Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1915-10-20
Why Boys Leave the Farm.

why Boys Leave. tne Farm.
With far the greater portion OF
our lands cultivated in corn and
cotton and average yields for the
past 10 years Of less than 90 bush
els of corn and only ls7 pounds o.
lint cotton per acre, the gloiIes O.
farm life are thrown. somewhat II
the shadows.
No matter what the social cond'
tions, no matter how great the af-
fection for the attractive old home,
no matter what kind of schools and
how good the roads, the boys are
going to continue to leave the farm
for the cities, unless their earnings
can be increased. While these ru-
rsl conditions, which ara so desira'
ble, can never be attained with oul
present yields from the small mum.
ber Of acres which are cultivated BY
present methods, if it were possible
to build or purchase these essentials
to satisfying rural life the boys
would continue to leave the farms
for the cities, unless their labor in.
come were increased.
Iowa. with rural conditions much
better than those of the average
Southern rural community, has snf-
fered more from a decreased rural
population. We are not so certain
that much consideration need be
given to those wbo are leaving the
farms. Much fewer farm workers
should now be necessary to produce
the food supplies of q given number
than before the Introduction of la
bor-saving farm machinery.
What the South needs is to con,
Germ itself less about her sons who
leave the farms and give more at
tention to those who remain on the
land. If we give as much atten-
tion to the education of those who
remain OF the farms as we have
given to training doctors, lawyers
and preachers to fit them to make a
living in the cities; if we train the
farm boys to handle machinery as
we have those who 60 to the work.
shop: if we teach the farm boys as
much about the business methods
for successful farming as we have
the BOYS for successful merchandls.
ing; and if we teach the boys that
stay on the farms as much about
plant roots aud the principles OF
soil fertility as we have those who
leave the farms about Latin and
Greek roots and the glories of war
and politics, they will be able to
earn enough from the soil to pro-
vide the essentials of a satisfying
farm life, and enough more to give
the luxuries and leisure which makes
for culture and give opportunities
for the higher pleasures and ambl-
tions, which are really what take
most boys from the farms to the
cities.
We boast thatmost of our great
men we're reared on the farm, but
of how many great Hlen do we boast
among those who have remained on
the farms. Those who have. re-
NAMED are probably as great as
those who have left, but there has
not been the leisure, the money and
the opportunities offered them to
show their greatness, or it has been
less appreciated. If we boasted
less of the greatness of those who
have left the farms and more of the
greatness of those who have re-
mained, there would be less leaving
the farms in the future. Let US
cease worrying so much about those
who are leaving the farms and give
a little more attention to fitting
those who stay on the farms to
earn more, and, when this is accom-
plished, there need be no fear but
the conditions fora satisfying rural
life will come. Of course, better
conditions for getting more out of
life may be brought about with our
present resources, and all that has
or can be done along those lines is
we'll worth while; but until the
boys who stay on The farms earn
more money, get more for their la.