River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1911-03-23
THE COUNTRY BEAUTIFUL
Farm and country life is GROWING

more attractive every year. The
cause is not far to seek. The trend
of people from the cities is due in a
large part to the trend OF those con-
veniences and opportunities which
answer the demands of both the
physical and the social nature.
The improvements which make life
more comfortable in the city are
gradually extended to the country.
Farmers are more and more able
and willing to build modern homes.
Rural m all routes, telephones,
clubs, institutes and other educa-
tional advantages go far toward
answering the desires of that being
who is fifty described as social
animal" With this condition ex
listing and realizing that the welfare
of the city rests upon the prosper
ity of the country, Bankers Associ-
atoms and other like bodies urge
young people to remain on the farm
and strive to make the land more
productive by scientific methods.
and the life more attractive by i'm
proved physical, social, education
al and moral conditions.
In efforts to heed this advice young
men-and older-will follow as
rule the usual course of progress in
city and national life. The things
which make for wealth and possibly
health will come first. There is
some ground for the charge that our
Dept. of Agriculture cares more for
good COWS than for good children.
We think we must live. Just how
to live in the best way, is a later
question. A nation must have
some wealth and the measure of
leisure it permits, before it can cul-
tivate literature, music or art. The
practical is first, afterward per-
chance, the beautiful. This is true
on our farms. In many eases the
land receives first attention, then
barns, then houses, then surround
ings. In most cases homes are bet
ter than surroundings. The aver
age farmer has decreasing inter-
est as he moves from cabbage bed
to flower bed. He sees more in
cow-peas than in sweet peas. His
struggle for existence is the main
cause for this view. Corn pays
bills. In his experience flowers
mean luxury. He has hardly reach
ed the place where he can afford the
beautiful in surroundings, or if he
has, the appeal is not strong. Why
put good money into shrubbery, or
waste time over pansies and dais-
les? He doesn't see the use. Yet
causes are at work to make him
see himself as others see him. With
conveniences of travel no places are
remote now. The worst old shack
may any day become an object of
ridicule to passing tourists. So
the travelling public makes an
opinion on the country beautiful
which should stir farmers to gen
erous response. Good roads are at
tractive, but a liberal mixture of
beauty by the way will make them
more so.
Further, farmers themselves are
seeing the value of sweet peas in
efforts to keep their boys and girls
on the farm. The surroundings of
the home as we'll as the home itself
mast have more attention. There
is an unconscious influence in
shade tree, flower bed and lawn,
with the certain amount of leisure
they suggest, which goes far
against the lure of city life. If
farmers seek to answer this plea at
all-and it is plea for more beauti-
full surroundings on our farms
they will be surprised how little
expense in time and labor will yield
satisfying results. A row of trees,
few shrubs, two or three flower
beds and the farm will look IDOL
lars" better, and show that the
owner is seeking ito make a life
rather than living"
We make crackers specially, at
Allard's.