St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1870-03-04

l Chancellor Kent said Sthe parent wb,
sends his son into the world uneducated
detrauds the community of "A lawful citizer
and bequeathes to it nuisance" There
fore our fathers instituted that system OF
: public schools which Is at once our glor,
and our safeguard. Every child has s
right TO the full benefit of that system
and to ask that no planting of corn, nC
chopping of wood shall call him from the
hours OF study. He and society have a
right to ask that the powers that God has
given him shall he developed and expand
ed. 1t is frequent complaint that our
farmers and mechanics do not obtain leg
lslative and congressional honors and
that the industrial interests are not rep
resented. But the reason Of this in a
great measure is because the farmers
have not obtained the general culture
and the power of expressing their thoughts
in words and of committing them to pub
Ii: print, that are so essential in public
men. Therefore we ask for a general
culture for farmer, that shall enable So
cieiy to get the benefit of the sound iudg-
ment OF the industrial classes, that shall
make the farmers profession the equal
of any profession, the farmers son the
equal of any mans son. This work the
common schools can never do. For such
Il training we must look elsewhere A
part o! 1t must be done in the workshop
and on the farm. These are the essen-
tial and preliminary schools. They are
open TO all. Here the student must
learn the primary processes of farming.
the actual u>e of farming implements.
Here he must harden and strengthen his
muscles and build up physical power.
This i the primary school that is indis-
penSIble 10 success in the higher ones.
But the work must not end with the
common school ard the practical train
ing OF the farm. We wish for some
thing that upon these solid foundations
shall build u IA larger, broader and more
beautiful structure, some thing that
shall make the boy not merely "a farmer
but a muster iIrmer, master man. One
such man in every town in this A..
would be 4 missionary of agricultural .
gospel that would change the whole as
pect of our Industrial interest. | am
not now pleading for the old college edu-
cation of Latin and Greek, although for
one who has taste and ambition in that
direction, nothin. can excel II, and MANY
OF our greatest men have. like Webster. !
com" from the farm to tho classical hall.
As | heard one of the best of the Dart
mouth professors say of his students.
''Ai"St OF our really strong men come
from the farms and hills of the rural
towns" But what | ask for now i. Il
well rounded general education that
shall make Your son a man of the time.
and Il special education that shall make
hun worthy of his profession What
can such Il training do for man! 1t
will teach him to observe. All men see.
few men observe. Millions had seen the
apple t,Il 10 the earth. but only the
trained intellect of Newton observed it
as TIE suggestion of the universal law of
gravity. 1t will teach him 10 reason.
Men had long seen that vegetables grow
and that all substances have chem cal
1t was only the trained in
tellect of Il Liebig that reasoned upon
these two things and developed the sci
ence of agricultural chemistry BY
careful study of science and art it will
bring his powers Of observation and rea-
soning to practical application to all
the workings of his profession The
of his mind will aid in the
cultivation Of his land. To illustrate
the m thodS and objects of such an edu-
cation, let me give brief account of the
Agricultural College But
in the old world these inStitu-
tons have done a wonderful work. vet
they are new here. The L. :. act cs-
tab'ishlng thcm was only passed in 1862.
We must not look for ripe grain on the
same day that the seed is sown. The
college was opened only
two or three years ago. 1t has now be-
tween 100 ana 200 students. They have
the use Of tie large libraries and cabinets
Of Amherst college They have the best
Of instruction in history, original compo-
sition, speaking, and all those general
studies that fit man for usefulness in
any sphere. They are taught practical
book keeping, something useful to every
nan. There they are made familiar not
merely with the science, but with the
operation of surveying. Suffi-
;ient practice is given them in the field
70 make them competent engineers for all
agricultural purposes. They are taught
and the science of building,
20 that they may plan bridge, barn
or house that shall be convenient,
and yet ornamental. They