Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1885-05-20

81 am . farmers son and am not salts
ned with my surroundings"
This paragraph or portion Of it is
certain 10 be found in four ont Of every
ave letters received from the country,
and It is matter which should be in
Sestigated. Our statesmen and Journal.
ists and philanthropists are continually
praising agriculture Is vocation, and
the idea that the farmer Is independent
and happy prevails in every story o.
rural life.
What has dissatisfied farmers sons
Why Is il that 50 many Of them want 10
Leave the farm for any work which win
bring them living In most cases the
trouble will be found with the farmer
instead Of his son.
It is q curious position in which an
old-fashioned farmer and his son are
placed. The old man is content with
some improvements on the ideas Of fifty
years ago. He can't see why any one
should want anything better than bare
floors, Windsor chairs and cowhide
boots. BE would as soon go to meeting
without a collar as with one. he tray
ther likes" the music Of an organ, but II
he buys an organ he won't feel like
building that addition to the barn. He
can't really see now any one can sit
down and get interested In books, and
why Henry and William should want
''real cloth" collars and cufs Is 3 deep
conundrum. When 8 o'clock comes he
gets ready for bed, and he can't see how
the boys and girls can 'sabear" company
who keep them up until 10. The farm
Is conducted after the fashion Of q
quarter Of the last century. The house
may be painted once in I've years, but
the chances are that it Is allowed TO 60
ten. The barns have needed repairs
for years past, but it's cheaper to lose
ton Of hay by the leaks than to buy new
shingles. The fences are rotting down,
but next winter viii be good time to
split rails. There are half dozen panes
Of glass needed about the house, but II
che broken lights were renewed they
might be smashed again. The democrat
wagon has been ''about worn out" for
the last five years, and that's the excuse
for not having IL painted. The harnesses
will hardly hold together, but they must
answer for another year. The boys are
held to "serve their time, like so many
slaves or convicta, and the amount OF
cash finding its way into their pockets
yearly would not keep bootblack in
stock to do business.
Is the picture overdrawn? / can add
twenty per cent. to the strength Of each
assertion and then not exceed the truth.
And now what's the matter with
farmers boysP They live in q new
world-the father in an old one. No
matter how little schooling they have
had, they are better educated than he
4. No matter If the father refuses TO
do more than subscribe TO q weekly
paper, his boys are fairly posted on the
daily happenings al over the world he
wants to farm after old ideas they after
new ones. he got along without know
ing whether England was east or west
Of the United States without grammar,
photography on being able to more than
write his without collars or cuffs
or necktiea- without books or papers or
amasements, and he is quite certain that
che boys can do the same.
The number of farmers sons who are
leaving home, either with q half-hearted
consent. or running away, is greater
than You dream Of. They flock to the
towns and cities to learn trades; to ac-
cept Of mental positions; TO take any
work which viii pay their way and pre-
vent the necessity Of returning TO farm
work.
The farmer who realizes this must ask
himself where the blame lies, and then
seek . remedy. Is there > remedy 2
Let us see.
IN the first place, farmers sons are
overworked. There is no doubt that the
farmer is, too, but that doesn't alter the
case. When you rout boy Of "A, is,
or Is out Of bed st 4:3O OF 5 o'clock in
She morning, and work him ill Z or half
past ron are making white slave Of
him. You not only peril his health, but
you deform his body. That's the cause
Of 90 many sons OF farmers being lop-
ah0nldered, bow-backed or otherwise de-
formed, and the origin can be traced 70
over-exertion while growing.
There isn't farm ii this country On
which the hours Of labor couldn't be
shortened 10 ten hours without causing
> loss Of S05 per year. If ten hours il
enough for . ditch~digger Is Is al that
farmers son should be called upon %
endure. II there are two hours between
8 o'clock and darkness on summers
evening boy can take up book q