Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1896-02-11
FARMERS INSTITUTE.
Paper read before the Farmers, Insti.
tute, Thursday evening, Jan. 80,
1896, by Mrs. /. ]. Booth.

tute, Thursday evening, Jan. 80,
1896, by Mrs. |. ]. Booth.
Mr.. President, Ladies and Gentle.
men:-When the facetious poet, Sake,
was summonedto a banquet, in Bos.
ton, many years ago, he introduced
his speech in these assuring words.
Dear Friends-I arise; and it won't be
surprising
If you find me. like bread, all the better
for rising"
Now, the poet had a bountiful board
and cornwall scene as an incentive
to merry rhyme, and pun, and jest,
while. in this instance, the compost.
ton is prose and the author without a
smacking of poetic confidence or
conceit.
The program committee kindly sug.
gested topics kindred to these, viz:
"How to bring up children" 'Home
life on the farm" or, "anything in
that line which will be edifying, en-.
PERTAINING or instructive" and-then
vanished. l tried to vanish, but
could not seem to, so l materialized
as best could under the circumstances.
"How to bring up Children" pom.
dered. Presently, assurance came to
me from this source. remembered
that the most practical sermons l ever
heard upon this SUBJECTIVE most
soul.stirring advice lit stirred the souls
of the mothers) were from minister
who, at that time, was not even mar.
RED, but when he did marry and had
a hustling, typical, nineteenth century
boy of his own to bring up, he hung
his clerical harp on the willow and
took up the editorial pen; whereupon
began to reflect that perhaps l was
unconscious of my powers and that
possibly possessed the ability to stir
some mothers soul and could instruct
her III her most improved methods of
bringing up children on the farm
from scientific or theoretical stand.
point. Rejecting further, l began to
say to myself-lndeed, are not all the
children in my immediate neighbor.
hood we'll well. dressed, IN.
telligent, model children? Thus musing
/ saw reason to congratulate myself
and said: "verilY these children are
an indisputable evidence of my potent
influence at home; perhaps it is my
duty to take up my pen on behalf Of
the county or the state at large for the
benefit of future generations" Truly,
experiences develop latent powers and
l am already signing for more worlds
to conquer.
'Home. life on the farm" Really,
! feel ''at home" on this subject, hsv.
ing had vast ~ opportunities for OBJ.
servation, study, and criticism, and it
occurs to me that it is this feature of
my essay which will meet with the de.
mands of the Committee and the pub.
lie in general, for in ga, eamped SIX
aoAiole months on a farm. eight miles
out of town. With such extended op.
portunlties (D no sensible person will
for moment question that ample ex
perience qualities me to do justice to
this subject.
The historion, James Brice, says,
in the American Commonwealth, that
"The farmer is keener and m ,re en-.
|terprising man in America than Eu.
rope, with more of that commercial
character which one observes in Amer.
leans. Hels SO far busine SIS man as
sometimes to speculate III grain and
other things. Yet he is not free from
the usual defects of agriculturists.
He is obstinate, tenacious of his hab
! its. not readily accessible to argument,
yet, after all said and done, lie is the
man whose hard work has made the
West what it is.
Quite compliment for an English.
man to concede that the American
farmers are superior to the Europe.
ans, as class, and our farmers may
feel justly proud that he attributes to
their efforts the success, the glory, the
evolution of this "West" of which
earth has none like it. The State Of
Iowa and the pioneers of Howard
county. may appropriate their fall
share Of that compliment. Descended
from them are all the comforts, the
blessings and the luxurles we enjoy to-
day, for the farmer must file his claim
and break the sod before the profes
sional can seek patronage.
There are many model homes il
Howard county, yet there also exis1
those which have not attained this de
gree, homes where the "women folks
are yet too much burdened with care
where the children have not the al
vantages they should have. There
are conditions that might be changed
land transform that existence which
is now "a WEAKNESS under the sun" t.
one of comparative ease aud make life
a 'well-sprlns of JOY" and the farm
home place of refinement and culture
The one universal complaint o.
wives IS: "I'm SO tired of this never
ceasing work and worry. l do wisl
we conld rent the farm and move Il
town." That delusive panacea-Mov4
to tenn? Really, there rs cause fol
complaint Ill great many cases.
am confident but am Just as con
fident there is remedy to be found
right there OH the farm. Surely it viii
not be found Ill knowing to town." fol
townlife has its cares, annoyances
vexatlons and disappointments. Also
as soun as farm is rented, expecta
tons are not realized and often fail
ures ensue. Suppose all the farmers
came to town, the dilemma would BIZ
appalling. What we want is to de
wise plans whereby the family may re
main on the farm and the women fine
relief from undue care and be Just as
contented, cultured and happy as any
where on earth.
That we may better understand the
subject under discussion let me pain,
you true picture OF scene wit