The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1886-06-24
FARMERS BOYS.
Keep Them on the Farm by Interesting
Them in Your Work.

Keep Them on the Farm by Interesting
Them in Your Work.
How to keep the boys on the farm.
This subject is one which aroused much
discussion since, l surmise, Adam began
gaining his bread by the sweat of his
brow. If 1 mistake not, his sons gave
him some trouble in this way, and ever
since fathers of subsequent,generations
have echoed the wall: what shall we
do to keep our boys on the farm?"
In the first place, it does not follow,
because a boy happens to be born the
son of a farmer, thSt the life of a farmer
will prove either fitting or congenial to
him. There should not be an indis-
eliminate effort to tie every boy to the
farm simply because his father is a
farmer. The father should realize that
different temperaments require different
treatment. While one of his sons may
possess a Keen sympathy and warm in
terest in pastoral pursuits, another may
find his Observation-Disclosures his profit
only in business or the professions. 1t ca
not be toe strongly urged that the par
ents observe closely the characteristics
of their children, and educate them &c
cordingly. The son whose tastes are
for farm life should have no more stinted
an education than the son who is to be
a minister, doctor or lawyer; but his
studies should be chosen with regard to
the life he is to lead. Chemistry, botany,
mineralogy, zoology, ETC., are studies
that will add greatly to the farmers en-
joyment and appreciation of his sur
roundings.
Many boys leave the farm because of
the few advantages farmers give their
ons in the way of education and amuse-
ments. Hard, ceaseless toll and but
little recreation is the rule to many
farms, and boys can't be expected or
compelled to like it.
A love of farm life, and therefore a
disinclination to leave it, can be early
instilled in the chilo by making the
farm and home pleasant and cheerful,
and by early giving him interests of his
own in a pig or lamb, or little garden
bed for his experiments. Allow him to
enjoy an undisturbed title to his prop
erty; and when the time comes for sell
ing, let him use his judgment as to
price, etc. Above all, do not discourage
a child by letting an animal be his until
sold, when you coolly pocket the cash.
Such an action quenches his interest
and destroys his ambition, while far
more serious results are the loss of con-
tidence and sense of injustice he will but
naturally feel toward you. Rather let
the money be his and teach him to spend
it judiciously.
If you desire your child to grow up to
love his fathers occupation, teach him,
by precept and example, what a grand,
free. Independent calling is that of a
farmer. Teach him to be intelligent,
by furnishing your home with books
and papers, pictures and music, and
then give him time to enjoy them. In
terest yourself in his enjoyments and
pursuits; be a boy with him; gain his
| confidence and share his joys and vexa-
tons. Let him feel that your interests
are his; take him into partnership. Give
| him reason to feel that his father is the
best and noblest, kindest and most hon.
orable man in the world. Give him as lib
eral an education as you can, and teach
him to love nature by pointing out to
him her beauties. Make yourself his
companion and instructor. kind, yet
firm, and if your boy is human, he will
never wiring your heart by ingratitude
or dissipation.-L. Bell, in Farm and
FireSide.