Eugene ----, age 13, was reared by an indulgent father, after his mother’s death. A stepmother entered the home when the lad was nine. He was a robust boy, athletic and active, handsome, lovable, but mentally lazy, backward in school, without continuity of purpose or action, inclined to falsehood and evasion, willful, disobedient, extravagant and spoiled. He remarked one day to a companion, in my hearing, “Dad’s a stingy guy. He only gives me five dollars a week spending money.” This boy’s problem was a serious one, but not hopeless by any means. The delinquent parent was responsible for the delinquency of his son. Engrossed in the cares of manifold business interests, he “had no time” for the training of his boy. He failed to realize that making a son is more important than making money. If he had given his business no more thought and judgment than he gave his son, he would be a financial bankrupt. As it is, the son probably will be a character bankrupt. At the present time his moral liabilities exceed his assets--a poor beginning for the business of building a human life. His affairs should be in the hands of a receiver--a boy-expert who will rehabilitate the boy--or, better still, who will arouse the parent to recognize his duty and do it. The intelligent parent is the natural and best teacher of his own child. Up-to-date horticulturists and agriculturists avail themselves of the sum total of scientific knowledge concerning their respective professions. Unscientific, misdirected, and indifferent methods produce failure; inferior fruits and grains of limited yield do not pay. The importance of many things is measured by a financial standard. When reduced to a monetary basis, production is of sufficient importance to call forth the best research, skill, and thought of the individual. Child-culture is more important than horticulture, even though its benefits cannot be measured in dollars and cents. The Department of Agriculture spends millions of dollars every year, largely in the perfection of cattle and hogs. The improvement of the breed of hogs is not more important than the improvement of the breed of boys. Personally, I prefer the boy to the hog. He is just as great a necessity in the human economy and, besides, he is much more companionable. The best crop we raise is children. Why not improve their breed? The vanity of the parent may answer that they already are splendidly endowed by heredity with all the virtues of mind, morals, and body possessed by their progenitors. But heredity is no such miracle worker. If heredity has equipped the child with a perfect physical machine it still remains necessary to teach him not only how to run it, but how to keep it in good condition. The perfect body will not, unaided, stay perfect, nor will it develop the strong mind and character. All of these--and more--are required to make the perfect man.