Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1890-02-26

NUu tUf dutCbtUDdbt mt6tiDk UGtWGNu b06Ul,
/ thought it was a sweet story and all the
more 80 for being real. Philadelph
Times.
Leaving the Farms.
1t is useless to attempt to disguise or un-
derrate the fact, a host of young men, and
some older men, too, are leaving the farms.
We know personally of numbers, aud hear
of others, who say by their words and &C.
tions, they are tired of farming. In some
eases that we know of. the men own the
farms they are on, and have team, imple
ments, and feed, and everything ecessary
to keep their farm running. And yet they
are seekingother employment. 1t is a fact
that the business of farming seems to be at
discount. and retrogression, rather than
progression seems to be written upon the
walls of the farm.
As we cannot conceal the truth, it may
serve good purpose, perhaps, if we in
quire into the cause, or causes, of this state
of affairs; to know the causes may be to
find cure.
In many cases, the departing sons are
young men. who having just obtained their
shortly may be supposed TO be possessed
of modicum of romance, and desire to
see and learn more of the world than they
have yet done. The desire is we'll and
proper. The trouble about it is, at has been
toe long ungrotifed Boys are kept too
closely and persistently upon the farm as
they are growing up. They should be al
lowed to see more of the great world be-
yond the confines of their home and neigh
borhood. The natural thirst for the won
derful and romantic should be gratifed
piece meal, by occasional trips TO the cities,
the mountains, the seashore. Then, by the
time the boy is twenry-One, his desire for
sightseeing would be gratified, he would
be able to see through the disguise, and
might no doubt possess better attach
ment for the farm and the farm employ
ments.
Again, the home training and experiences
of many farmers boys ia not what it should
be Farm labor is made too much of a
drudeery to them, and they are not aided
and encouraged in the proper way to begin
life for themselves
Farmers with sons growing up around
them, would do we'll to say to their boys
''You are growing up to be young men. II
you can take liking to farming, would
like to have you settle around me. have
rlenty of land, it will be yours IN the end.
There, John, is so acre lot, l will give
you that. You can start now, and begin to
clear. to plant trees and to improve. You
can have all your nights and holidays and
Saturday afternoons to work upon it. All
you Can make there shall be yours. will
give you seed and lend you a horse when
necessary The more you improve it the
more it will be worth to you. When you
are 81 you shall have deed for the piece
Do this for the boy at Is years of age, and
if he is not utterly indOlent and has any
grit about him, he will be very apt to get
such foot-hold on his lite farm and such
liking for it by the time he is free, that
no distant allurements would be able to
win him from it, This is one way to keep
the boys on the farm.
But what shall we say of the older men.
the owners of farms, that are leaving them?
The causes are vari ous. Indolence is one
Some men don't take we'll to hard work.
They have not the elbow grease. Hunting,
fishing. loupging, suits their temperament
better. These are bad cases, and not much
can be hoped for from them It is rarely
that one of this sort ever reforms.
A leading cause of the prevalent discou-
tent with farming is, the few instar ces in
each cammunity of rapid accumulation of
wealth at some other employment. Some
one is known, or thought, to be making
money fast, at something that is seemingly
much easier than farming, and they grow
rich rapidly. One or two cases of this sort
demoralizes whole community 1t makes
the farmer discontented with his slow prog
res, be falls out with his employment and
the first bid that is made he is off and gone.
Why any man with farm paid for, and
with the means to work it, should ever have
a wish to leave it is more than we can com
prehend. There is money in farming.
There is both pleasure and ease and com
fort in the culture of the soil. Aud there
ia a competency for any man who will give
farming only the attention, labor and time
that one has to give to make any calling a
success. We know there are many things
operating to keep the farmer back. But
the good farmer must anticipate these
things and prepare for them. Farming is a
many sided problem, and one has to devote
days and nights of study to it in order to
win a competency from the soil. Bat 1T
can be done. And the doing Of It can be
made pleasurable and profitable all the way.
To abandon the farm is to admit that you
are failure as a farmer. Never do it
Petersburg Iader-Appeal.
FBEDINa HENs.-A correspondent in
Country Gentleman makes the following
statement: have kept poultry all my life
all kinds, under almost every possible
condition-but have never had my hens lay
as well as they have all along through the
fall and now. l have experimental with
fowls to large extent for the purpose OF
getting facts, and have proved my present
system of feeding and forcing for eggs ]
chop together apples or the peelings, raw or
boiled potatoes and an occasional onion; af
ter chopping qui 1ue mix intimately
about two teaspoonfus Of red pepper to ten
hens, and fully the same amount of salt.
pour boiling water, only little, over the
Whole, and then mix in corn meal until
quite stiff and moderately dry. Tnis.I feed
three times week. My ullets, young and
old hens, lay better, look better and are bet
ter than l ever before saw them. The
combs are red, sure indication Of good
thrift. The plumage is bright and full.
This is the result of the salt and pepper.
feed afternoons oatg barley and a little
corn.
RoOT OF EvIL.-s'In the sermon to-day
it was stated that the love of fioery sends
many to Hades."
well, there is an afioity between them
isn't there?-that place is itself fur-below.' >
Hotel Gazette.