, 1873-02-08
AGRICULTURE AND H0RTlcUL-
TURE,
Joint Convention Of tho Wisconsin State
Agricultural mud Norticul.
tural Societies.
Addresses on Industrial Education, and
; Natural Science in the Com.
mon Schools.
Proceedings OF the horticultural
EOdy.

3ody.
MADISON, Wis, Feb. Q, 1878.
On Wednesday evening, o joint convention OF
tho Wisconsin State Agricultural and State
Horticultural Socotioa was hold in the Assembly
Chamber, ut which IN address on Industrial
Education was delivered by Professor W. W.
Daniclls Professor Of Agriculture and Analytical
Chemistry in tho University Of Wisconsin, mud
an nddrosn on teaching Rcicnco In Ito common
schools, by tho Rev. Samuel Follows, State
Superintendent Of Public Instruction.
-; INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION. :.
Professor Dnniolls' address WAS ono to which
much thought Ind boon givon, and was worth
much thought BY tl,oao who heard 1t. The fol-
lowing Is d brief abstract:
To tho great utruggle between the advocates
Of tho classics md Of tho Hciencoa in tho col
legcs OF tho country, Industrial education LAS
aided another olomunt which tends to mako
still moro Intricate tho question, What atudicB
shall constitute the college ooursos Thoro aro
three classes Of studies: First tho classical;
second, scientific, purely SO; third, practical
science. Each Of those Inns itB proper lold, and
there is no good renaon for tho supposed con-
fict between them.
, OF what shall industrial education ooneist Is
difficult question to settle in tho present con-
dition Of things. Primarily, it has one object In
view, viz: to give thnt instruction demanded by
those engaged in tho industrial arts, the priuci-
pies md applications Of scionce. The practical
difficulty which laB prosecuted itstf to tho In
-dustrial Colleges Of tic country is tho wnnt Of
preparation on tho part Of thu students. Boz
foro tho applications Of science can bo taught,
the atudont must be acquainted with tho princl-
ploB Of scionco. And, to fully understand tho
elementB Of sciouce, q fair degroo Of mental
training is necessary. Hence, The course Of
atudy in these institutions ia necessarily made
up largely of studies not in any way technical,
although thoy arc required to givo q technical
oducation or to train the student to think, that
he may rccelvo and apply such education. Hero
lies tho source Of much OF tho opposition OF
farmers to thoso schools. They ask for, and
say they want, only "practical studios"; while
practical instruction, giyon az they think It
might be, would really bo tho most
impractical. A ats,daut with d mind but little
trained in methods Of thought will not gut tito
good Of higher stud,os, scientific and practical
until he has boen prepared to roceiyo them By
culture and training. Hence, n sufficient amount
OF study must be given in Agricultural and Mo-
chsnica1 Colleges to awaken hnbits Of thought,
i the student has not prGvonay 1ese1ea t.
professional course, like that In Inv aud medf-
cine, to be taken after tho general education is
completed. Practically, in this country, Indus
trial Schools aro called upon to givo both prac-
ticnl and general instruction.
Farmers DO not rcnlze the value Of agricu1-
tural education. THoy do not take advantage Of
the opportunities for advancing their interests
that arc offered them. Their profession is ono
seSoo,s @ u ieasning created IL thcr' intoregts
they arc indifferent to thcm. They DO not in
quiro Il those schools aro giving tho instruction
they neod. Often blind prejudice. prevents thoir
seeing the good freely oHored them, and they
move on In the old way. Tho Agricultural So
eees are not doing AZ they might for tno nr
ito blame Tor not making thom moro efficient aa
q means Of advancement. They, too, Gro creatod
for the farmer, and will be just what tho farm
crs mako them. Tho speaker closed with an ap-
peal to, farmers to use all means at their disposal
to advance tho interests Of agriculture. 13y 80
doing, eaoh il furthering his own intorests.
NATURAL SCIENCES III THE COMMON sc1IooLB,
oenoral Talows is popular and eloquent !g1
'tion. He alluded to tho wonderful changes
which had taken place during tho last ton ycnrs
In our country mud tho world, tho advance Of
liberty tho r5osreaa Of SCIENCE tho atention 10, Of
Z education Of she whole people, Ho found by tho
ccnRua Of 1sG0 that tho number Of farmers and
far1n-lahorers Was ,210, ,674, and the number OF
lof[1Cu1CuTl6Ih ulE 0ts LII HlHEUuSln, III LAO
.aamo year., 125,331 farmers wero reported, and
not 4 single horticulturst Tho cenBus-takcrg
must have included Tho horticulturiats with the
fs:mera.
tthe oAief topic Of liz address, that tho education
Of people ought to have Home reference to
their pursuits in life. He contendcl. that tho
application Of tho rulo did not Of necessity sinl
"a man In baoibone straight up and down, and
not sprond him in g1iatle. A man must ba
:master In his pursuit. In 1860, ont of 233,523
persons occupied in different pursuits In Wis
Of manual workora, and thoro was not u single
.Eohool OF instruction III tho whole Rteto bearing
upon thiY'lifc-worls.
Since thon some provision hns been made in
md mechanical training. a few only woro
reached. uo asl.ed how many Of tho 81 ,043
pergona employed III ditrcront occupations in
the United Statan in 1850 over went to college.
of the 125,59l farmers Of Wisconsin? -Four
hftlls Of these received whit training thoy had
in the peoples collcges,--tho common schools.
He contonded that tho atulies III the common
vast number Of tho producing population Of tic
country. Ho paid glowing tribute to what lilo
common schools had done, and olaimcd that
of tho Bureau Of Education on 'ttIo relation Of
education to labor" showing that the valuo Of
;tke lcborer was incroaaea 25 por cent by a COM
mou school education, end woull bo incroasod
100 per cent II ho had aoma tochucal training,
The common schools Should teach the OLE
:mentA OF natural gcionce and drawing. Thcao
;undorlio the purauitH Of the great ority Of
people, He claimed this, not only for tic utili-
'tarian advantage they gavo ehonld they bo
taught, but becauso thoy were tho first things to
be taught in au truo education.
He quoted from difforont suporintondonta
OF Pubic instruction, from DR.. nyorson, Of
Canada, from Professor Agasniz, and other omi-
nent educatora, In support Of his pohitlon; also,
from tho action Of the Board of Iogonts OF Nor
NAL Schools, and tho Convention OF Toucllers In
Wisconsin.
He p1cadod for model schools, md for model
homes, tho forntail,-hoads Of tho schools, s,-for
.homeg crowned with tho c!amborng vine. CUR
ing Shade Of troes, in roaoh Of fragrant flowers,