Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1873-02-05
The Better Education of Farmers.

We are apt to take too much Of dol
lar-and-cent view Of tho question of agti-
cultural education. In 50 many years
young man could earn SO much money !;
will it pay him to give this up in order
that he may get an education which will
enable him in later life to make more
money than be could without it2 Will
any education that can be gained at schools
make better mouey-getter Of boy than
would the same amount of time and atten-
ton given to learning the practical opera
lions of the farm
Without stopping to answer these propo.
sitions-which are foreign to our purpose
we desire to call attention to other con
slderations that must have weight with all
thoughtful persons. The greatest pros
perity Of farmers, as n class aud individual
ly, must come from causes which will ad-
vance farming as an occupation. No per-
manent aud satisfactory prosperity can at
tend any calling which is not held in good
repute, and no calling in these modern days
can be held in good repute which is not
represented by at least fair proportion OF
men Of education and intelligence. la the
so-caled professions" in mechanics, and
in trade, the tendency is toward better and
better education and more and more cul.
tivated intelligence, aud the degree Of
respect in which they are severally held is
in all cases proportionate to the intelligence
Of its representative man.
It,t ~. E.t.,.. III, r. L
fluence, and consequently Of prosperity,
that calling will take the lead whose rep.
resentatiye men are the most distinguished
for education and cultivation, and that will
fall to the rear ia which there has been
the least progress in these respects. The
road of the future is an ascending one, and
progress 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 leader.
ship will imply control over those who are
behind land therefore beneath) them How
far their rule will be merciful will depend
on conditions which we can not now fore.
see, but that they will rule is as certain as
that mind has always ruled over brute force
If farmers can take the lead farming will
be favored and fortunate occupation.
lfthey must fall to the rear, it will be a
degraded aud an unfortunate one. Whether
it is one or the other, depends on the ex.
tent to which farmers are educated aud en-.
abled TO stand fair chance 10 the "strug.
gle for the lead,' and our SUCCESSORS will
be the lords OF the land or down.troddeu
peasantry, according as they are educated
or not. We assume, of course, that pros
perity aud intelligence will 60 hand in hand
and that as we gain in education we shall
gain in wealth. At the same time, we be-
lieye that the best chance for the future Of
our craft lies in the ability of its represent.
atiyes to take high stand for education
and intelligence. Believing this, we long
for the better general education of farmers
sons who are destined for other occupations
but especially for those who are to stay on
the farm. Let us bring better-trained
brains to the performance Of our wors, and
shed the light Of cultivation and refinement
over our hearthstones, and we may conf
IDENTIFY look for success which mere wealth
could not secure.--Ameriean Agricultural
Journal