The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1906-04-07

than does MS city nelgnDOr.
Lack of success in farming, unless
the farm be unmistakably barren, gen.
orally comes from lack of intelligent
application. Altogether too many
farmers imagine that success is wholly
due to hard and laborious labor. La
Dor is necessary to any successful re-
suit, but the labor in which the mind
acts the part of partner is the kind
which pays and which does not wear
men out. AS hard as farming is,
and as small as is the compensation
it usually brings, it gives the farmer
more than is received by the average
city dweller, more, even, of actual
dollars and cents. The average city
clerk, at the end of the year, has less
money, and less ready money. than
than has the farmer, and the chances
are that the city man has worked
harder, although he may have en-
joyed stated holidays and vacations.
Nearly all farmers make living.
Comparatively few, of course, grow
rich from the proceeds of the farm f;
but more than half of the farmers,
whether located on the rocky hills Of
Maine or on the rapidly producing
western soil, not only make expen-
ses, but are able to save something
every year.
The farmer is seldom found in the
poor house. From farmers children
have sprung the majority of our great
men both of business and of the pro-
fessions.
PROGRESSION HANDICAPPED.
The city clerk or city business man,
working in a block and housed in
fat, does not have one-half as much
opportunity to progress in the truest
sense of the word, as his own pro-
| perty.
The farmer, above all other men,
is independent. If his farm is good
for much, he knows he can make it
give him everything he actually
needs.
The farm is the only self-support
| ing business on earth.
The successful farmer is man of
education, although he may not have
| been book taught. He is we'll equip
ped, so far as general knowledge is
concerned and further, he is man
| of business.
With the modern periodicals and
the distribution of every class of read
| ing matter, the farmer has every op
portunity for mental development.
The education of the progressive
farmer is superior to that Of the rank
and file of metropolitan men of
wealth.
There always will be some poor and
half-starved men among farmers, but
this class is far less prominent upon
the farm than in the marts of business
and there are ten times more impecu-
unions city workers than there are
farmers in actual want. But right
here let it be said that even the poor
est farmers are better off than are the
average strugglers of the great city.
The farmer has a chance to grow.
The city man may or may not have
that opportunity.
1t is time for the farm to be digni-
fed, yes, even glori6ed. The truth
about the farm should be told. The
business or profession of farming
should be recognized for what it de-
serves. The farm always has been,
is, and always will be, the only trade
or business absolutely indispensable.
Should the farm boy remain upon
the farm? NJpon general principles
say, and hphatically, yes. There
are exceptions. There are many boys
who have no business to stay upon
the farm, because they are destined
for something not necessarily better,
but something entirely different from
far ming but, generally, speaking,
would advise the farmers boy to re-
main on the farm, unless he can give
legitimate, sensible and positive rea-
sons for change. Where we are IS
in most cases where we should remain.
Where nature placed US would appear
to be our natural field of action sub
ject only to exceptions.
Therefore, the boy born upon the
farm should consider the farm the
place for his life work, unless there
are reasons why change of base
should be made.
For any reason save good reason
many farmers boy despises the
farm, when he should be proud ofhis
agricultural heritage. He is OF the
nobility of the soil, nobility not of
many dollars, but descendant from
the parent of dollars.
The boy who would leave the farm
and who gives no good reason tor
leaving, may as we'll go as stay, for
he will undoubtedly be failure any
where. The boy who dislikes the
farm because he does not like work,
will not be success anywhere. Ii
he is not willing to work as hard up
on the farm as he would have to away
from the farm, he will not work
hard enough anywhere else to earn
more than a mere livelihood.
The boy who docs not like farming,
who dislike it from his very soul,
who has absolutely no love for plant
ing or harvesting, and yet is loafer,
is not likely to become good farmer
and forcing him to remain here indef.
nitely is certainly bad judgment and
will prove Improbable.
Any boy has right to dislike the
farm if his dislike is sensible; but
many boys, perhaps the majority of
them who leave the farm to go to the
city, do SO because they look upon
farming as inferior labor and believe
that the farm offers little opportuni-
ty. This is all too often the farmer $
fault, not the fault of the farm itself.
Thousands upon thousand OF boys,
!: failures, in great cities, might have
, hear cnccecSfI1l citizens uDOn the