The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1893-05-17
Land for the Boys.

With the rapid increase of wealth and
population in our cities and large towns
it is becoming more serious year by year.
Numberless attempts to solve the prob
lem have been made, but in spite of all
that has been done the evil is not check.
ed. And as long as society is constituted
as it is at present, it is probable that the
rush of young men from the country to
the town will continue, though it is to be
hoped that the tide will not remain as
strong as it has been for the last twenty
five or thirty years. Unless carried to
excess the movement is to be considered
an unmixed evil. The building up of
strong cities and towns is, to certain
extent, beneficial to the country at large.
But the tendency in the United States
has long been to carry this movement to
great excess. The best interest of all
concerned call for a decided check to the
emigration from the farm and the coun'
try workshop to the great centres of pop
ulation.
The causes of the movement noted are
numerous and complex. Consequently
it would be idle to attempt to stop it by
any simple measure which could be de-
vised. But there are various things that
may be done to make the boys now on
the farm contented with their lot, and
lead them to choose farming for their
occupation when they come to enter
upon the work of life for themselves.
One of these, and an important one, is to
set apart plot of ground for the boys to
cultivate in their own way, and the crops
from which they can sell for their own
benefit. This will give them personal
interest in farm work, cause them to be
observant of the various methods which
are practiced in their neighborhood, and
lead them to read and study agricultural
books and papers. It will give them
something for which to plan and work,
will bind them to the farm by the strong
ties of financial advantages, and will
offer the great incentive of prompt re-
ward for skilfull and faithful service. 1t
will also give them valuable lessons in
business affairs and impart feeling of
responsibility which will lead them to
look after things more closely and
promptly than they would be inclined to
do if they had no direct and tangible in
terest in the outcome of the work.
The area of land to be allowed to each
boy to manage for his own is to be deter.
mined by the size of the farm. the age
and character of the boy, and the kind
of crops he will desire to grow. A boy
only 12 or IA years of age will not be
able to do as much Independent work as
one that is four or FIVE years older, and
he will need good deal more assistance,
both in the line of suggestion and in &C
tual labor, than one who has several
years more of life and work. The
younger boy will need to have some one
plow bis ground for him and help in the
heavier parts of the work of cultivating
and harvesting, but the older one may
attend to these matters alone. If any
considerable area is act aside for this
purpose, the whole matter should be con.
Quoted upon strict business principles.
The father should require that the land
be properly prepared and the crop kept
free from weeds. He should furnish a
team and assistance when needed, and
supply the means for obtaining fertilizers
and seed. Whether the money expended
for these and for kindred purposes should
be regarded as gift or as loan, should
depend upon the. circumstances of the
individual case, but the boy should be
required to keep an accurate account OF
the cost of all the materials used, the
value of the team work, and the amount
and value of the time spent upon the
crop. he should also keep record of
all receipts from the sale of the products
of the lands which he controls, and be
able to tell just what his crop has cost
and how much it is worth.
When the crop has been sold, and the
expenses which the father chooses to
have repaid have been met, the son
should be encouraged to make wise use
of the money which be has obtained. A
portion should be used in obtaining good
papers and books, some of which should
be given to farm and garden matters.
| IF he has taste in these directions some
may be wisely expended for music and
engravings. And it will be we'll that he
put little in the bank to serve as kind
of "nest egg" and, what is much more
important, lead to habits of saving which
will be of incalculable benefit to him in
future years.
It is not to be expected that every boy
who is now working farm will take
kindly to the plan proposed, or that all
who are willing to give it trial will be
highly successful. Some boys have
natural dislike for farming, and there are
many who are better fitted for other oc-
pations than they are for tilling the soil.
But it is probable that if they were given
the opportunity suggested, good pre-
portion of the boys who are now farming
would accept it with considerable enthu.
siasm. Of these, not few would meet
with greater difficulties than they expect,
and would need good deal of encour-
agement during the season, and some
who would fail to work as skilfully and
faithfully as they should do, would need
to be influenced to try again next year
in the hope of doing better. Still, when
all reasonable allowance is made for Ger.
tain discouragements and possible fail
ures, the methods proposed for giving
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