Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1884-09-13
SOUTHERN STANDARD MEANWHILE


but they are of no small Importance in
their education. If they wish to raise
agriculture in the estimation of the
young to the place which it is worthy
to hold among the trades and profess
sions, we must not neglect these little
matters of appearance.
Next how may we excite an inter-
est in our children for more thorough,
scientific farming? In answer, will
tell you of my methods and their re-
suits AS soon as the boys were able
to help me on the farm, set apart a
little plot of ground for each to man.
age as his own. | advised them as to
the best crops to cultivate, and called
their attention to articles on the sub
ject in agricultural papers. I taught
them simple system of bookkeeping,
and urged them to keep an exact ac>
count of all expenses and returns.
They were also encouraged to make
experiments, and to record the results.
They found this work very fascinating,
and were stimulated by the knowledge
that the profits were their own. They
at once began to take agricultural pas
pers of their own, and started a farm
er's library. Their own experience
soon taught them that farming is a
science as yet little understood, and
that it presents wide and lucrative
field to the student. They found that
it is not, as many seem to think, a bus.
mess in which the stupid blunderer
may equal the success of the thinker.
The journal with the result of their
experiments was faithfully kept, and
has been of no little value to us all.
Presently the boys began to interest
their young friends in the neighbor-
hood in their small attempts affirming.
There is not boy within miles of us
who has not persuaded his father to let
him have little corner to work for
himself, and the boys have organized
a Young Farmers Club, with meet,
ings every two weeks, whose interest
and profit might put many older or
CARNATIONS of the kind to shame.
Why ! among them they take every
agricultural journal and stock journal
in the country, and they have circu-
lating library containing large num-
Der of valuable works on farming and
stock raising. They have gone fur.
Their : last year the club offered prizes
for the best yields Of potatoes, corn,
onions, and strawberries also for the
best essay on the breeding and care Of
sheep, and on poultry. 1t seems to me
that we older farmers are beginning to
feel the effect of the boys enthusiasm in
our midst.
On making the remark to a nNigh>
Dor: "That's so," said he. "My boy,
George, last year raised more potatoes
on an eighth Of an acre than did on
an acre and a half, and the poor boy
did all the work on them noon spells
and after we quit work at night. /
thought there wasn't any use of his
puttering around with a little patch of
potatoes, so didn't do anything to ems
courage him; but, | tell you, it made
me feel pretty cheap when his patch
turned out over 40 bushels of fine po-
tatoes, while l only got 80 that were
fit for Market"
"Well, my boys have taught me a
lesson in farming that | won't forget
right away" said another. "They
wanted me to let them clear off about
half an acre of new ground that had
never been plowed, and raise onions on
it. l refused at first to let them have
it; but finally to take the nonsense out
of them, I agreed to let them have
the land for So, and they were to pay
me for all the time they lost in work,
ing on it. They figured a little and
took my offer. They didn't lose much
time, for they did most of their work
after chores were done at night, and
when they sold their crop and had paid
me, they had $50 clear profit left, and
they took the SO prize the club offered
besides. I didn't get that much clear
gain off from my 16 of wheat last
| .,o,.