Knoxville Whig and chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1875-1882, 1875-08-11
EDUCATION FOR FARMERS

EDON llON FUN 1 n IL W A4ltDs
The Tennessee PresbWer has an al.
mirable editorial on the subject OF
Education for Farmers from which
we make the following extract:
"Because one has a special vocation he
is none the less a man. Men will be judged
after all by aChut they arc. Their happi-
ness, also, will depend very greatly on the
character of their mental aud spiritual re-
sources. Now if the position Of farmer
is worthy Of a man, then 1T follows that
every farmer should make himself as much
of man as possible. That is, he should
bring every one of his powers ana faculties
to the highest development within his
reach Reason, imagination, memory,
taste love of the true, the beautiful and
the good, are all to be cultivated to the
highest extent which his circumstances viii
allow To deny this, is to say that farmer
does not need to be whole man. To deny
this, is to drive every farmers son, who has
any ambition, into some other calling, how
ever full the ranks might be. He had
rather be an idler, a briefess lawyer,
OF a minister without charge, and be
considered a man, than to be full
of honest toll on the farm and
be considered drudge To keep
our talented young men on the farm, where
they are so much needed it must be taught
that farmers should be men of talent \
truly liberal education should be demands
ed for them. This will not interfere with
their farming but it will greatly enhance
their own dignity and worth, and will large
" increase their sources Of happiness. All
that will inform therefore, as history, liter
azure, astronomy, anatomy and physiolo-
gy; all that will discipline and develop
the mental powers, for which Latin and
Greek, and the higher mathematics are so
excellent; all that will cultivate the taste
and refine the sensibilities, as poetry and
art,-all these studies should be pursued
by the intending farmer TO the highest ex-
tent that his circumstances willalow. a far.
mer, no more than any other man, has
right to stunt himself and settle down into
third rate or fourth rate existence. We
protest, that no farmer need leave his
chosen pursuit to make the most of him
self"
This meets our views Of the ques-
ton exactly. There Is something so
heartless in the idea that q man, be-
cause he has chosen the honorable
calling of farmer, must settle
down into third rate existence"
that we instinctively record from it.
1t is q doctrine to which we will never
yield our assent, until it is made
clear to our minds that farmers must
conduct themselves as slaves to the
balance Of mankind. What is it that
drives so many young men from the
farm, to seek more congenial employ
ment? Nothing contributes so much
to that result as the contemplate
idea that is so prevalent in the
world, that q farmer need not be
educated, and that by common
consent he is to do the drudgery for
the balance of the world. We deny
that such is the case. We insist that
the farmer has just as much need to
be thoroughly educatek, not merely
to yoke cattle, WELD scythe, harness
horse, or to perform the manual
labor of the farm, but that he should
be well versed in science and the lit
erature of the day. When such a
standard of education is adopted for
the farmer, and farmers are thus edu-
Gated, there will be less discomfort
among the sons of farmers, and fewer
of them seeking other occupations.