The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1906-05-24
HOW TO DRIVE THE BOY FROM
THE FARM.

We have heard and read a great
good deal about how to keep the boy
on the farm, "a consumation devoutly
to be wished" provided the boy has
sufficient ability to become farmer.
If he has pronounced adoption to
and strong and intelligent desire
for some other profession, we do not
think it advisable that he should stay
on the farm after he has blocked
out pathway for himself. A good
many boys, however, who are natur-
ally fitted to be farmers are driven
away from the farm by methods which
we do not recollect ever having seen
in print, but which we suspect are
practiced on many farm more faith
fully than advice, however good, as
to how to keep the boy on the farm.
One of the best ways to drive the
boy from the farm is to give him the
poorest tools to work with. If you
are hauling out manure and have a
three tined fork with broken handle,
if you give him that and keep the
best for yourself, you have made a
start in driving him from the farm.
If you have an old pillow in bad work.
ing condition, and which it would
cost more to put in good order than
it would to buy new one, that is
the pillow the boy usually gets. If
you want to make him sick and tired
of the farm, by all means give it to
him and keep the new pillow for your
self. If you have team that is
balky, and wish to disgust your boy
with farm life, give him this balky
team and berate him soundly if he
manifests any indications of internal
profanity.
Another good way to drive the boy
from the farm is to give him the
poorest bed in the most unattractive
room in the house, a room that is
smothering hot in summer and colo
and unventilated in winter. That
will give him proper disgust fol
farm life.
If you wish to complete the job o:
driving him from the farm, give hin
a colt that needs some special care
or, if you don't have a colt, a stunt
ed "calf" or ''teatman' pig o
two. Tell him that if he will TAX
care of these they are his very own
Then when the pig becomes hog
the calf a steer, and the colt hors,
fit for the market, sell them withou
asking him anything about it, an
use the money to pay off your ow
credit. This will make him realiz
that life on the farm is hardly wort
: living.
You can, however, drive him fror
the farm without doing any of thes
things. Tell him what to do ever
morning and exactly how to do il
without giving him any reason fc
doing these things. Don't consul
him about anything. Assume thu
his judgment is of no account any
way. If he should manifest any sigr
of originality in his method of bring
ing to pass the thing desired, scol
I him for it. Tell HIM it is his bus
: ness to do what you say and ask n
l questions. Don't under any circun
:. stances have any private talk wit
him about your plans on the farm
0 Don't encourage him to read any ag
ricultural papers; and if he does, tie
him that these papers are run fl
money making solely; that they al
conducted by lot of theorists, side
: walk farmers who assume to kno
e more than the farmers themselves.
. If you wish to do a good job {
driving the boy from the farm, tai
: to him every day about the drudger
Of farm life, about the easy time
g that men in the cities have, and til
: pleasures and delight of city life
: Make every effort possible to brin
. your own profession into disrepute
: Talk about the farmer as the "hewt
of wood and drawer of water Tai