The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1918-11-28
THE MODERN FARM. HOME

oouuc tlulc 5 u kdTultT UOWu IN
eastern Ohio decided to retire from
the farm and spend the remainder Of
his days in the nearby county seat
town. This was the practice common
ly followed by successful farmers in
that community. and 1t was the only
thing that occurred to him to do.
when he reached the time where he
could not longer pursue the active
life Of his former years.
The arrangement was that his son.
who had just married. should remain
on the old farm and continue the work
there.
The old man remembered, however,
the hardships of the early days. when
he and his wife started in on the old
place. He decided that he would fix
up the home a little for the young
folks and give them ONE Of the mod
ern conveniences that he and mother
were going to town to enjoy.
SO he made the old farm home over.
And then when that home was finally
fixed over, whit its modern beating
plant, with a dependable electric light
and power plant. furnishing cleo
trio lights all owe the house. the
porches, grounds and barn, with an
automatic pumping system that sup
piled water to a modern bathroom.
laundry, kitchen sink, the stoci trough
at the barn-all around the premises
wherever it was needed-the old man
didn't want to leave 1t!
He didn't leave. Instead Of buying
the modern home he was planning
for in town, he built a new home on
the farm for the son, not forgetting
the modern conveniences, to be sure,
So you will find them today. all on
the old farm, all comfortable and hap
Ply, all satisfied to stay right there
just as long as they can.
When this farmer mOderniZed his
home and settled his own problem, he
settled several other things so far as
his own farm and family are con
cerned. Let us see what they are.
First, the question Of farm labor.
We need on the farm the farmer who
ordinarily thinks he should join t.c
retired class. On tho farm he Is still
in the ranks Of the producers and
Helps to keep the business Of farming
in his community on a high plane.
In town he is bound to get out Of
touch with the best farming interests
without fitting in, in any profitable
way, with his new surroundings.
Then the son, while he might have
remained on the farm for a number
of years, is less likely TO grow dis
satisfied with farming under the pres
ent arrangement, with the burdens
that used to exist, modified today by
the introduction of tn. improvements.
Labor on the farm is influenced O n
siderably by the matter Of modern i'm
provement. The farm hand is i'm
pressed by the fact that the farm home
is equipped with bathing facilities,
with electric light and power, for he
knows that these things mean better
living conditions and they means re-
lief for him from little annoyances
like doing chores by lantern light,
turning cranks to run little machines,
pumping and carrying water. Where
these conveniences abound there will
be less trouble in securing hired help.
One Of the things that has drawn
labor away from the farm to the city
is the fact that in the city a be
found the bright lights, the conven-
lent bath, the modern conveniences
that country homes too often lack.
Now that country homes are getting
the other way around and folks who
left the country are coming back to
enjoy the same c%onveniences they
sought in the city and the distinctive
advantages Of the country at the same
time.
Another tremendous influence which
this farmers action effected is that
which relates to the women folks Of
his household.
When the pioneer and his family es-
tablished themselves in a new forest
home, or prairie home, the first in
stinct was to assure sufficient food
and protection for the family and for
the stock.
1t was q struggle sometimes
struggle that sometimes developed in
stinct one-sidedly and carried 1t
through the years long after the neces-
sity for p%inching ond self-denial had
passed.
That it was developed one-sidedly
has been indicated on many farms by
the fact that while the work OF the
farmer was done with improved labor
saving machinery, the farmers wife
and his daughters labored away with
the same limited, unhandy equipment
that had served through the former
years.
So u farmer in undermining his
home, has given to his wife comforts
and conveniences that will just rev.
OlutiOnize things in her domain, the