Smyrna times., 1879-04-02
GBe Smprna Gimes,
Smyrna, DeI.,
Wednesday Afternoon, April 9.
agricultural.
Another Good Word for the Boys,
FROM A CLERGYMAN cuLTIvAroR.


The question has often been discussed, |
How to keep the boys on the farm p The
Danbury NeoS man had his Joke as usual, |
and finished thus: We hope our farmers
are just rs anxious as they appear to be, TO
keep their boys on the farm; JW they dent
seem TO takF any 1t Unite acton" | am not
much OF farmer, yet | can speak to this
point definitely. | am a Clergyman, but
hnd 1t adds TO my comfort to cultivate, an
acre OF land, and two other lots besides |
have three sons working with me, and they
are the most cnthL>i >iastic workers ever
saw anywhere. If thy persevcre, they
cannot fail to be rich men. Their ares re-
spectiyely are 10, l3, and l2 years. Now
the 'defnite action" have taken, is this
bought Peter HendersOn's "Gardening
for Profit two years ago, and tried to put
its instructions into practice, working in
our vegetable gardens with my boys Then
| took the american 1grtculnriSt, which now
lies constantly on my table. Then bought
| llenderson's F2oriculttWe; then his "Garden.
ing for Pleasure: :" then Roe's play and
| Profit in NV Garden" Next | saw among
the advertisements in the american Aqri.
culturiSt, mention of the catalogues of books
and pamphlets on rural affairs. With what
Il relish | read the contents of certain
books, all the while comparing the prices
of tho books with my empty pocket.book |!
| Nevertheless, | cOntrived to buv the above
books, and also " Four Acres Enough |
saw Prize Essay on the Potato" sent for
it, then How to Raise Cabbages;" also
| Bliss Prizes for Potato Culture" which
my boys and | read and referred to con-
stantly, with great desire to grow pota-
toes like those who had received the prizes.
We didn't Ho9gh, alas Besides, had Bonn.
mcr's Method of Making Manure" which
have tried to put in practice and sue
ceeded tolerably we'll. At last, said to my
boys: "See here, boys | don't care foI
money, and will make bargain with you
You may have half the money we make ia
the garden, and Of the potatoes which we
shall plant, the boy that raises the mos
from the twelve rows. shall have silver
watch costing SIG The youngest is under
the impression that if he is not far behinc
the eldest in the quantity from his rows
that he may get a watch too. may mention
another thing which works very we'll. It
this: | am boss, and they know il; but
am never arbitrary. They always see IN,
reason for doing anything and at once ac
quiesce in my judgment. A part of m,
method IS that we frequently consul
, together. | listen to their suggestions, ant
olIeH tHey Will suggest the very plan In m
own mind. But, if we happen to differ
| show them my reasons, after which the,
agree to MY plan with promptitude an,
cheerfulness. Then they are always a
liberty to rest when they please. | oftei
say, Now boys, take rest" and the
have frequently replied, 1--WE are not tirr,
Pa, but if you are, 60 and rest" What d
you think | do? Why. grin, and go an
rest awhile! Now. these things have done
: besides the moral training they receive a
my sons. And | believe that all farmer
may well do something similar by way {
. encouragement, and not wait until the
are about to die, and then leave their farm
! to their children, when they can retail
them no longer. Let our farmers trea
. their sons like sons, and not like slaves
give them share in the proceeds, as we
as in the work and responsibility, and
believe that in nine cases out Of ten, til
boys could not he easily tempted ava
from the parental Observation-Disclosures
AgricuhuriS