The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-05-14

| instead of producer, so we will cut
| the loss TO the farm in half. and still
IL gives yearly loss to agriculture In
| Virginia of S12,00e,o0o to S15,O0OoOo
No really organized industry would
tolerate such condition for q moment
and It's nero existence shows the
| chaotic state OF American agriculture
! Many causes are given BY, writer's as
| conspiring TO drive the boy to town
among them are usually mentioned
! First The long hours and the mo-
notony of farm life as at present
| maintained.
Second The narrow and unvaryins
dietary unfortunately so common
amongst farmers. and particularly
those of the one-crop system.
! Third. The primitive Arrangement
| or the usual farm plant. giving the I'M
| speakable harvard. hogpens. etc. in
immediate proximity TO the dwelling
! house.
These are the objections to the farm
usually presented by critics, but these
| arc not the things that influence the
hoy Except the first, they are easily
remedied, and here much more can he
! done than the average farmer thinks.
shorter Hours or Labor.
| a few years ago at "A big farmers
| meeting in Virginia. the president OF
! one OF the great railroads OF the
] South addressed the farmers assem-
/ hlcd. and he took as the basis Of his
| talk the unnecessary hours of labor
spent by the farmer in his fields. While
| lie did not exactly advocate the eight
hour day for the farm he came very
|, near 1t. ] was much impressed by his
| unusual attitude, and for severol years
| have carefully noted the results Of.
| Que or two farmers who have more or
! less followed this advice. They have
| Ind -, a -
neighbors, who worked from light to
light, and they have had what the
others did not have--some social life;
| some home lifc. There Is no reason
| why any farmer. not oycrcroppcd.
should not do likewise IL he will pro-
\ Vide the proper motive power and tho
so-cnlled labor saving" machinery.
| This machinery should really be called
| time saving" machinery; for this is
what it does. Better teams and wider
burrows save time OH the same labor.
/! but time gained IL not properly used
| Will not keep the boy.
| In my lifc's work ] have met thou
sands of young men. students. nj Their
I entrance into college, ana suppose
| that one half OF the students that
! have known have been the sons OF men
I who owned more or less land. and yet
! not one in Il hundred were looking
Il
| calling Quite often when you volun-
! tarily approach this subject with such
| boys YOU arc mel with scorn. They cry
| out Farming? Don't talk to ME about
! Turning; | know II from The ground
| up. and it's the last calling that
would adopt" Now when this comes
from farmers sons, whose Is the fnult
| that the boy leaves the farm Tho
| fault is that OF the farmer himself,
the man who fully able to have them
| seems TO ignore and even scorn the
] beauties and rehnements and comforts
| of rural life. II is the man who volun-
! tarily lives poor, and makes his family
! live poor, in order that he may die rich.
| that drives the hoy from the farm. The
| boy sees that no matter how we'll off
| they may he, farmers rarely seek the
| social and intellectual privileges which
| their city brothers of equal wealth
| and opportunity. demand and enjoy.
| He comes to believe that social caro-
| lessness Is inherent to the craft. and
he also seems to fcnr TINT the malady
is catching" SO long as this impress
| sion prevails you can never hold him.
Our southern farm life must be
| changed or he Will continue to go. M
| Satisfaction on Farm.
| On the other side. tile farmer has
many things In his favor TO aid him IN
| keeping the boy. In its worst estate
| the farm gives a natural satisfaction
| a sense OF Independence and mental
| and physical vigor that appeals to all
| men. Moreover the farmer is about tic
only man who cnn always leave TO his
| son the direct results of his life's
labor. Neither the doctor nor the law
| yer can rely with any certainty upon
turning over "A professional practice 10
! his son.
The minister cannot insure the con-
! uation of either character or talent:
| the manufacturer has no guarantee
| that his patrons will adhere to the
! ilrn In tho second generation but the
farmer who leaves his son home and
farm in good condition has an abso-
lutte assurance that his son will re-
ceivc the full results OF his labor.
! Now' while am here to talk TO all
kinds Of farmers, my mission is to the
/ young men--thc young men thinking
! ot starting life on tile farm in Nir-
/ ginia--and my cndcavor VIII be 10
show them how they can live n farm
| Frs life so their sons will bc able and
| nroud 10 take up their calling
| The great question Of the day is: RI
given a fair return for his produce. so
! That the farm really pays can one
4 maintain on The farm in the South n
lie equal In intellectual and social
| privilege 10 that of his brother on an
| equal income in the city? II THIS nucs-
| 'lo'i cannot he answered In the AMIR
[ native YOU may as well quit. for you
| VIII never keep any one on the farm,
T, That has a chance 10 get away. But we
! can now say that believe this can bo
/ done now--an ideal lifc can be main
( ifined OH the farm In most parts Of
I tho south F
! khewing hat there wero parts Of
! he South in which the rural life was
| almost Ideal, from an intellectual and
| social STANDPOINT ! have made 1t my
business 10 study on he ground tho
| local pcculiarltes that have made for
| this state OF AFFAIRS
] havc visited certain counties in
! Maryland. n score in Virginia. counties
| ~ both Middle and Eastern North caro-
! ma, and various other parts OF the
/ s"uth will! this question in mind. In
| this WAY have learned Of a number