The Democratic advocate., 1908-11-06
UPLIFT FOR THE FARMER
INDIANA FARMLAND WRITES ABOUT
COUNTRY LIFE
Long Hours and Lack Of System Drive
Men Away from the Farm

An Indianna farmland has written
a lette to President Roosevelt about
the work which the Country Life
Commission is carrying on. The Presi-
dent has turned the letter over to the
Country Life Commission and the Com
mission has asked the farm hand to
write some more.
81 have been a farmland just long
enough" says the Presidents CORES
pondent, ttto learn the cause OF SO
many sons and daughters and we'll
meaning, reliable farmhands leaving
the beautiful farm and country and
going to the city. A lack of order and
system on the farm and too long hours
for a day is what is driving the best
minds from the farm to the city and
shop. What can we expect of
posterity, in the way of Intellectual
development when they get out of
their beds at $50 in the morning and
work from that time until 8 or 9 p.
m? And no attention paid to the SAN
itary conditions of the home, and nee
essary conveniences on the farm for
doing the farm work with the least
labor and time"
This man has given the Country
Life Commission some very interesting
first hand information about rural
conditions and recommendations based
on a long experience in farm work and
farm life. He has worked for all
kinds of farmers, good and bad, he
says, and he has always had his eyes
open to detect the causes of their sue
cess or failure He has drawn his
own conclusions and sets them forth
in downright straight forward fash
ion. Education pays in farming, he
says. The farmer who plans out his
work and carries it through in a sys-
tematic, business-like manner, just
as the city man does, will be able to
shorten the hours of labor. $50 many
farmers measure everything on the
farm from the standpoint of mus
cle," he continues, "and are extreme
in some things and slack in others.
I decided several years ago that life
is too short to work for Peter Tumble
down farmers"
"Now, Mr. President" he writes,
you can take this for what it is worth.
II have not given you half of my ex-
perience." The Country Life Commits
sion has written him that his sugges-
tions are so useful that they hope he
will send more.
Compel the farmer to be business
man." he says GO into the homes
of some OF the farmers and the social
ed farmers and ascertain how they
live, and learn of their methods of do
gagged And you will be surprised
what variety you will find. Ascer
tain what they read, and what stress
they put on the literature that comes
into their homes (if any, comes) bear
ing on the business they are engaged
in. See what per cent study their
business.
"Give me the educated farmer as a
boss and the educated farmland as
hand. When | come in contact with
a hand or farmer that studies his
business I find him advancing, and it
is pleasure to work for such men.
"The majority of the farmers are
eight-hour men, that is, eight hours in
the forenoon and eight in the after
noon. Eight or ten hours on the farm
cannot we'll be adopted in all cases, but
it need not be from fourteen to sixteen
hours If the family arise every morn
ing at o'clock and the wife and
daughters attend to the household