Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-06-01


and self-reliance is more than the
equal Of the average city boy, SO that
! this few days Of training is simply so
much more of the peoples money
thrown away, together with the many
other items of expense connected with
| this movement, printing, stationery
| clerical help, postage, teachers CD OF
farming, tents, bedding, ETC.. 1or the
| bows to sleep, transportation. etc.
| have tried such help in times past, and
have given it even an extended trial,
| and my results were these: That in
| two cases out Of three, a boy brought
| up in the city is almost useless on
| farm for at least twelve months l
mean by this that what he learns in
| that time that is of value is neutraliZed
| by the time taken in teaching him and
by the loss and beakages caused
through his ignorance and inability.
| An average boy Of 16 or IS. even when
naturally healthy and strong, is not
physically fit to stand up under hot
sun and hoe or weed or cultivate or
haul dressing. etc. all day long as the
farmer or farm boy has to do to get
| living.
l. An inexperienced boy or man work
| that he is doing great deal more than
actually is the case. An hour to them
hoeing corn or potatoes, seems at least
| day in time, and being unused to it
tired back is experienced in half an
hour. One row Of field corn hoed looks
| a days work to a man used to work.
ing in his own little garden spot. but
long row Of corn, even when hoed prop
os,lx - h. 70 rr,1n
more than a few cents. while the
H"mossback'' doing it thinks he must
have earned at least couple Of dol
lars, but to do this he must hoe 80, 40
or so such rows in a day, and that, as
I've said before, is a physical impos-
sibility to out of 10 such, while i'm
proper or careless hoeing may COM
pletely ruin the crop by cutting the
tiny rootlets just below the surface.
and thus taking the life blood from the
plant.
Again the question of food; boys in
the city, Of good families, or even
people of ordinary circumstances live
better than is possible on the farms.
and such food as the farmer often has
to work on the city-bred would turn up
their noses at; we don't often get steak,
ham and eggs, grapefruit or asparagus
on the farms; hence friction and dis
satisfaction would be caused here.
boy learning to milk will often spoil
the best of cows and spoil the farmers
time and temper in trying to teach
him. and the horses tempers in learn
ing 20 drive them. and the farmers i'm
plements in trying to handle them, the
| calves digestion in trying to feed them,
and the farmers wife's peace and COM
fort in washing, cooking and cleaning
up after them, etc, so that where the
farmer or his fa mily, or the community
, in general are going to benefit by this
| most expensive of help, it is hard to
see.
I would suggest cutting out the dollar
day for sure, and then to intelligent
and strong boys willing to learn, and
| try. and not get tired at $50 A. NJ, and
/ lie under the apple tree from then I'M
| til noon, might possibly be worth their
board to a farmer in hard place for
help, providing he and his wife were
willing, as a patriotic duty, to put up
| with all the drawbacks Of having such
| greenhorns around them at their work.
! Anything short of this can only prove
| unsatisfactory and hurt rather than
| help the farmer, by putting him more
| heavily into debt to provide pay. board.
repairs. etc, through being tempted or
| persuaded to hire such, and large
amount of money will also be spent in
! the attempt to run such impra ctcal
| schemes. money which unless all signs
fail. will be needed before this war is
ended. to provide food for the people.
| A cheaper, and more practical scheme
would be to persuade and advise,
| through the medium of the press.
| (Which the press, as their patriotic
| duty. should provide free) that it would
| be a patriotic and right and ben
| eficial thing for all boys of that
age to 80 to work on the farms
during their long summer holt
days. and by doing their best and
trying honestly and faithfully to put in
! a summer there, they earning their
| own board and lodging by such help as
they could do. and the farmer also re-
quested to do his patriotic duty by
having snch on their farms, and at the
end of harvest such boys receiving a
badge, with star on it for each month
of honest effort spent on the farms, this
badge being considered by the govern
ment as much an honor as is the SOL
diers' medal and a proof that each has
done his bit for his country in the criti-
cal year of 1917, and thus turning a
section of the people, (the average boy
Of 16 to 20). from consumers and des-
| troycrs. to producers and preservers.
But committees, tutors. advisers,
clerks. printing. stationery and other
expensive encumbrances to the success
full termination of this world struggle
will never help it. And then, when the
crops are harvested. If the railways
and shipowners will also be patriotic by
distributing this food cheaply, and the
highly paid railroad employees, by
putting in couple of extra hours
voluntarily, daily. the war would surely
be won. if food is going to win 1t.
Should boy get hurt at his farm
work any time during the summer, the
local physician should attend him free
as patriotic duty, later on, when these
boys wish to marry, the minister
should, on production Of this badge,
marry them free, some of the lawyers
should go a little lean and hungry by
cutting out divorce business during
the war, as patriotic duty: the house
holder refuse to turn the widow adrift
and so on, each class sacrificing some