The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1875-11-16
CONDUCTED BY ALBERT CHAPMAN.
Why Farmers Sons are not
Educated for Farming.

In these days Of progress In the u
of education, when young men can OBJ
tain a general or special training to fit
them for any profession or business ;
when special facilities are afforded for
instruction in those branches of learn.
ing are especially needed for intelli-
gent farming when the school system
is being so greatly improved, there Is
scarcely a perceptible improvement In
in the education of the mass of the far
mers of the country over that of fifty
years ago.
The necessity for a better education
of farmers, and the practical value of
intellectual training US "a help to maxi
ing money on the farm, are recognized
by the best farmers of the land. The
need of better mental training AMI
culture for the higher development OF
the man, and the more perfect enjoy
ment of the blessings OF life, is evident.
But farmers are slow to admit these
truths, and reluctant to give their sons
INV Univ uiu htOlcy bSSSoShiy III bNS
ting such an education us will enable
them to master the business of farm
ing. The pecuniary consideration
weighs heavily in the scale against cd
ucation. Many who admit the value
and Importance of education, even fol
farmers, cannot bear to pay for it fol
their ons. They put it off to a future
day-a more favorable season; not in
tending to put it off forever. But that
is he usual result.
The chief obstacles which hinder the
general acceptance of the educational
facilities afforded by the progressive
spirit of the times for the advancement
OF farmers in the scale of intelligence,
and culture are apathy and indiffer-
encs. The claims of business and
money making, pleasure and amuse-
ments,al necessary proper and health
full when controlled 10y reason, occupy
the whole thought of the people to the
exclusion Of equally important ma,
tiers, the systematic prosecution of sucl
studies and such reading as give not on
ly "a useful fund of general information
but q special fitness for some pursuit
An illustration OF this tendency wa.
mentioned recently in a complaint o
the Hartford Couiant hat the city o
Hartford, Gle of the richest and health
lest cities i'll the country, with u libra
ry and reading room containing 70. OOt
volumes and periodicals., can only show
AUG persons out of its population q
10000 or $4,000 who will pay five dol
lars a year for its privileges {; and tina
the library is losing $500 a year, Will,
u ball game of two hours, the othel
day, drew from the pockets of the citi
zens between 81, 900 and $4,000.
When 1t can be truly said of a peopl,
that only one in q hundred make any
use of fine public library, and tina
they will pay four hundred times a.
much for en- hours amusement as fol
the use of such Il library for a Who'll,
year, that people is in a bad way. Ma
terial interests and Transient pleasure.
usurp intellectual culture and develop,
ment, and however perfect the com
mon school, the academy and the col
leye, such u people will eventually suit
fer a decline in all the best attributes o
humanity.
Every boy intended for Il farmer can.
not take II full course mt All ugricultur.
al college. to be sure, but they can al
be so directed in their studies in The
common school, and encouraged 10y
precept and example, hat they will
realize that even in agriculture there i,
something to excite ambition, Farm
er.]