The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1902-05-06
HARRY FARMERS TALKS.
LXXII
N G.


correspondence OF The Progressive Farmer.
Boys, don't loaf. This habit does
you more harm than you might
think. 1t is necessary some times
for men TO remain in a public place
TO attend to business, but the boy
who stands around a postoffice or
other public place with nothing to do
all day will lose both financially and
morally. The day is lost when moth
ing is learned or nothing earned.
THE EVILS OF LoAFING.
Perhaps all the boy hears is some
smutty jokes which do him harm, or
some tattling news of the neighbor-
hood that he would be better citi-
zen not TO know; or he may hear of
some murder or other criminal news
which some fellows delight in dis
oussing, making heroes which to i'm.
itate leads TO the State prison or
gallows with a whole family name
disgraoed. Boys who make q prac-
tice of loaflng grow up TO be men
loafers which no business man wants
except TO do hand labor. Bad habits
are formed. You will hear profane
swearing and see men drinking.
Thus the boy commences to smoke
the deadly cigarette, to initiate some
one else whom he regards as being
worthy example. Then you will
want far more than your purse is
able TO pay for. Perhaps mother or
sister is home doing the work that
you ought to do, or it may be father
is toiling hard for your support.
THE VALUE OF THE TIME LOST.
Now let us make little calcula-
tion, look at it from the business
mans standpoint. There are fifty
two weeks in a year. If you idle or
loaf one day in each week you lose
just two months in the year. Twenty
six days are regarded as a working
month you see you have lost one
sixth of the year. If you begin at
the early age of ten and follow it for
eleven years or until you are twenty
one, you have just lost two thirds of
the time that Harry Farmer spent at
school. Suppose you just averaged
five dollars per month at work dur
ing that time, you would be one hun
dred and ten dollars better off. This
much money saved and placed in
bank every year for eleven years, or
until you became a man, would pay
your way one year at college. Well,
suppose we spent the time studying,
we would have over two years
schooling, which would give some
men a good start towards an educa-
tion.
WHAT KIND OF MEN DO LOAFING BOYS
MAKE?
Notice the successful men in every
community and see if any of these
were loafers; if not, decide at once
that you will try TO improve all your
spare time and never become a loafer.
If you have no work to do, employ
your time reading good books or
papers. 1t takes long years of hard
study to get an education just as it
ia kes the saving of nickels and dimes
to make a large sum of money. Lit
tie spare moments carefully saved
by reading useful books and papers
will count and surprise those who
have never tried it. How often do
we see men and boys spend all day
Saturdays and some times other
week days in pure idleness Life is
too short to throw away so much
time.
THE FARMERS BEST CROP.
AS we said in former talk, it is
best TO take day off occasionally,
but it will not do TO make it regu-
lar habit TO throw away day or two
every week. Men who do it are
nearly always the ones who are the
first to cry out hard times. This
may seem little out of place, but
good crop of we'll boys is the
best thing that is grown on the farm
HARRY FARMER.
Columbus Co., N. G.