Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1873-01-23
Agricultural.
The Better Education OF Farmers.

We are apt to take too much OF a idollar
and cent view of the question of sgricul-
tural education. In SO many years, a
young man could earn SO much money !;
will It pay him TO give this up in order to
get an education which will enable him In
later life 10 make more money than he
could without it: VIII any education that
can be gained at school make better mon
ey-getter of q boy than would the same
amount OF slime and attention given to
learning the practical operations of the
farm:
Without stopping to answer these propo-
sitions-which are foreign TO our purpose
we desire TO call attention to other con-
siderations that must have weight with all
thoughtful persons. The greatest pros
perity of farmers. as a class and indiyidu-
ally, must come from causes which will
advance farming as an occupation. No
permanent and satisfactory prosperity can
attend any calling which is not held in
good repute, and no calling in these mod
ern days can be held in good repute which
is not represented by at least fair pro-
portion of men Of education and intelli-
gence. In the so-called professions in
mechanics, and in trade. the tendency is
toward better and better education and q
more and more cultivated intelligence. and
the degree Of respect in which they are
scverally held is in all cases proportionate
10 the intelligence OF its representative
men.
In the future allotment of honor and in
fluenee, and consequently Of prosperity.
that calling will take the lead whose repre-
sentative men are the most distinguished
for education and cultivation, and that will
fall to the rear in which there has been the
least progress in these respects. The road
of the future is a n ascending one, and pro-
9ress over it is to be secured much more
by the aid of mind than by the aid Of mat
ter. Those who take and keep the lead in
the race will do so because Of their brains
rather than of their bodies, and the lead
ership will imply control over those who
are behind (and therefore beneath) them.
How far their rule will be merciful will de-
pend on conditions which We cannot now
foresee but that they will rule is as GER
tain as that mind has always ruled over
brute force. II farmers can take the lead
farming will be favored and fortunate &C.
cupation. If they must fall to the rear, it
will be degraded and an unfortunate
one. Whether it is one or the other, de-
ponds on the extent to which farmers are
educated and enabled to stand fair chance
in the s. struggle for the lead, - and our
successors will be the lords of the land or
a down-trodden peasantry, accordiaS -
they are educated or not. We assume, of
course, that prosperity and Intelligence 90
hand in hand, and that as we gain in |
education we shall gain in wealth. Al u.
same time, we believe that the best chance
for the future of our craft lies In the abili-
ty of its representatives to take . high
stand for education and intelligence. Be
lieving this, we long for the better general
education of farmers; not of those OF the |
farmers sons who are destined for other |
occupations, but especially for those who
are to stay on the farm. Let rs bring |
better-trained brains to the perfoFnancei
of our work. and shed the light Of cultiva-
ton and refinement over our hearthstoaes,
and we may confidently look for success
which mere wealth could not seeure.-l
AsAericaa AgvieSltsrist. !