Plymouth advertiser. [volume] (Plymouth, Ohio) 1853-1988, 1854-05-20
EDUCAnON.

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IN ne Poiat do farmers fail more in the
sdacation Of their sons and daughters,
thsn in neglsciing 10 make their rurll
homes attractive. With liule beauty in
or around their dwe!lings-wi,h few OBJ
jecis upon their farm in which they have
. direct personal interest, and taught by
Ike conduct and language oG those around
them tha, there are higher and easier
paths 10 wealth and distinction, II is liule
10 be wondered a, that SO many iarmsr's
sons long 10 escape from their laborious
occupations AMI engage in commercial
p rsuiis. Mr.. {. l.. FliE;, Sec. Mass
Board Of Agriculture, alluded 10 this sub
ict very happily in dihner speech at the
September meeting ofthe Norfolk County
Agricul ural Society. The following is
an extract:
at has always seemed 10 me, sir, that
the great want of New England was to
make farming attractive. And here r
can only echo the beautiful W, rds OF you'll
orator 10 day. Ii we would have our
children follow farming as pursuit, we
must interest them in II, ahd Gt them 10
pursue it inielligently. Ii the mind is
not engaged, the tolls of the hand are
irksome and tasleless. II the mind is in.
,erested-if every though every passion
is aroused TO improve and excel, no labor
Is wesrisome-no exerlions severe. To
make farming attractive to the young
they should be educated for il. And since
life is short aud knowledge infinite, they
need not, perhaps, spend years Of The
best part of their lives in such studies as
are necessary only To success in the law
or in divinity. The time will come when
the f,rmer will have more ample facilities
for educating himself and children. In
the meantime thousand objects, if prop
erly observed and brought to notice. will
begin the work, and that in the very points
Of greatest practical importance.
Suppose the young are taught TO OBJ.
serve the character of soils and their adap-
4a,ion to different crops, the structure and
nature Of plants, the habits of insects in
curious TO vegetation, the habits Of the
beautiful birds so often accused Of theft,
the great striking peculiaritie- of The DIFF
ierent breeds Of animals, the means of
improving ihem-will they not have sub.
ieets enough to interest them iI farming
Tley will find means OF cultivating the
finest fruits and ornamental trees, To
beauliiy the house, and give it an air Of
,a,ness and comfort. A little taste in
the arrangement of trees and plants, adj
dei 10 cultivated mind, soon finds with
in itself untold resources of living happi
ly.
" But the young, it is said are ambl
tious, and cannot be satisfied with the
reputation CT good and successful farmers
They must go into the counting.room tC
make money, and be known as men o
wealth, or they must embark in the intr
cate studies of the law, and through tha
upon the greater uncertainties Of politics
and achieve distinction, and, as the,
think. honor, (lhey don't always go 10
gealher, in The eyes Of the world. The,
forget the brighter and purer rcpulario.
Of comforting some permanent beneti! OF
their country in the improvement Of il
agriculture. They forget that the very
men who fail at farming are the men who
would fail a. any thing else, and that lhei
chances of success are equal in farming t,
wha, they would be in other pursuits
perhaps even greater, since the field is wi
der aud nobler. would rather have th'
reputation Of doing something to improve
the agriculture of my country than Il
have the reputation Of Napoleon."