Farm Boys and GirlsMcKeever, William A. (William Arch)
Science
Farm Boys and Girls
McKeever, William A. (William Arch)
Boys; Farm life; Girls
"We have 160 acres of land in the farm. My father owns the land. I do
the work, provide all the labor, horses, and machinery, and we have an
equal interest in the live stock and we share equally in the net
returns."
Other terms of cooperation have proved successful. In many cases, the
son rents all or a part of the place on terms similar to those allowed
the outside renter; excepting that he is usually given the advantages of
free board and the use of the home conveniences. In all such business
transactions between father and son it is highly advisable that the
contract be carefully drawn in writing. The verbal contract is
proverbially a trouble maker, and that even among relatives.
SUMMARY AND CONCLUDING SUGGESTIONS
1. Not nearly all promising youths can be encouraged to take a vital
interest in the father's business.
2. In case the boy cannot be induced to take a permanent interest in
anything on the home farm, he may at least have much practice in the
transaction of the small business connected therewith.
3. The ability to work willingly, the ideal that an honest living is to
be earned through personal effort, and the practice of saving a part of
the weekly or monthly earnings--these will give any boy an excellent
start on the road to success and affluence.
4. Deal with the young son on business principles from the first, seeing
that he shares reasonably in the losses as well as in the gains.
Although his interest in any chosen line of work may not become vital
till he makes some money out of it, hold him persistently in line
during the "lean" years and thus allow him to learn the excellent
lessons of failure.
5. It may prove unfair to the members of the family to permit one of the
sons to secure control of the business of the home farm. Some pathetic
instances of this kind have really occurred. For the sake of the peace
and well-being of all, such an occurrence must be prevented by careful
forethought.
6. On the other hand, in case where the boy has started with a scrawny
pig or through renting a piece of the home place, and, after dealing
fair and square with all, has come into possession of considerable
property of his own, do not wrest it from him or in any way take
advantage of his minority. Such a youth will in time most probably
reflect high credit upon the family.
7. Finally, the farm parent needs to be warned against the possibility
of developing his son into a mere money-maker. Such is a poor standard
of success. The man whose only aim in life is merely to prosper
financially is a poor citizen of any community. Teach the boy to succeed
in his business ventures, but at the same time imbue him with the
thought that his money wealth must be regarded as so much opportunity to
help build up the community, the state, and the nation. Teach him that
financial success is worthy of the name only when it is linked with
social efficiency.
REFERENCES
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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