But in addition to the foregoing marks of latent ability in the great middle classes we must note a distinctive feature of the development and education of such classes. It is this: _The two great conditions necessary for the successful development of the ordinary child are stimulus and opportunity._ Unless the slumbering talents be awakened by the proper stimuli, they may slumber on throughout the whole lifetime and no one detect their presence; and unless opportunities for development be given to satisfy the awakened talent, it may return permanently to its condition of quiescence. In attempting to furnish the necessary stimuli and opportunities for the development of his boy, the farmer has--if he will only use it--a great advantage over the city father. The great variety of work-and-play experience afforded by the rural situation, the fairly good general schooling now coming more and more into reach of all farm homes, the many conditions contributory to self-reliance and independent thinking in the case of the boy--all these raw materials of stimulus and opportunity lie hidden about the common country home. But the parents must themselves become wider awake to the meanings and purposes of such materials, or otherwise their value is lost through disuse. And again, it is urged that parents make the same careful study of their children as they do of farm crops and live stock. See the reference lists following the first five chapters. ROUND OUT THE BOY'S NATURE Fortunately, the new provisions of the schools are furnishing more and more definitely the equipment and the course of training most necessary for the masses of the growing children. Fortunately, too, the illiterate father is not to be permitted to dictate as to what subjects his boy is to study in the school, there being not only compulsory attendance, but strict requirements that every child pursue the prescribed course. The time is fast approaching when the rural parent in any community can feel assured that this course of study has been mapped out by expert authority in just such a way as to serve the highest needs of his boy, the idea being to teach and awaken every side of the young nature into its highest possible activity. In the usual case it is a waste of time to attempt to predetermine the boy's vocational life before he has gone at least well up through the intermediate grades of the common school; and even then, there is usually not much indication of what he is best suited for. So, one of the great purposes of the common school course is that of sounding the boy on every side and in every depth of his nature, so to speak, in order to find what is there, and to determine what he is by inheritance best suited to do as a life work. [Illustration: PLATE XXVIII. FIG. 35.--An illustration of how to keep the boy on the farm. Every boy needs to acquire early an intimate knowledge of some great industrial pursuit.]