The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-09-12

PreOocioas Roy Farmers.
Rural New Yorker
AS soon as the boys were able to help me on
the farm, L set apart little plot of ground for
each to manage as his own. advised them as
10 the best crops to cultivate. and called their
attention 10 articles On the sabjcct in agric1l-
tural papers / taught them simple system of
book keeping, and urged them to keep an exact
account of all expenses and returns They were
also encouraged to make experiments and to
record the results They fcund tlSs work very
fascinating. and were stimulated by the knOwa-
edge that the profits were their own They at,
once began to take agricultural papers OF their
own and started farmers library Their own
experience soon taught them that farming ls q
science as yet little understood and that it
presents a wide and lucrative field 70 the
student They found that it is not, as
many seem to think business IN which
the stupid blandered may equal the success
of the thinker. The journal, with the results OF
their experiments was faithfully kept and has
been of no little value to AS all Presently the
boys began to interest their young friends IN the
neighborhood in their small attempts at farm
ing. There is not boy Within niles Of us who
has not persuaded his father to let him have
little corner to work for himself, and the boys
have organized ayeang farmers club, with
meetings every two weeks, whose interest and
profit might put many older organic tlons OF the
agricultural journal and stock journal In the
country, and they have a circulating library
containing large number of valuable works on
farming and stock raising They have gone
further last year the club offered prizes for the
best yields of potatoes, corn, onions and straw
berries; also for the best essay on the breeding
and care of sheep and on poultry. It seems to
me that we older farmers are beginning to feel
the effect Of the boys enthusiasm in our midst
On making this remark to a neighboE That's
so,n 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 sitter we quit
work at night. / thought there wasn't any use OF
bis puttering around with a little patch OF po-
tatoes, so didn't do any thing to encourage him;
but. I tell You it made me feel pretty cheap
when his patch turned out over forty bushels of
fine potatoes, while got only thirty7eight that
were fit for market
well my boys have taught me 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. re-
fused at first to let them have it; but finally, to
take the nonsense out of them, agreed to let
them have the land for S. and they were to
pay me for all the time they lost work
ing on it They figured 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 had sold their crop
and had paid me, they had $50 clear profit left,
and they took the SO prize the club offered be-
sides. didn't get that much clear gain off from
my sixteen acres of wheat last year
Yes, our boys are teaching us valuable lessons,
as well as learning some themselves My boys
are working about three acres for themselves
now, and last year they showed their faith in q
wise expenditure Of money by putting more than
a hundred dollars into Fertilizers and seed. For
some years / have been accustomed to al
low my sons vacation for visiting State fairs
and the farms of noted agriculturists in this
and other States, and think it is most ex-
cellent practice, The boys are melted by what
they see and hear TO try for better
results in their work, and Z the asso-
citation with prominent men gives them
greater respect for their business and its
Importance. In each visit they have learned
something that has more than repaid the ex-
pense Of the trip, besides the pleasure it gave
them. They are beginning to write little for
some Of the farm Journals, giving their expert
etees on different subjects. t,
] have been surprised, too, at the ingenuity
the boys are beginning to develop IN continuing
labor saving appliances In their work, and those
little conveniences about the place which add 50
much to ones comfort They are happy and
busy every minute, and work far more with
their heads than their hands. The boys have
learned that farming is business that affords
delightful and profitable employment for both
brain and muscle There need be no hours
wasted; yet the intelligent farmer is always
able to command his own time. There is no
business that offers such advantages for read
ing travelling, health, comfort, even Injuries,
and certrin competency,
IL we parents will only take a little pains to
interest our children in this work and help them
to discover for themselves its advantages, our
homes wil not be left vacant nor our children
fall victims to the oyerwork or temptations of
the city.