The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-04-30
THAT BOY ON THE FARM.
The Mistakes Made I'm Encouraging
Him TO Quit tho Occupation of nis


VI tlb
Fathers.
w. X. Knox in the Practical Farmer.
In the good old days gone by, it was
b custom for the son, very often. to
engage in the same occupation or pro
fession as his father. And to the boy
on the farmdid this particularly apply.
when the farmers son married, he
engaged in farming on his fathers
farm, III he owned one. But what u
change How many of our young men
expect TO engage in farming for u per-
manent occupation p The farmer
believes his son too smart to remain on
the farm and will gladly send him to
school or college, or else allow him to
read law, study medicine, or q like
profession, believing the son is too
bright TO fritter his life away ON the
farm. The hoy is anxious to become
famous, and believes that he will soon
attain em!nenco in his profession.
But the rule is, the young man finds
out That there are other persons rs
smart us he, anu he tires of his profess
sion, believing that any other would
have been better, and he envies those
in bettor circumstances. We cannot
all be Washingtons and Franklins and
Blalnes. q proof of this, l would
ask you to note how many college and
normal.schoOl graduates we fail To
hear of after their graduation. How
many lawyers are living in large
cities on,a bread and water" salary
OF income How many physicians
arc in practice at some country town,
because tho road to fame was not SO
easy as they imagined 1t when they
were attending college? To the boy
who is being rcarcd on the farm /
would say "Stick to the farm" The
time is coming, and is here, for farm.
ing to be recognized as II noble call
ing.
The farmer is sure of a living, and
q very poor farmer no must DO if he
cannot make that. | am acquainted
with II young man who was raised on
q farm. His parents greatly desired
him To become u teacher, and to please
them, ho did teach for several years
and docs yet. Bat although the make.
more than he would by farming,
know ho is not contented on never viii
be until he is engaged in farming OF
the most approved plans. | have
known the boy to ask his parents why
they do not wish him 10 engage il
farming, when they followed the bust
hess all their lifetime. Their answer
was, that people who wore too illitcrat,
TO do any thing else were put / % farm
ing. Sad, sad tale. If II person is no
tit for anything else, he is not fit for s
farmer. And this is tho excuse for st
many rundown farms, md that con
tinual wall thai farming doesn't pay
Then VIC have the boy who desire.
to leave home and go West, and tt
every such me [ would say, "go,'' b,
all means. IL vii! be the best dose O
medicine you can take, and It's etfects
will be noticeable when the DO,
returns home in II few months, fulIS
convinced that without patient labor
there Il be no reward, and if ht
applies himself to his work after hi.
return from his wild-goosc chas,
(which This going West often prove.
TO Dc), he may become an excellent
farmer. have sympathy for the boy
VINO desires to experiment on Tho
farm, although his father opposes hi
IDEAS. Some fathers go on i'm the same
old rut year after year, and will never
try to find out anything new for them
selves, and will apply whnt
others have found out for them. The,
SOW n certain amount of grain per acre
keep II certain kind of stock, general,
scrub, because grandfather kept tina
Kind, on did that way. They haul the
manure ut IL certain time. because
father said that was the best time
They never take into consideration
that the conditions may be changed
or they may have IL different soil, OF
that variable seasons arc of any nc
count. TO the boy who has such
father | would say: Try to conycr
him to the new ways of agriculture
Jet MN to give you IL small tract {,
make experiments, and If you are de
tcrmincd you shall gain the victory.