes hIs Young wlie 10
an is1lated farmhouse doams her and
himself and their children "a AN un-
wholesome, unsatisfactory and vacant
eXIsteucc-au existence marked hy the
absence ~ those more satisfying and
more cUluyatlug influences which the
best Development 81 character and intel
hgruc, demand. II is common cXpcrl-
cucc ui farmers wives tu pass week after
week without exchanging wori or
look with "a single person outside ui their
own family circles.
The Young couple start brayoly, aud
with q determination e. struggle against
the habit uf isolation which marks their
class but TINS habi; has grqwu frnm
tLc necessity Of the situation; and the
necessities ~ their own situation bring
them sooner or later within It's bonds.
During the first few wears they adhere
o. their resolution and 60 regularly to
church, 90 the lecture. and b. the social
gatherings 81 their friends hut home
dutlcs increase with tame. and the eager
Ness Tor society grows duh with neglect,
and those who have started uut with the
iirmcst determination to avoid the rpck
un which their fathers have split. give
up the struggle a. last and settle down b.
"a AumdTuu. unluterestiuE aud uuiuter-
cstei performance uf daily tasks.
ln saving all ih.s-an speak from
experience. for / have lsl the dismal life
myself Is hardly necessary ta dis-
claim iso least want ii appreciation ut
tAc sterling qualities which have been
developed IA the Ameucm farm hoJfse-
hold
III American agriculture las an uu-
satisfied need. 10 is surely the need for
more intelligence and more cuterprlsing
.uicrcs, ON ile part of It, workngmcu
and women. From one end ~ the land
q
uizs-j hy all-is that sts best blu1d-ur
ln other words. is best brains and It's
best cucrgy-is leaving IL 20 seek other
fields uf labor. The influences which
leaf these best uf the farmers sons 10
other occupations is not 50 much the
desire - make more money, or 30 find
Jess lnhorious occuptiuu. az it IS the de-
SIRE tn lead a more satisfactory life a
life whore that part II us has hvcn de
yclopyi by the better education and bet
ter civilization Tor which IN TINS century
We have worked so hard and So well. may
find responsive Cumpaulunship and en-
couaeing intercourse with others.
Tho sprjal benefits and the facilities
for frequent. ncighborly and informal
intercourse are obvious. To say moth
ing 81 the cumpauiuuships and lntlmRclcs
among the young people. their fathers
and mothers would be kept from growing
old and glum by the constant friction Of
their kind and In 80 far ~ more satIs-
factory social relation with ones fellow
men gives cheorfulncss and the richness
oi wider human interest. IN that pro-
portion would the village life have
wholesome. mclloviug effect that IS not
10 he fuuud in the remote farmhouse.
nor even in the sort uf ncighbuThood We
sometimes find in the country, where
several iarmhouscs are within quarter
~ a mile nf each other. The habit of
running IN for moments chat with a
neiRabor is n good one, and II gets but
scaut development among American
farmers
The better development: Of the church,
and especially of the school. Is discussed
at some length. and the paper closes
thus
Il should hope, further, as an out
growth from the community of living,
fora modest village library, and reading
room. Indeed. il / could have my own
way, | should not confinc the attraction
and entertainment Of the village to
strictly moral appliances IL would
probably be wiser 30 recognize the fact
that young mon find an attraction in
nmuscmcnts which our stcrncr ancestors
regarded rs dangerous, and | would not
cschew billiards, nor even, by rigorous
enactment, the mildor vice of social to-
haccn. Better have IA little harmless
wickedncss near homo and under the eve
Of parents than encounter the risk that
boys, after certain age, would seek n
prctoxt for more uncontrolled ndul-
gcnccs in the ncighhoring town
" One might go ON through the long
range of incidental argumcnts-such ms
lighted streets, well kept sidewalks, win
ter snow plows, and COOL drainage, aud
q wholesome pride IN tidy. cozy VII
lagc. until even the most closc-fstcd of
all our class would confess that the extra
cost would bring full value in return,
and until he would recognize tho fact
that the attractions Of such home as the
village would make possible would be
likely to insure his being succeeded IN
his wholesome trade 10y the brightest
and best of his sons-a result that would
surely be worth more than all 1t would
cost.
"But my purpose has been only to
suggest "A scheme which seems to me en-
tircly, oven though remotely, practicable,
and in which | hope for the sympathy
and help Of the country bound farmers
wives and daughters scheme which
promises what seems the easiest, If not