Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1849-08-24
r., the Enquirer.
AGRICULTURAL EDUCAIION-No l.

AGRICULTURAL cDoCA
1t is cer,aialy singular tact that prepare
tory education should be given Tor every o.ne'
avocaliou except that in which more ihas .n,..
four,hs OF our population are engaged. ouen
sta e Of things would not be acquiescea ~ W 81
in ,igent people, il there were NOT redsons, Ito
or slpposed. for IFS existence. An enquiry ih'o
The uatu aud Justice OF these reasons is linpol'
tarl The subject involves directly The Interests
of our agricultural population, and indirectly
C aucerns every class in the community.
Tue natural presumption is that every profession
Of Lille has its seclels and its mysteries; that every
profession embraces peculiar knoUl de, essen
tial 10 its successful prosecution, ard, 10 certain
extent, rea1ires of its followers previous pTepa'
ration 10 guard Them from committing blundeis
al the onset. In every oher pursuit. but that oi
agriculture, this presumption is ac.ed on 1. Is
esteemed necessary that the lawyer, The Doctor
the merchant, the mechanic-lhe .oldler, The a.
yine-should all be educated Tor their respective
callings. The agriculIuris alone, is lei TO Inc
guidance Of his Cwn unaided powers in The man
agement OF his farm.
Why is this Why should agriculture be an
exception 10 all other pursuits1 Not because oil
is greater simplicity! No business requires M.
Ger calculation nor more accurate and varied
information. Not because OF It's greater Goa.
ple1ity It's difficulty would strengthen The me-
cessity for previous preparation. MOI because
OF its insignifcance Il IS, oi all pursuits, The
most important. Why. then, should the farmer
have no guide but his molher Wit 10 The culIiva-
ton of his lard7 There is but one ground Tor
the opponents OF agricultural education. Tneir
opposition must, ui necessity, be based on the
ground that distinctive difference exists be-
tween agriculture and all other pursuits, and thar
this difference is Of nature which necessarily
precIudes The farmer from any beneficial educa-
ZION.
To establish such proposition, the most ire
fragaoIe evidence is requisite; Tor II is IN conflict
with every natural presumption. II IS upon The
affirmative that the harden OF proof must sest.-
Until The contrary is made TO appear II IS lair 10
proceed on the supposi!on that ~h;! IS known
by one may be made known 10 anolheIi mat use
inl instruction may be given alike in every
branch o, human knowledge, in every calling OF
life Nor will i, be sufficient 10 demonstrate that
The common system OF education is moi adopted
IL fl farmers for heir business; tina, no success
lul plan. for such purpose, has ever been put in
practice; that no feasible scheme has ever been
d.vised. Circumstances mus! be proved TO ex'
Isl which render impraciicabe or fruilrss any
conceivable plan of agricultural education. The
existence OF such circumstances, only, can lusli.
ly the seeming neglect OF SO mighty an in'efes
and no such circumstances have ever been maze
10 appear.
Misconceptions concerning The nature and OBJ
icels u education have caused error on This sub.
Iect. In common acccplalion, II means me IN
siruclion impaired al existing schools aId cole.
ges. This, il is said, will not make farmer, and
The best Of theorists are frequently me most uG'
successful OF agriculturisls. /. is true that what
is called general education Is NO Qualification
lur The management! Of farm. But u sucn
general educa.iUn will not make farmer, nei n
er will il make mechanic nor merchant, a
lawyer nor doctor. II is, indeed, By the habits
Of mental discipline, oi correct thought and log
ical deduction which il produces, Of more or less
ben.ti in all human pursuits. Bull every
separate calling OF lie requires an educa-
lion peculiar to Itself, AN education al
,ordins that kind OF kEoTlcdg. which,
in such calling, is essential 10 success -
The objects Of every avccalion indicate The pre-
para,icn that il needs. Ia some pursuits, piac.
lical skill is lar more important than mental
discipline and thcorelic Information. In some,
collegiate instruction, however useful ard oTna-
mental, is in no way necessary; and The frepara-
tory systems are widely different even among
those pursuits for which scholastic education
sUilices. The kind Of Instruction that answers
in mathematics and mental philosophy, would
De incomplete III suIseiy anu ."S ihiSiJ' = IA
surgeon aud the chemist require something
more Than mere oral and written instruction -
In every college, the laboratory is considered All
essential appendage TO The chemical department.
and the disseclins hall no less necessary than
The lecture room 10 The student ut surgery. No
matter how profound may have been The read
ing Of the chemical student, IL will lead 10 no
useful results, il unaccumpanifd by PRACTICAL
acouantance with the properties and relations
Of material substances. However deep The
researches of The youthful surgeon, he will be
unfr To practise II The dissccting knife be a
stranger 10 his hands.
Is il 10 be expected, then, when other profess
sions thus have systems OF instruction adapted
to their ends, that The larmer alone should be
fitted Tor his business by an edncaion iorei2n 10
its objects, and not aiming TO initiate him either
into It's principles or lis pracIce2 is il 10 be
marvelIed at that the mere DO K farmers should
be bad farmers so oiien7 Is it al all more won-
d.rtuI that The devoee OF general science should
prove a sad farmer than that good compass
should make an ird fercni plough7 The scho.
lar and The compass both serve The purposes
they were prepared for. One was no mere
framed 10 manage farm than The ether 10 break
10 The sod In the mechanical ar, steam en-
zines and watches arc not made BY the same ar
chi;ec,. In The process oil monlding minds, The
same system OF educational wheelwork does not
turn oLl at once the practical farmer and The
learned doctor The III lchinery Ct our colleges
was constructed lo manufacture the one but not
the other
There are other pursuits besides that OF aer-
culture, for which existing schools and colleges
afford no adequate preparation. But is there
any other Tor which il is concluded, therefore,
that no preparation is neededf II such reason
ing were acted on, where would be our army
our navy; what would be The character Of our
merchants anu mechanics ouI carpenters aho
b,aCksmiihs2
What sort OF education, hen, oueh, The asri.
cul,urist to have7 All will concur rs TO h. OBJ
iecls il should aim al, though there viii, doubt
less be some diversity oil sentiment as 10 The
bes, means oil effecling them. What II is desiIa-
bic that il should DE-, Is sufficiently plain. IL
should prepare the farmer, as lar as practicable,
tor successful prosecution oi his business. III.
s,ruct him in lis gu lines and tamiliafize him WIN
its details. l. shCu furnish him his chart, whh
lis boundaries marked AMI lis separate pro
vinces INFINITELY delineatrd. The farmer should
be taught how 10 obtain from his lard by the
most economical means The larges! produce,
consistent with lie preservation or increase OF
its fertility. To do this he should be able To
make nice calculations concerning costs, pTnil'>
ana proDaOil ne sHOulu VIC idHilint WIN
lato: -sa wing machines, with the construction OF
,arn pens and barns, with the breed and quail
ties of cattle; he should be thoroughly acquainied
viii the peculiar nature OF his soil, with is
compcund relation 10 manures and 10 crops.
with the best mode OF preparing nanures and
The best mode Of applying them; he should un-
tersand lie culture appropriate 10 particular
| soils and grains, The diseases incident 10 The
Iaurr, their causes; and ihe most efficient means
Of prevention; he should know what course to
pursue in wet seasons, what in dry-hnw 10
guard against common contingencies ard how
10 ACT on sudden tmergencics; AMI he should be
conversant, moreover, with inhumefabie details
20 b. learned by experience and observation.
10 some of these matters an acquaintance with
chemical relations would TO highly important
and certain branches Of scientific instruction ia
others But in al it will be seen that practica
knowledge is Indispensable.
1t is easy TO understand, then, why mere theo
iss (using the term theory in its common &C