The Washington times., 1919-04-17
SendYOurBOy
to Farm
By DR.. W. A. McKeever.


Geological Writers.
O END your high-schOOl boy 81
= y the farm for the summer and
he will come back smiling.
Explain it, you say.
saw a mother hen coaxing her
day-old chicks to pick up the food
lying at their feet.
1 saw a farmer shove the nose
of baby calf deep into the pail Of
milk in order to force the animal
to drink and live
saw two boys throw thsir big
half-grown pup into a pond OF
warm water in order to teach him
to swim.
The chicks dfi not know how to
pick up food, did not know t was
good for them. The calf did Lot
know how good the milk eculd
taste and that his very life blood
was in that pail The puppy did
not know about the delights OF
swimming and that he could pad
die through the water as lightly
as a canoe.
Through similar and a more COM
uleX method 1 saw a city father
trick" his ffteen-year-oId boy into
spending a summer on the farm.
and the outcome was about as hap
py as that from the forced dealing
with the three animals as described
above. Until he was literally i'm
mersed in the experiences Of farm
ing the youth did not know Of the
possible pleasures connected with
stirring the soil, tending to stock,
harvesting the grain and storing it
into barns.
So this is written to urge city
parents to seek an opportunity to
place their boys on the farm for
the summer season. Forty dollars
per month on the farm, with board
and lodging. is worth nearly twice
as much as some city positions.
Time after time I have found by
inquiry that the boy who earns big
wages in the city is inclined to
spend and waste it all as he goes.
The farm boy, on the other hand.
requires practically nothing for
clothing; he is too far away from
the scenes of excitement to run
aBout nights, and so he has an in
ducement to save his wages. But
that is not all. The character de-
Velopment possible as an outgrowth
OF the farm experience is worth
more than the money wages, in
either position. Think of it, dear
parents.
To develop hard, tense muscles
and rugged health; to learn to
work in the soil and to manage
farm animals; to have practice
daily in doing work which calls
for initiative and furnishes oppor-
tunity for learning; to have long
hours OF enforced reflection and
t linking for ones self; to acquire
Il habit Of going to bed early.
ge ting up carly and staying in at
night: to enjoy a feeling of self
reliance and independence: to dis
cover through all this a delightful |
sense of personal worth and q
charming ambition to become even |
more worthy in relation to society |
can you really imagine anything |
better than this as a course Of |
training for your boy?
AS 1 estimate the matter, the
Ommer season we'll placed on the
rm is worth as much to your boy |
as his very best year in the high
school, no matter what occupation
he may be looking toward ulti-
mately. 1t will make him a more
successful banker, or lawyer, a
better preacher or teacher, an
abler merchant or sales manager, a
more democratic citizen or man of
affairs.
A combination OF persuasion,
pressure and honest scheming may |
be necessary to induce your big
boy to go to. the farm for the first
time, but, after that it will be
aasier, and the reward will be
worth more than all the effort ex-
Dendcd