Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1860-02-23
Kernels From a Corn Cob-No. 3.

FR1avD BoYcE Not long since an observ.
ant farmer remarked somewhat bitterly, that
education, os it is now conducted, units our
boys for farmers, and our girls for farmers
wives.
The truth of this can hardly be doubted,
by any one who has watched the effect of an
education, acquired at our academies and
higher institutions Of learning, upon the
young people. The fashion is prevalent, and
we fear prevailing, that at a very early age,
large portion Of the youth Of promise are
taken from the District school and sent from
home to the academy to be fitted for life's du.
ties. At home, with their parents, is the
place for children,-and the public school
is the place where they ought to obtain the
groundwork of their education. There is
no good reason why the public schools may
not be made such that all of the children Of
our State can obtain a much better practical
education, and as much intellectual culture
as they now obtain at our best academies
However, academies and colleges are necessa-
ry. Those who desire to become strong men,
tally, fitted to grapple with and to solve the
intricate problems which beset man in his
life, and to fill stations of honor and trust,
need greater degree of culture, than can
be obtained at the public school.
But there is serious objection to sending
children away from the care of their friends,
to the academy, to be educated 1t often
happens that the habits they acquire, and the
false ideas of life which they receive, are
more injury to them, than all the mental dis
cipine is benefit And more than this, the
direct tendency of the instruction impaired
at our higher institutions of learning is to fix
the idea in the mind of the scholars that as
soon as they obtain little education, it will
avail them nothing, unless they gil some high
station and become prominent men and wo-
men. Hence they regard farming as beneath
them. Often it happens, that young persons
return from the academy to their homes filed
the idea that they shall engage in some pro-
LESSONS, and for this reason, pay no regard to
the labors of the farm, and look with de-
gree of disgust and commiseration upon the
hard hands and plain clothing OF their form
er friends.
This state of affairs comes direct from the
instruction there received. The main endeav-
or Of the teachers in all Of our academies is
to induce as many as possible of their schol-
ars to fit for and 60 through college, and the
glittering bauble Of popular honor is held
up as an inducement to this. The idea be-
comes fixed in the mind of the scholar, that
they cannot, if they choose the occupation of
farmer, make further advancement in Gull
ture and mental worth-that the culture that
they now possess must grow rusty by their
being shut away from the society of educated
people. In short, that the farmers calling is
boorish employment, and that he who en-
cages in it must be content with society of
boorish men. 1 recollect we'll the argument
used by one very excellent academy teacher,
to induce his scholars to obtain liberal edu-
cation. "Do you expect" said he, 8" to he
content to wear yourselves out, toiling day
after day upon these hills? Are you willing
to engage in an employment, in which the ig-
norant lrishman, if he is steady and tolls un-
remittingy, can succeed as we'll as you
Nearly all chance for improvement, by COM
ing in contact with your fellows, honor and
preferment is outside Of this occupation.
Are you willing to relinquish just claim
that you may have for these2"
Such are the arguments used, and the effect
is to induce very many to seek livelihood in
the professions, mercantile business or in 9TH
er pursuits supposed to be more honorable
than agriculture A portion of the young
persons Of both sex will succeed in some of
these employments, but the majority who are
now sanguine in the expectation that they
shall engage in some of the professions, or OBJ
tain their living from the many inventions
which human ingenuity has sought out, will,
after chasing the phantom for time, and
perhaps encountered distressing failures, re-
turn to the employment of agriculture as ig-
norant as babes of its needs and wants. and
begin life anew. The result of our present
system Of higher education is to take from
the farm nearly all Of tac intelligent, we'll
educated boys and thus the employment is liza.
BILE to jog on in its accustomed way. Farmers
themselves have lent their aid to this end
They have, as rule, conducted their employ
ment, as though it were one of muscle only.
Those sons who are to engage in the profess
sions need good, perhaps liberal education,
and Afterwards to receive instruction and drill
in schools especially fitted for each of the &C.
cupation in which they are intending to en-
gage. But those sons who are to till the soil
need no such mental culture. A thorough,
scientific education for boy, who is to be
nothing but farmer 1t is all useless, ;
say the majority of our farmers of to-day.
agriculture science" "Plowino. SOW.