Huntsville gazette., 1883-07-07
Farmers Boys-Their Practical Instruc-
ton.

In looking over farm there is no
more interesting portion of it than that
assigned to the boys for garden; es
pecially is this so if the farmer himself
takes an interest in his boys, and rea-
Lies the importance of encouraging and
assisting them in their efforts to become
practical gardeners. "a
Farmers too often have so many
chores for their boys to do that they do
not give them half time enough for rec
reation, and therefore no time to plant
a garden of their own. This is all
wrong. The farmers boy should not
be required to work any more hours
than the mechanics boy; he should have
time for recreation and for doing some
work for himself There is no better
way to drive boy from the farm than
to overwork him; and there is no better
way to keep him on the farm than to
manifest an interest in his welfare, give
him time for recreation, and make that
recreation as far as possible elevating
and instructive.s The boy who. when
out of school. is required to spend every
hour at work for his father dropping
corn in large field, wedding long rows
of onions, digging potatoes in field so
large that it seems to have no end, and
husking corn from a heap that is en-
larged from the field before it is ex-
hausted has no desire or courage to add
to his labors by having garden of his
own, or in fact to stay on the farm q
single moment after he, has become his
own master. sButa boy who is not re-
quired to become one of the farm hands
as soon as school is out, who works
only as volunteer, can very readily
become interested in q small garden of
his own, and work in it for recreation
and instruction. We have seen boys as
interested in their gardens as their
fathers. were in their farms, and as
proud to show them to visitors Such
boys not only learn habits of industry,
without compulsion. but they also learn
by practice the wants of growing plants,
and at the same time learn to become
interested in farm life. A boy will tend
his own garden with altogether different
feelings from those called up by tend
ing his fathers garden. Ownership has
wonderful power over the feelings of
boys as well as men.
The boy that commences early in life
to practice agriculture for himself on a
small scale. becomes interested in OBJ
tanning the best results with the least
expenditure of money, and not only
learns many practical lessons which are
of great value in after life, but he be-
comes SO strongly attached to the farm
that he has no desire TO leave it. In fact
the boy who begins to gather up practi-
cal knowledge relating to the best meth
ods of producing farm crops, and con-
tinues it up to manhood, learns one OF
the most reliable trades that man has
ever vet followed. Give the boy few
rods of land to cultivate and then en-
courage, and if necessary, assist him t'
make it the most productive portion Q
the farm: in few years he will begin I
realize that farming is an occupatlo,
which requires quite as high intelil
cence as any other occupation, and. also
that the profits Of the farm depend in
great measure onlthe intelligence OF tn
farmer. As soon as he realizes this, b
will entertain a higher respect Tor II
occupation. and will feel a desire to b
come. not simply practical farmer OF
y, he able to direct the practice Win ~
rhest scientific intelligence.
fwe are to keep our boys onthe far
Ne must try to make the farm more 2
nnctive, and make them feel more ind
pendent by giving them ownership;
they can have a garden and ralse sMs
fruit or vegetables, and have tAeprih!s5l ~ leI
Of selling what they raise,they VIII
come douhly interested in farm lie.
few dollars that boy earns by ms oV
labor. will do him more good than
larpe number that may be given to M
for if earned by the sweat of his o'
brow he is able to realize their u
value. and will be very likely to spe
them more judiciously stAanshe woui Is !,
earned by another's lapor--Aassu Z
setts PlouQhmant . s~