The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1871-11-30
Educating Farmers SONS.

There was once period when it was
the prevailing conviction, among all classes
of citizens, that tillers of the soil, from
the nature of his livelihood, must be I'M
couth, vulgar, uneducated, rude in speech
and uncultivated in Manners mere
g newer of wood and drawer of water"
In that twilight of the Ozark Ages the
universal conviction was also that if boy
or young man happened to be slow to learn
and not so brilliant and ambitious as is de-
sirable, it would be the hight of folly to
attempt to educate him for any of the
stations occupied by lawyers, physicians
and clergymen; yet, he would make good
farmer. But with The changes which have
been wrought by revolving years, and
the wonderful developments of science and
the marvellous unfoldings in the mechanic
arts, new views lave suDplantcd the erro-
ncous notions Of many OF our ancestors.
Now, the impressions most prevalent are
that the science and the art Of agriculture
require young men and boys Of the most
indomtable energy and promising talent.
With the change which time has wrought,
the once Flooding tiler of the soil has
been elevated in his calling, so that lie
sees and feels that mind, brains and educa-
ton give him an almost irresistible power
over the clements which he handles. In
stead of making machine of his own deli
cately organized body, he now mounts an
easy seat, and without enduring the fatigue
incident to the wearisome labor of a long
and sultry day, aecomplishes an equal task
in less than one hour. More suspicious
times have dawned on farmers than they
ever dared to hope for. If farmers do not
now dwell in the realm of ennobling
thought, the fault is all their own. The
problem has long ago been solved that he
who directs the operations of the impli-
ments of husbandry, even if his hands are
calloused and his brow tanned, may be re-
fined in language and courteous and pol
ished in his manners
No class of citizens can have and none
do have SO much leisure and so many excel
lent opportunities to read, to write, to study
and become wise and better than tillers of the
SOIL if they will seize the leisure moments
Every farmer and farmers son may-if
he will-appropriate at least two to four
hours every day, to reading, writing and
useful study. Ten hours is as long as any
person can labor proftably for any one.
\ manual laborer will perform more by
working only ten hours daily during the
season than if he attempts to keep going
fourteen hours. Then, after ten hours
have passed, eight should be spent in quiet
rest, from one to two in eating and "slcek-
ing up Because man has been labor
ing all day in the dirt, it does not follow
that he must sit loungingly all the evening,
in the apparel of ditcher. A man can
slip off his working dress, wash and brush
up and be dressed ready for the sitting
room in fifteen minutes. Young men and
W. WIZ iiuet iiSioShsiN i"ooi dt uiItN
work, should be taught to dress according
to their duties; then, when the day is
ended, put on a suit that is not unbecom-
ing the reception-room. After boys have
been led or in manual employment, they
should be taught that they have delicate
bodies TO be cared for. An effort shonld
be made to elevate them in the scale of
being to higher and nobler manhood.
Don keep boys on the 60 from early dawn
till bed time. Let the duties of the day
be judiciously laid out, so that every one
can see what is to be performed, and
how many hours may be appropriated to
do every job. As soon as working hours
are ended, let habits of personal neatness
be inculcated, for nothing is so debasing
and no habit will exert an influences so de-
morahzing as to allow boys to tramp into
the house in all their dirt, and fritter away
their evenings, in laughing and doing
nothing. Farmers should strive to diyest
their sons of the notion that their livelihood
/ is but an endless routine of irksome
drudgery. 1t does not hurt any one to
work in the dirt if he will Immediately
afterward wash up, change his exterior