Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1867-02-22
EDUCATION OF FARMERS.

EDUCATION OF FARMERS.
We remember capital letter that
was written q few years ago to the edi-
tor ofthe Country Gentleman, upon tho
peculiar position of that special mem
ber of society. He is said TO be in all
respects, a real gentleman, man of ed
hcatlon, good social and moral habits,
and a man of business. The country
gentleman is no idle gentleman, no
man Of lazy leisure, no drono; he is, or
ought to be, of the highest grade of the
human family in private life; and as a
general rule, is so. More genuine gcn-
tlemen are found in tho country on
farms and plantations, than in cities
and towns. Country gentlemen have
one failing. 1t is the absence of o
proper esprit du corps, nnd in it's place,
a longing for other professions. The
farmers, as general rule, look down
upon their own profession, and up to
that of the lawyer, doctor, divine,
merchant and tradesman. This is all
wrong. Tilling the soil is the noblest
of all the professions. An educated
farmer has arrived at tho highest posi-
tion that human ambition can ask for.
Farmers must aim to become great in
their limo, instead of quitting the pro-
fession to reach greatness in the limo of
the law, or physic. Farmers sons
and daughters should be proud of
their fathers calling, and recognize
station and standing high enough to
satisfy their greatest ambition. But
how can this be accomplished I BY
proper system Of education. At pres
cnt, the end and aim of ninety. nine
young men in Il hundred, is the law or
medicine, or divinity. The last re-
quircs but little real talent, though
much plety; the second, considerable
talent and much natural benevolence
but. the first demands great mental
ability, and none Of the higher attri-
sbutes of the soul. The slightest touch
of real honesty IN lawyer, spoils him
for that line of business. The bigger
his bump of rascality tho better he is
fitted for Coke and Blackstone. Ifhe
is born with a nice sense of right and
wrong, ho will make dead failure in
Lne law. If q farmer have two sons,
and one exhibits medium of inteliec
tual smnrtness, that ie, cheats bis
brother in knife trade, and the other
trounces him for it, the first is sent to
Yale or Harvsrd for his smartness, the
second to the barnyard for his.
Among all that has been written on
the subject of education of farmers
sons, the proper idea has not yet been
started. 1t is true, we are constantly
Furnished with essays recommending
the establishment Of agricultural
schools and colleges, but they do not
contain the germ from which the fu-
ture tree must grow. Legislatures
are not to be depended upon to estab>
2ish schools. Farmers must do it
themselves. Lawyers, doctors and
divines establish thoir own sch ools
Why not farmers? No; they first put
eirshou1ders to the wheel, and then
cali on hercules to help them. The
great aid, overlooked idea is, the ro
spsctability of the profession this
they must fully appreciate, before
they can be Induced to take the prop
ermeasnres to insure thorough edu-
cation for their sons. They must
hold their own profession tho equal Of
any other, considering no class of men
their supsrtors; /; and once establishing
thls5 5they swill receive the respect and
asts1tionfwhiohi theyjustly merit. b.
Ist us sketch plan Of education,
aud as Q model take the medical pro-
!. fssSs6p. What does man do who has
a son that be wishes to become doc.
tor lk Hes selects some good physician,
and puts his son with him to stndy
tso orthras years., This is to give
him Q theoretical nowlsdge of the ru.
diasntE TIE physician wiiI Instruct
him asto3t the books he must read, and
mAg Him asdnaintsd with The minor
pfsSa dntIas of the: :professio ion; and
gss lh orsunities for such prac-
tics ass may be considered proper
his = appr nticsship After a prop
:ssl length pf study ii ,hsoaace, he 10
ssnt % ths pedieal scollege,. where he
/: oampistss his sheoretieat stadies and
hlsts aayepts 81 0f fshs clinical prae.
Hns til ths md fmafy sor hospitai, ,.and
~ np g Ter "a srs stndy,
& & % ssSsiyst his & dsfp dsfplonk. Now farm
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