The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-06-22
THE BOY AND THE FARM.

CITY in the land.-William Jennings
Bryan.
# there is one lesson taught by his
tory. it is that the permanent great
ness of any State must depend more
,,pon the country population than up
on ANYTHING else. No growth of cities,
no growth Of wealth can make up for
a loss in either the number or char
acter of the farming population
Theodore Roosevelt.
Thus the two leading opponents OF
public life in America pleads against
the migratory movement Of the boys
and girls of the farm to the factories
and the cities. How to prevent this
movement has been a subject Of study
by statesmen, s~ociologists n poltl-
cal economists for years.; but as a
factor OF national Importance it has
never before assumed the proportions
it reaches today.
Contrarily, every effort is being
made TO induce residents of large
cities who are unable to get work to
seek employment on farms in the west
and southwest. Strange as 1t may
seem, these people who, in a great
majority of cases, are reduced to a
state of dire poverty and distress, re-
fuse to leave their rOwded and filthy
enements, which breed disease with
every succeeding, day, for a place
where they can satisfy their wants
and breathe the pure air OF
The situation is a paradoxlcaI
and well worthy of the great amount
Of attention being given it. 1t may be
said, however, that efforts toward the
correction of this evil can hardly be
expected to meet with any success for
years to come.
Reasons for this are many Sociolo-
gists may. advise what action to take
to max the farm boy satisfied with
the calling they would force upon
him. Statesmen may enact legislative
measures, which would make that
calling more attractive; but what can
they offer the puntr boy which will
make his life SO promising financially
as a business career in the. city?
The mistaken idea is prevalent that
the farm boy leaves his home
he is Disconnected with his social en-
Vironment, and that his country lite
does not offer enough of amusement.
in other words that he is dissatisfied
with his home life. This is not true.
The farm boy loves his home. its sur
rOundings. loves his parents, and 1t
causes him many heartaches to leave
them; but he does leave because he
sees in the city more opportunities TOR
commercial and financial enterprises,
better social advantages, more oppor-
tunities for meeting people financially.
socially and politically prominent. and
more opportunities for making a mark
in the world.
The desire of the farm boy to enter
commercial life of the city is, IN a
vast majority of cases. first lnStllled
in him by his parents. With a natural
pride they over-estimate his pab1
ties and believe he can establish a
name for himself that will be as illus
trious as that of many farm Boys VINO
have preceded him. The result IN a
large percentage of cases is that ne
ekes out a bare existence at some
small c1erkship from which he cannot
or never does rise above.
OF course this is not true in all
cases. Men who have been most sue
ceSsful in business careers spent tne1r
boyhocd days on the farm. but d
great many farm-bred bOys would
have been better off and far more con-
tented in life had they been satisfied
to be "A big toad in a small pond,
rather than a small toad in a big
pond"
Agriculture is the foundation OF our
national posterity. To safeguard thar
posterity some financial inducement
must be offered the farm-bred boy 20
follow his fathers occupation. me
North Atlantic States farmer raises
1884 worth of products from farms
averaging sc acres each. The south
Atlantic States farmer raises only
$4S4 worth of products on farms aver
aging los acres, The farmer O.. me
North Central States raises slo'4
worth of products on farms averaging
IA acres, while the South Central
States farmer raises but 1896, Wortn
Of produce on farms averaging loo
acres each. These figures are OF the
last census year.
Therefore. it is easily seen that the
farmer must learn intensive cultlVa-
ton of the soil and turn from the ex-
~travaeant methods of the past. Ihere
should be a fuller scheme of pubhc
but a new kin of education adapted
to the real needs. of the farming peo-
pie.
To improve conditions that may at