"The work on our place is never ended, but whenever I find that the boys need a vacation they get it just the same. They are fourteen and sixteen and splendid help during the summer. I never permit them to work more than ten hours a day, while they are allowed a full half day off each week to use as they please, and about once each month they have an entire day to themselves. Also during the hot weather in the middle of the summer they have from three days to a week for some special outing. Last summer they camped out five days with some other good boys. It is my theory that the boys who are given such vacations will do more work and do it better than those who are not." The foregoing plan may seem to sacrifice the interests of the work, but in fact it really does not. After all, it is merely a question of the right point of view. Is the boy for the sake of the work, or the work for the sake of the boy? Answer the question conscientiously for yourself, dear reader. And may the boy be forever the gainer! A TENTATIVE SCHEDULE OF HOURS Obedience may be regarded as a pre-requisite for successful boy training. So, the first light tasks required of the small lad will be intended as merely a means of training him to obey and to feel the meaning of responsibility. No one has thus far seemed to think it worth while to attempt to prescribe for the work and play of children. How different in the case of the school requirements! Even in the district schools the thing is reduced to a system--_both the quantity and the quality of the work necessary for each age and grade are carefully scheduled_. Now, why not the same forethought in planning the necessary amount of the other exercises? And why not have this scheme made out by _highly trained experts_ as is the case with the school course? There seems to be no plausible defense for this traditional expensive oversight on the part of society. The schedule below is offered as merely schematic and possibly suggestive. In any given case there may be wide departures from it. But the thought is that of training the whole boy, and that for the sake of his own and society's future good. Age 4 or younger.--May be taught the nature of a required duty from being sent on an occasional small errand about the place. Practically all the time should be given to play. Age 5.--Use substantially the same methods as for age 4, but add the requirement of one regular light task daily and follow him up in the performance of it. Age 6.--Continue as above, adding to the required tasks slightly. If the lad now be taken to the field, he must go more in the spirit of play than of work. Of course he will learn much about farm matters at this age, but his activities will be largely spontaneous. Note the plan reported above.