Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1859-03-11
REPORT.

Thenri.t. have b-cn incllned 10 look u En-.
rupean countries fnr - snlutinn of this qurs.
iipn bat whenever this has hccn tried. 1t
h,s resulted in IN attempt I, enerilt upon
American s,il. habits, customs. and mud"s
ol agriculture, entirely diiTrren, from what
this climate and country viii warrant.
Agricultural schc,l- and Colleges have
been org,ni1rd IN Europe with c'1Id sue.
cess. Bot i, must hs hornc in mind. that
IN Europe. men ~ all rla-scs nre in ccr-
tain s,u.r. euluyt,prs Of the snil. Ia Eng.
lard the land holder may have his thou
saud. of acics under cultivation. IL wan.
u superintendent Of such immense csisus.
H. must be a mnl educated o. agriculture
as science, and asa profession. lie 49,
cures m,n thoroughly educated for this
purposc. who. with the title of Land Stew
ard, is well acquainted with agricultural
chemistry. ;hc Laws Of breeding cattle, in
fact, everything pertaining TO his calling.
This superintendent calls to his aid tho
pr1r farmers. who are hirei at the loves,
possible prize, 10 carry on the labor under
OIL. direction. These are virtually slave. 10
the better educated men.
But We end different state " things in
TIN. Repuhl,c ct ours. Equality uf thought,
and ,quali,y IN social and intellectual p'.-
,iun .ccm. 70 be- the wtichword in asrirul.
turc here. Adopting the Eurnpean method
Of cultivation, We mus, virtually r'iuee To
srvitutc ninsiscn.,ucutieih.o oC our rur.l
population. f1r the adyaptasr of the other
twentieth The heart ot every American
freeman r,,ol,. At such Thought.
We mu., then cnmr O. the conclr.inn.
that the Mus 1t our institutions will not
admit tho introduction oi agricultural
scho,l. AMI college. On the same h,.i. - IN
Europe. Under eur present. system II ac.
riculmrc, It expected that every man and
boy .hall devote ns cnrrgir. tn manual H..
h,r. y, substitute fur ih,. has Vet h,rn
fund. ln our chapc,,,hlr climate, c,uin-
in: a Young man within the wall. Of u
.rhu,l ronm iur any length IT time, almost
invariably cnervates hi, system, and no
lua,h,s the SIGHT Of agricultural labor.
Germans may ut in their chair. and EN- Ike
,i.htsrn out It tvcnty.i,ur huur- aud grow
cprpulrni hy the rr,crs. but In thi. eoun-
try 1t .. cnur ~ different.
In accrdlnce With the SPIRIT Of our io',i.
lotions. education should be general. as
we'll a. particular. \ fe~ men should IN
every rroi.-s,nn have .pciAl education
iur .-m, special department.. Every cou.
wuoity necl. at le,.t ono ,killnl Wrg'as,
,housh iS have many rS'l rhyuoda'. -
We need few men In our country Who are
prc-cmin,nt "a. chemist. or ~ veterinary
surgeons. or mhthemitiriau.. hut u make
cy,ryh,iy chemist. ur mathematician.
D. one ui Those utopitn idea. that will nc,.
,r - realized. Your rluss hpok student il
apt in hrc,ne the abstract thinker. hut
poorly fitted iur physical labor. Young
men ton.Ni.l repair t. somc institution nni
attend To- the study II chemistry. and the
foni father hops to have hi. an with him
on hi. farm. Bot the hry has scCn AN
,rcnins s,mcwh~re else. and hc enters it,
having hi. father u plnd along the sime old
~ay. The chairman OF your cnmmittcc
has had some experience on this Toin, sut'
Gylrnt to ,uh,tantiaie his po'i,i"n lie
could cnumeratc several bunirrd Young
men who have attended a. the study uf
chemistry, and many u ,hem agricultural
chemistry and miner,lucy; hu, he can re-
Ter to only two of that whole number who
have a~cnme practical farmers. NJ, that
their cdu,Atiou would he los; to them or
the community, but it is diverted frum its
original design.
We must. then. come to the conclusion,
that under the present influences b"arins
uppn us. u will not be the hes: policy to
pur,ue. to establish agricultural schools
with the expectation oi directly educating
the farmer.
IL must be horne in mind that We have in
Maine. at least 100000 pcr,ons engaged IN
agricultural labor. 10 educate - large a
number mus, he work Of time, and what
ever mode may he adopted. must he, a.
much a. possible, adapted to the great mass
oC farmers.
The question then arises. how shall tho
farmer bc better educated? Here is ~
hr,at field oi inquiry, anL youI cOmm','ce
hcliyye it can TO certain extent be answer
81.
We think We must fr., look 10 the eleva-
tiun of the summon ,chnpl wheri every boy
i. expected To lay the f,nnll,I'r fnr all his
future success in lie. l, Is "a fact. that
any hoy can acquire sufficient knowledge OF
arithmetic, grammar, geography and pen.
manship. in the cummun schI'Ol. ai the
present day. TO prepare hun to pursse any
special branch uf study to III him to he a
scientific farmer. Now how shall hs know
something Of chemistry In almost every
town. there i. a High school. ui Academy,
at least. one term ia year: and Tor the
want Of something h'itrr. let the young
man attend tn the study of the elements of
chemistry, and there Tor one ,c'm only, IL
not convenient to remain lon,yr. and he
can after that he hi. own teacher il Ice WILL
The intelligent and successful farmer
mast be constant learner. The lawyer
who lays aside his books. is soon on. OF