The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1885-06-19
WHY THE BOYS HATE FARMING.


IN. Quad" Charles b. Lewis), in the
Detroit Free Press, makes some very wise
observations ON why farm life is SO distaste-
full to so many farmers boys: "The old
man is content with some improvement OH
the ideas Of fifty years ago. He can't see
how any one should want anything better
than bare floors, Windsor chairs and cow
hide boots. He would as soon 90 to meet
ing without a collar as with one. He
'rayther likes the music of an organ, but
if he buys one he won't feel like building
how anyone can sit down and get interested
in books. and why Henry and William
should want real cloth collars is deep
conundrum. When 8 o'clock comes he
the boys and girls can 'abear' company who
keep them up until 10. The farm is con-
Quoted after fashion of quarter of the
last century. They live i'll a new world
father is in an old one. No matter how lit
tie schooling they have had, they are better
educated than he is. No matter if the
father refuses to do more than subscribe to
weekly paper, his boys are fairly posted
on daily happenings all over the world. He
wants to farm after old ideas-they after
new ones. He got along without knowing
whether England was east or west of the
United States-without grammar, ortho-
graphy or being able to write more than his
name-without collars or cuffs or neckties
without books or papers or amusements,
and he is quite certain that the boys can do
the same. The boys are held to serve
their time like so many slaves or conyicts.
and the amount of cash finding its way into
their pockets yearly would not keep boot
black in stock to do business.
Is the picture overdrawn? I can add
twenty per cent. to the strength of each as
sertion and then not exceed the truth.
And now what's the matter with farm
ers' boys? Is there remedy? Let us see.
in the first place farmers sons are over
worked There is no doubt that the farmer
is, to, but that does not alter the case.
When you rout boy of IA, 16 or IS out OF
bed at 80 or 5 O'Clock in the morning, and
work him until : or half past, you are
making a white slave of him. You not
only peril his health, but you deform his
body. That's the cause so many sons of
farmers are lop-sided, bow backed or other
wise deformed. and the origin can be traced
to oyer-exertion while growing There
isn't farm in this country on which the
hours of labo couldn't be shortened to ten
hours without causing loss of s25 per
year. If ten hours is enough for ditch
digger it is all that farmers son should
be called upon to endure. If there are two
hours between six o'clock and darkness ON
a summers evening, the boy can take up
book or paper, or put it to good use in
some other way. AS it is now, he knows
he is expected to slave from daylight until
dark, and when night comes he is weary in
body and aggravated in spirit.
''And the remedy is not altogether i'll
shortening the hours of work. The boys
lItSt nave W am hitiuSS
them. They want books, magazines and
newspapers. If there's chance to fix up
a bowling alley let the boys go ahead and
make one. The game of bowls is healthy
exercise, and furnishes plenty of sport. If
one of the boys has a taste for music help
him on with it. Let him have fiddle, ac-
cordeon, organ. or whatever instrument he
feels he can bring music out of. Both boys
and girls should be encouraged to sing. To
this end they should be encouraged to get
up singing classes which might meet
around from house to house. A young peo-
pies social club to meet i'll the same man.
ner. would prove very interesting.
''The farm can be made pleasanter than
the workshop--thc farmhouse as full of
comfort and happiness as any home i'll the
city. When this takes place the farmers
son will not be the young man he is. He
will be iovial. content, and contented to be
farmer