River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1886-01-07
Why do the Young Men Leave the
Farm

| LIE IOltoWlHB 10 INC papHt plopaiCu
by Prof. F. Ii. King. of the River
Falls Normal School, and read at the
Farmers Institute held at Hudson in
November:
In discussing this question, liberty
| has been taken To interpret 1t as mean
| ing "Why do the intellectually and
morally vigorous young men leave the
farm!" And this Interpretation, | take
! it. is justified by the very existence of
this course of Institutes, of which this
meeting is the first, for it must have
sprung from the feeling that there is
room on the farm for a higher intel
lectual life as there is in all vocations.
Besides, what calling is there that
does not bid good radiance to its i'm
beetles and mourn the loss of its
strong members.
1t may be IA fatal admission for me
| to make at the outset, but Is years
| ago was one of the young men on the
| farm, pondering over the problems
which are involved in future liyeli-
| hood, and as look back apcn the cir.
cumstances which had surrounded me
as a boy, think | see very clearly
that there were many determining con-
ditiOns which led To the particular So
luton OF my own problem. Beyond
this my remarks shall be impersOnal,
but what shall be said | would like to
have you realize is prompted by very
vivid memories of my own surround
ings and of those of my associates in
the neighborhOod in which we lived,
memories, however, many Of which
are as enjoyable as any others | have
or anticipate.
First, among the conditions which
determine the migration OF vigorous
young men from the farm, | would
place the physiologicalfact that strong
healthy organs crave exercise and
stimulate their possessors to furnish
it. Your occupations, leading as they
do to varied and regular exercises in
open sunshine, and in the purest air
on earth, your drinking water impO-
luted by the filth of cities, your com
paratiVe freedom from the germs of
infectious and contagious diseases
which work such havoc in large cities,
the much larger proportion OF open
air and sunshine your wives and
| daughters are permitted to enjoy, the
more wholesome modes of dressing as
a rule and the greater freedom from
the habits of late hours, all cOnspire
to make you exceedingly healthy and
vigorous. These being the conditions
you should not he surprised If child
rem of unusual strength, mentally
as well as physically, are born to you.
Indeed, il would be strange if it were
not SO. and if the farm life does not
| furnish the means for mental activity
| the children who are mentally strong,
will, as they approach maturity, (and
| it should not be deemed strange, nor
even unfortunate seek other fields of
usefulness.
Is it then fact that farm life as
we find it to-day on the average, does
not U will not say cannoD allow the
needed mental activity for the mental
| ly vigorous! If this is a fact, and
| believe It is, we have one of the con-
| ditions which tend To lead this class
of young men away from the farm in
to other pursuits. The little boy, plac-
| ed upon the seat at school, has mus
| cular system, and il so far over-shad-
ows his mental system at that time
| and demands snch frequent exercise
| that it is impossible for him to sit still
| long at time, 50 he is bending pins,
making paper wads, or screwing his
face into all sorts of unaccOuntable
| grimaces at Jane. The boy does not
know what is the matter with himself
and unfortunately for the poor teach
| er, and sometimes for the boy, she Of
| ten does not either. Let the boy get
out on the play ground, get into "A
| hundred different attitudes in about
| half that number of seconds, and he
seems more tractable during the next
| five minutes.
Now during the time the mental
powers are developing, they demand
activity as imperdtively as muscles DO
and this becomes leading motive
which may lead TO change of Occu-
patton f the present one does not fur
nish the needed eXeTcise'
Another of the conditions which
turns many of the young men away
| from the farm is found i'll the admira-
ton we all have for great mental and
word capabilities, growing out of the
fact that the dominance of these at
Tributes distinguishes us from the low.
| 1T tillultiS dllu VIC ilhcs dhW"9os w iuh
itate our ideals.
Young men are called into town, it
may be as witnesses in court, and they
| listen to the eloquent pleas lawyers
sometimes make or it may be To their
more frequent TRADES. In their mex
perlenced but responsive moods. the
4 young men in either case, are likely
to look upon the effort as an exhibit
ton of mental Submarines which
wins their admiration anu they go
home restless and agitated without
understanding why. The farmer s
avocation rarely calls out even the
better phase of this side of his nature
i'm such a way as to be discovered and
naturally the boys are led into calllngs
where their ideals are found.
Ambitious young men are naturally
Id To all " themselves with a business.
"A profession winch is generally looked
40 To and If they are not nude To feel
that this is farming they look else
where, AMI | am sure right minded
fathers AMI mothers would not have
this ten ency reversed however much
they may desire to have the boys set
tie down oh the farm.
ElPu There Is the SOCIAL eltintub VI
mans nature whIcn Is likely To mani
fest itself, in an intensified form, w
Young men at just the TIM they are
casil1g Tor IN occupation. Tney get
acqu tInted with young men in town
who describe the delightful evenings
they spend ut social gatherings, and
tins m ,kps discomfort. The long days
ON the farm, made still longer, very
often 10y the chores at both eniS,
coupled with great distances between
n Igubors m ,krs 1t almost impossible
during one half OF the year at least
for he Young prOplr To come together
for either social or intellectual pur'
poses and the result is one Grass oil
the Young men drift away into the
cities where they know their desires
can he met.
ChOring in the winter time and ear
liz spring under the extreme lnconven
fences which are found on 50 many
farms is one of the greatest breeders
of discomfort know. When sleepy
boy is routed out between 4 and :
O'Clock of u January mornlg and Is
obliged to chop the top from frozen
haystack To get hay for ~ head OF
sheep and 20 head of cattle ana DIS
tribute it maybe through snow knee
deep in wind as keen AS a razor. he
il Il remarkable lad If he gets through
feeling good natured toward the
| .,..,.It - .s,,aaially if thprp ia add 81