The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1904-07-09
HOW TO INTEREST THE BOYS AND GIRLS
ON THE FARM.


HOW TO INTEREST THE BOYS AND GIRLS
ON THE FARM.
/ have been asked by the editor
to write an article on the subject,
How to Interest the Boys and Girls
on the Farm" and I am glad to
have the opportunity, for I have
done considerable thinking on this
important subject.
At the outset l want to say that
il may not always be advisable to
try to keep the young folk on the
farm. Some fathers are too deter
mined on this point, with the result
that there is a lot of trouble and bad
feeling If boy shows talent in
any direction while he is getting his
education, it may be advisable to
give him a chance along the line
of his preference. Farm work is
hard work, and for the average man
there is not large margin left after
all expenses are met. 1t may be that
boy will be able to earn far more
at some other occupation. AS for
girls, no one can tell whom they are
going to marry. 1t may be pros
porous young farmer or a city man.
The wedding generally settles the
farm question for the girls.
The way to keep the boys on the
farm is to make the farm attractive
to them. After boy has worked
for his father up to the age of, say,
sixteen, getting merely his board
and home and clothing out of it,
with perhaps little spending money
once in awhile, he begins to get rest
less. He doesn't see much chance
for improvement in the next few
years. He feels that he could be
earning great deal more money in
the town or city, working few
er hours and having more chances
for amusement during his leisure
TIME. Perhaps the boy secretly feels
that his father is not treating him
right. The boy shows less interest
in the work, and doesn't hustle as
he used to.
I believe that at this time the faith
er should begin paying the boy wa
ges, or at least make him more
liberal allowance for spending mon
ey. The boy is young man now.
He is going more or less in society,
and he wants to dress better. He
can't do it unless his father helps
him more than he has in the past.
father to take care of his boy, edu-
cate him, feed and clothe him, until
the boy gets to the age when he is
really useful, and then have to be-
gin paying for his work. The faith
Ell may feel that the boy should work
for the father until he is twenty-one
years old, without any more pay
than his keep amounts to.
That is just where the trouble
comes in. For the sake of a few
years of cheap labor by the boy,
some fathers seem anxious to make
the boys stay on the farm without
paying them anywhere near what
they would pay neighbor's son for
doing exactly the same work. For
the sake of these few years work,
the fathers run the risk of injuring
their sons prospects for life.
For boy of sixteen, board and
room, and perhaps dollar a day
would be enough, out of which the
boy is to clothe himself. This is
equivalent to at least $II per week
in city, for board perhaps not so
good as the boy gets at home costs
$3.50 per week, and a room, heated
and lighted and cared for, costs
about So per week. These items the
boy gets, and with his So cash, he is
really receiving $II.5o per week. Be-
besides he has all the comforts
of home. One does not appreciate
them until he has left home and dis
covers that city life has its draw
backs just as surely as life in the
country.
If the farmer is not able to pay
So per week in cash, let him turn
the flock of chickens over to the boy,
and let the boy have all the profits
from that source, selling to his faith
er at the market rate all the eggs
and chickens he needs. They can
keep account of this money, and the
payment can be made whenever the
farmer has the ready cash. The boy
will take a great deal more interest
in that chicken coop, and the results
will surprise all.
If not the chickens, let the boy
have the profits from certain field,
or give him few acres and let him
plant them to suit himself. If you
can't do this, give him a mare to
drive, to be his own property, and let
him have all her progeny. That
mare will get better care than she
ever had before.
If none of these plans seems to
suit, let the father give his boy a
tenth interest in all the profits from
the farm, and let this be figured out
exactly. Keep the books entered up
every week. Every farmer should
keep strict account of all his expense
and income, so that he will know
whether he is doing any better this
year than last. Let the boy keep the
books, if he wishes to. AS he grows
older, make him a Christmas OF
birthday present of larger share in
the profits. Give him one-eighth, in
stead of one-tenth. The farmer will
find that the boy will brighten ul
and work harder and be happier thar
he ever was before.
Of course, if farmer has not
only one son but two or three o.
them. he will have to make slmilal