The Cordele dispatch. (Cordele, Ga.) 19??-1971, 1918-06-25
BOYS ON THE FARM

place not far from here. Two years
ago he planned, in vague sort Of
way-as much as he planned for the
future at all--that upon finishing high
school he would go to a certain prep
establishment where he would have
the way for entering the university Of
his especial choice-favored in his
heart because of its football supre-
macy. He expected to make the team,
and to write for the college magazine,
and to have a general allaround good
time and well, really. that was about
as far as his plans went.
The fathers plans were somewhat
more specific High and prep school
and university, and prominence IN
athletics and student life generally
yes. But he also had very serious and
carefully formulated details of con
spicuous scholastic attainment as
well--and then, in due tire, thesboy
was to become a member Of the
fathers firm-and there you are.
Wari The boys big brother went at
the first call The boy, of course,
couldn't go. His age prevented that
But he did the next best thing. He
lined up for a boys farm training
camp. He spent several weeks there
and put in all last summer working on
farms in his home county. His wages
were raised So he must have made a
fairly good farm hand.
During the winter the father bought
farm and gave it to the boy. He is
running it this summer, with the help
of three other boys from the farm
training camp. He is receiving some
adult advice and direction, of course,
but the farm--his FARMS actually
manned by the labor of four boys
who two years ago had never worked
On a farm and who hadn't the least
idea that they ever would. And the
point of IL all is that the farm is be-
ing conducted with fair measure of
success; in the early summer it gave
prospect of very good production; in
short the boy-farm owner and his
companion boy hired hands are not
merely playing but are actually oper-
ating a farm in creditabe fashion
with, as has been said, some adult
suggestion and supervision.
The boys plans have changed He
wants to go to an agricultural college.
After that, to use his description, he
intends to be "a big farmer" He is
very serious about it And the father
the father is delighted!
This item Ray be interesting to
these who have regarded as a joke
the movement for using High School
boys on farms during the war ener-
gency, There are some boys, of course.
who fail in the undertaking Also there
are some who will do good work for
u while, grow tired of it when the
novelty wears off and give it up But
there will be other who will become
interested in agriculture in a way that
will influence their future lives. This
is only by-product of the movement
The objective is not to direct to farms
a supply of permanent material from
towns and cities. The sole purpose is
to get to farms, during the war, a sup
ply of emergency labor that will pro
duce the increased crops necessary
for war needs. But nevertheless the
by product" is developing as an in
teresting and an important factor
this permanent interest in farming
that is being acquired by boys who in
the normal course of events would moi
have been attracted to that field.
! WHY BETTER SCHOOLS?
Here is the best everyday explama-