The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-11-17
Why the Young Folks Leave the
Farm.

One of the most notable objections
to farm life is the physical labor in
vOlved. Not only is the work hard
but in some respects it is not always
agreeable or conducive to personal
cleanliness, good dressing or the more
refined social intercourses. OF course
these objections exist mostly because
those living on the farms do not give
sufficient attention to their removal,
but there is no denying that hard
physical labor is usually an accom-
paniment of farm life and that it is
one Of the real although not always
pie have to living on the farm. A
happy medium or balance between
work and recreation is too often alb
sent on Southern farms. In fact, we
probably have to a greater extent
than anywhere else the two extremes
of hard work and idleness. 1t is COM
mon advice that the boys and girls
should not be worked too hard on the
ground that "all work and no play
makes Jack a dull boy" All work
and no play also makes Jacks father
dull companion for Jack and an
everpresent example to him of the
hardships and undesirable features of
farm life. How can Jack be expected
to like the farm when work is all he
sees to it? How can he develop a de-
sire and ambition for knowledge and
greater power when he sees no time
devoted to acquiring knowledge, no
use made Of knowledge in the farm
life and no respect shown for the
greater power which it gives?
In these days We are beginning to
hear much of the necessity for our
girls studying home economics and
learning the scientific facts underlying
home making, in order that they may
be able to build and keep better
homes at less cost of money and ef-
fort. Many conditions have conspired
to make housework distasteful to
Southern women and consequently in
the homes as out on the farms we
have general tendency to the ex-
tremes Of drudgery and idleness. On
many farms the life of the mother
is one Of almost perpetual drudgery,
without knowledge or mechanical or
other devices to tighten her burdens.
She is without the knowledge of the
things which would enable her to do
her life work with the least labor nee
essary to obtain efficiency. 1t is any
wonder that our girls prefer to study
music or elocution, or work in the
business office or the store, when they
know the life Of drudgery which their
mothers spend and have never been
SHOWN either by example or precept
tn possibilities of making home-build-
ing and household work a pleasant
employment for both mind and body?
The mother who makes a slave of
herself in her work is not a fit exam
pie, pleasant companion, or an in
spiration to her children.
On the other hand our failure to
appreciate the value of science to
farming and to home building and
the conditions which this lack of
knowledge brings about, particularly
incessant and disagreeable toll, have
created such a dislike of and reaction
against farm and house work that we
find too often the other extreme of
idleness.
An idle father or neighbor, one who
has no other purpose in life than to
have good time without work. is a
dangerous example, little calculated
to inspire a wholesome view of the
purposes of life in a boy or girl Let
us show by our example that by ac
quiring knowledge Of our work it can
be done with less effort, leaving am
pie time for mental culture, recrea-
ton and other Observation-Disclosures
| sive Farmer.
PREPARE TO SAVE THE MAN