The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1901-03-12
Children'S Column.
THE BOY ON THE PARMA PRIZE RssAv
BY A BOY.

a machine made to work? No. for
Were not Washington, Lincoln and
ana h great men boys at one
time In their lives? Thoupb bo
should do his share of the work he
should be given some time of his
own. The boy on the farm has often
to be up early in the morning and
sometimes late at night. What can
a boy do? He a do his share of
the chores, which are generally to
get cobs and wood, tend chickens and
milk. Besides this, he often has to
go for water and help to tend the
horses. Simply because he is a bow.
he should not be afraid to do house
work for his mother or sister.
Should he have to work all the time?
L would say no. He ought to have
plenty of time for books and games.
Can a farm boy not get an educa-
ton as we'll IS a city boy? If he is
allo we'd to go and finish at common
country school, he will have a fair
education. l read of a boy who, at
thirteen years of age, was an author
lied preacher.
What should a boy have? Well,
in the first place, ne should have a
room and a place for his things. He
ought to have d pig or a calf. He
might do as a boy in Kansas did. A
farmer gave his boy a small potato
and told him he could have land to
raise the increase thereof until the
boy became of age. At the end of
the fourth year the boy had four hun
dred bushels of potatoes and the man
wanted to be released from his bar
gain. Another man in the same
state gave one one of his sons two
old hens and said he would feed the
increase for four years. Two years
have passed and the boy has two
hundred chickens besides sixty-four
dollars in the bank. The man says
he is afraid that in two more years
the boy willown the place and charge
him rent for living there. You can
give him a share of the garden truck
If he has u colt or a calf he is more
apt to care for it and the rest of
them better. You can let him have
a pair of skates, a gun, or a watch
without missing the cost very much.
If he wants to use the hammer, saw
or AK, why, let him use them, but
teach him to put them in their places
when he gets through with them.
What advantages has a farm boy?
Perhaps you say he has none. But
does the city boy have all the sun
shine and exercise that he needs?
City boys usually exercise in Il room
that in all probability is dark. True,
the city boy often wear better
clothes, but he is not any happier.
The city boy does not come in con-
tact with nature as much as country
boys. In looking over the list of
great men, we find that many were
born and raised on a farm. AS farm
boys are but small men, what would
become of the town people if it were
not for the farmers?
Compare the farm boy of today
with n fifty years ago. He did not
get much schooling, generally went
~barefOOted from the time frost left
the ground until snow flew, and
then probably had to pull on a pair
of old shoes that his brother wore
the winter before. A boy should be
thankful that he doesn't have to
shuck corn bare-handed and always
take down row or bind wheat by
hand. Are the conditions the same
today? Who invented the machines
for saving labor that are on the up
to-date farm? Did the city boy in
vent these? Hardly he would not
know enough about farming to do
this. The common country boy
knows enough to make his head
save his heels.
What more can a country boy
want? He has good reading matter,
good exercise, good schools and a
good living.-Chas. Hayne, in The
American Boy.