Smyrna times., 1877-03-28
Disadvantages Of Farm Life.

Col. George L. Waring, of Newport-a
practical farmer, by the way-has a paper
IN ScrlOner for April, advocating a better
way OF country living, namely, the grouping
OF farm-houses into villages, as is often done
IN Europe. He speaks as follows of the
loneliness OF American farm life:
1T may seem strange doctrine to be adj
yanced by a somewhat enthusiastic farmer,
but 1t Is doctrine that has been slowly ac.
cepted after many years Observation,-a
conviction that has taken possession of an
unwilling mind-that the Young man who
takes his young wife to an isolated farm.
house dOoms her and himself and their
children to an unwholesome, unsatisfactory
and vacant existence, an existence marked
by the absence Of those more satisfying and
more cultivating influences which the best
! development Of character and intelligence
demands. 1t is a common experience of
Farmers wives to pass week after week
without exchanging word or Il look with
single person outside of their own family
circles.
The young couple start bravely, and with
Il determlnatlon to struggle against the
hablt OF isolation which marks their class i:
but this habit has grown from the necessity
OF thesltuatlOn; and the necessities of their
own situation bring them sooner or later
within its bonds. During the first few
years they adhere to their resolution and
90 regularly to church, to the lecture. and
the social gatherings of their friends: but
home duties increase with time. and the
eagerness for society grows dull with nep.
lect, and those who have started out with
the hrmest determination to avoid the rock
on which their fathers have split, give up
the struggle at last and settle down to a
humdrum, unlnteresing and unintcrested
performance of daily tasks.
In saying all this-and | speak from ex
perence, tor l have led the dismal life nv.
seIi-II Is hardly necessary to disclaim the
least want OF appreciation Of the stearlinr
quantities which have been developed in the
American farm household But it NAV
safely be insisted that these qualities have
been developed, not because of the Ameri.
can mode OF farm life, but in spite Of it:
and as think over the long list of admir-
able men and women whose. acqlIaintance
| have iormcdon distant and solitary farms.
am more and more impressed with cer
tam shortcomings which would have been
avoided under better social conditions. ri
any OF these is disposed to question the
Justice OF this conclusion, am satisfied 10
leave the final decision with his own iudg
iheht, formed alter fair consideration Of
what Is herein suggested.
II American agriculture has an unsatis-
ned need, 1t IS surely the need for more in
telIlSence and more enterprising interest
on the part OF its working men andwolnen.
From one end Of the land to the other lis
crying defect-recogni2ed by all--is that It's
best blood-or, in other words, its best
brains and its best encrgy--is leaving it to
seek other fields Of labor. The influences
which lead these best Of the farmers sons
to other occupations is not 50 much the de-
sire to make more money, or to find less
iaborlous occupation, as it is the desire to
lead more satisfactory lifc,-a life where
that part OF us which has been developed
ny lhe better education and better civiliza-
ton for which in this century we have
worked so hard and so well. NAV find re-.
sponslve companionship and encouraging
intercourse with others.