Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1890-05-10
NarH4 xHtfrfsts,
Farm Supremacy.
Country Gentleman.

Country Gentleman.
l wish to compare the city boy
with the farm boy. The average
boy in town is bright, keen and self
asserting, He is fleet of hand and
eye. He is of ready answer. His
look takes an air of self.defense,
graceful and evasive. His life is in
the passing hour needless of things
gone, ready for things to come.
OF the farm boy 1 hardly know
what to say. 1 know him too well.
The CLINT of the wind is on his cheek.
He has the air of one who could do
chores, work and obey. Nor is he
dapper, nimble, fiippant, imperti-
nent, unplucky. While he reflects
upon the past his face is toward the
future. In starting then, the quick
perception Of the city youth is
matched against the tireless refec>
tion OF the country boy. Who makes
the better fight?
Mark how uneven the start.
Equipped for the city boy stand the
primary, the grammer and the high
school. Within his reach are public
libraries, newspapers, museums and
theatres. He may visit churches,
courts, political halls and clubs. He
may study the forms of banking,
merchandising, manufacturing and
shipping. He is in touch with the
active, progressive world, knowing
men of eminence, whose daily walk
points out the pathway of success.
The farm boy looks out from be-
tween the pIow>handles, detected by
the repose and silence and lonliness
of his daily toll. Slim the chance for
him to acquire a lazy, temporizing,
yielding, quack-view of life. The
great blue sky, whose beauty has
has never been told, teaches him to
reflect. He acts in the open field
where the air and earth are built into
grain, and then into power which
pulls his pillow, and then into a high
er one which holds its course to the
furrow, and to him these become the
finger-board to a still higher whose
very mystery inclines his thought to
truth and honor-two things alone
needful to keep the boy Alright.
History gives strange reckoning
for these boys. Over against one city
boy who reaches like places, ten
country boys 90 to Congress twelve
go on the bench ten becomes COVER
nors of States ten come to the head
Of great business enterprises. Not a
single city-bred boy has yet been
elected president of this republic.
This, to me, makes the farm su-
preme. In legislation either State or
federal, it may strike blow for blow,
and one better. But the knowing of
its might should make it serene.
Indeed he who is conscious of just
cause and an adequate force inclines
to be generous.
/ now wish to illustrate wherein |
think good may be done the farm
boy. Three years ago | had two
companion Transcendent crab trees,
growing in the clan which came
from my well. Trey were not SO
thrifty as my other trees. The
leaves were light.colored and small
the trunks marked with sun-scald,
In July l stimulated the one further
back with a strong mulch. Its
leaves widened and darkened; il
made magnificent growth. l was
prowd of that tree. The next July il
began to blight; 1 cut away the deaC
limbs, but the poison settled, and
pruned until the trund and tender
branches were cut to the ground
The other tree bore. fruit last year
If, as a school boy, l had studied: thu
geography of Persia little less, anC
apple trees little more, both tree
would have fruited last year. In
deed I think farm boys ought to b.
taught something of root-grafting
buddidg, pruning and top-working-
a little something about kinds o
trees and berries which will stanC
the winters aud then bear fruit
Many an orchard in the country ha
plenty of trees but little fruit. /
will pay to raise bed of Cressen
Seedlings and Captain Jacks. l
may pay to raise a few others it will
not pay to raise still others. Thi
knowledge is worth more to boy il
the State than the foul, incestuou
yarns of old-time Greece.
The boy who can tell you some