The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1914-12-12
the FARM AS A HOME. SOME
PERTINENT OBSERVATIONS

We know that many OF our MIS-
sissippi boys and girls expect TO
live on the farm after they are
grown but we fear that there are
many sothers who, deep down il
their hearts, are longing for tht
time to come when they can leave
the home and try life in the city
OF course, if the boy or girl has
special talent and training for an
other vocation, it is eminently
proper that they follow this But
to leave the farm just because one
feels that 1T is not a good place tc
live indicates something wrong,
either with the person who wishes
to leave or with the management
of the farm.
1t is only too true that there
are farms. and in Lincoln County
too. which no enterprising young
person could be blamed for wishing
to leave-farms where there is q
ceaseless round of hard work, little
pay. few recreations, and a general
lack of hope and progress. Such
farms, happily. are growing scare
er, and the farm on which the
boys and girls are able to earn
money of their own, 20 get good
education. to enjoy the society Of
their friends, to live in comfort
and grow up into well-tralned.
cultured. purposeful men and wo-
men are all the time becoming
more numerous.
Indeed this is the only kind of
farm there should be in our fair
Iand-the only kind there will be
when once we, all realize the possi-
bilitIes of farm life and set our
selves in earnest to realize them.
Reader. have YOU realized the
possibilities of farm lite as place
to develop manhood and woman
hood? Are you striving to make
your farm suitable for the habita-
tion of your family. your wife.
your daughters, and your sons? Is
1t the kind of place in which you
are glad to have them spend their
lives! If it isn't, why? Don't
you know there are farmers who
own the right sort of homes? Then
If it is possible to have such homes,
Mr.. Farmer. why is yours not of
this type? To say that you can't
accomplish what the other fellow
has is to admit to yourself that
you are weaker and less resourceful
than the other fellow. Then you
invite your enemies to hurI this
bitter invective at you: Here is
a task you can't perform. You
aren't man enough. to bring your
farm, the habItstion of your loved
ones, up to the highest possible
standard Of economic and social
efficiency. Here's nut you can't
crack +"
DR.. Hardy never uttered a great
er truth and one that should be
more deeply scared into the minds
of the farmers of today than these :
II had rather be the viIest convict
in the state penitantiary and know
that every day | was improving
becoming more God-liKe, more hui
name, and more resourceful, than
be the President of the United
States and be going backward. /
had rather own the poorest hills
and gullies in Mississippi and know
that each year they were becoming
more fertile and mure suitable as
a home for my family. than own
the finest land in the Yazoo basin
and allow 1t each year to become
less productive and less suitable for
human happiness.
When the farmers of this state
realize the utter truth of this state.
ment and determine to daily i'm
prove their farms it will be a great
day for this commonwealth and for
this nation.
A Lawrence-Lincoln Graduate
of A I'm.