Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-03-14
Another Good Word for the Boys.

| Il ANiAA O SiSA 6N L1aL Ndlt1NdtO VI.
The question has often been dis
cussed, GLOW to Keep the Boys OF
the Farm Z" The Danbury Meas maj
had his joke as usual, and finished
thus; awe hope our farmers ar,
just as anxious as they appear t.
be, to keep their boys on the farm
but they don't seem to take any
definite action" l am not much Of
a farmer, yet can speak to this
point definitely. [ am a Clergy
man, but find it adds to my COM
fort to cultivate an acre of land,
and two other lots besides. [ have
three sons working with me, and
they are the most enthusiastic
workers 1 ever saw anywhere. If
they persevere, they can not fail to
be rich men. Their ages respect
lively are Is, Is, and II years.
! Now the definite action l have
taken, is this;
bought Peter Henderson's Gear
denlng for Profit, two years ago,
and tried to put its instructions in
to practice, working in our "vege-
table gardens with my boys. Then
[ took the american AgriculturaEst,
which now lies constantly on my
table. Then 1 bought Hcnderson's
" Horticulture ;" then his Garden
ing for Pleasure ;" then Roe's ''Play
and Profit in Ny Garden" Next
| saw among the advertisements in
the american AgricuHwist, men
ton of the catalogues of books and
pamphlets on rural affairs. With
what a relish [ read the contents of
certain books, all the while compar-
ing the prices of the books with my
empty pocket-book Nevertheless,
l cOntriVed to buy the above books,
and also "Four Acres Enough" l
saw Prize Essay on the Potatoe,"
sent for it; then " How to Raise
Cabbages ; also Bliss "Prizes for
Potato Culture" which my boys
and l read and referred to constant
ly, with great desire to grow POI
tatoes like those who had received
the prizes. We didn't though, alasl
Besides, l had Bommer's " Meth
cd of Making Manure"
which 1 have tried to put in
practice and succeeded tolerably
well. At last, 1 said to my boys:
" See here, boys; don't care for
money, and will make q bargain
with you. You may have half the
money we make in the garden, and
of the potatoes which we shall
plant, the boy that raises the most
from twelve rows, shall have silver
watch costing SIG" The youngest
is under the impression that if he is
not far behind the eldest in the
quantity of his rows, that he may
get watch too. [ may mention
another thing which works very
well. 1t is this: |. am boss, and
they know it; but [ am never arbi-
trary. They always see my reason
for doing anything, and at once
acquiesce in my judgment. a part
Of my method is that we frequently
consult together. listen to their
suggestions, and often they will
suggest the very plan in my own
mind. But, if we happen to differ,
| show them my reasons, after
which they agree to my plan
with promptitude and cheerfulness.
Then they are always at liberty to
rest when they please. | often
say, "Now boys, take rest, and
they have frequently replied, 1--WE
are not tired Pa, buf if you are, go
and rest" What do you think l
do Why, l grin, and go and rest
awhile! Now, this thing | have
done, besides the moral training
they receive as my sons. And L
believe that all farmers may well do
something similar by way Of encOur-
agement, and not wait till they are
about to die, and then leave their
farms to their children, when they
can retain them no longer. Let
our farmers treat their sons like
sons, and not like slaves ; give
them a share in the proceeds, as
well as in the work and response
bility, and 1 believe that in nine
cases out of ten, the boys could not
be easily tempted away from the
parental homestead.-FrOm AmeriS
can Aqricuhurist for Marcel l.