Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-09-06

arts, artisans, and IN tue me arts Wt0tS' ]
The distinction between the industrial and |
the fine arts is rather arbitrary. A'stone |
cutter is an artisan, while sculptor is an |
artist. A house painter would be called an
artisan, and landscape historical or por-
trait painter an artist A decorative painter
il very skillful and especially if original in
his designs, would usually claim to be an
artist. So Of a stone-cutter Of the highest
class, capable Of designing and executing
fine monumental work, embracing figures Of
living objects, or fine architectural tracery.
The distinction between artisan and artist
lies in the superior mental culture and in the
visual and manual adaptability and training
of the individual. Thus in every handicraft
there are those who rise from artisan to
artist by the force of genius, talent aud in
dustry. No art is so humble that this is not
true Of those who practice it. Even the
humble toy-maker may make his work artis-
tic and so may the carpenter, gardener
farmer, tailor dressmaker, or cook.
Every art has behind it KNowIEpGE-
the knowledge of the materials and methods
necessary in its practice. This knowledge
is the "science" of the art, and every artisan
rises toward an artist in proportion to his
acquaintance with his proper science. This
science is transmitted from generation to
generation in two ways The first and orig
inal way was by the verbal teaching and ex-
ample of the master, supplemented ly the
industry, mental activity and patient perse-
verance of the pupil. In old times, as every
civilized country had in possession special
knowledges in regard to various arts, he
who would perfect himself was obliged to
travel and work under various masters. This
was difficult and costly task, and artists
were few But with the invention of book
making, and especially of printed books, it
became possible to transmit the special
knowledge of each nation to all the Others
by the written or printed page. Thus arose
written science, or book knowledge
There is no way of communicating science
so good and perfect as the actual personal
teaching by able masters, to willing, intelli-
gent pupils. Book knowledge" has some
serious defects Thus the writer cannot an.
tieipate the innumerable wants aud ques-
tions Of the learner lie has TO assume
some elementary knowledge in his reader
and almost always he assumes too much in
this direction, and this weakens the value Of
of the lessons he gives. A book is dumb
and cannot answer questions, or explain
obscurities. Neither can it by manua
demonstration shoe, as skillful maste
often can in moment, the right way to d'
thing. This fright way" may have com
to the master as the result of a lifetime
labor and thought, yet he can impart it pei
haps with the turn of his hand, before tn
observant eyes of his pupil. Books are ofte
the work of mere compilers, not themselvc
practically skilled in the operations they as
sumo TO teach They pick up ideas her
and there, and propagate them as truths
when in fact they may be untrue, or S
poorly worked out and blindly stated as t
be useless to the reader. Finally (and thi
ton of the knowledge of the arts by mean
of books, the elementary instruction of tn
reader may be so defcient-he may be S
ignorant of the meaning of words--that h
well prepared and spread before his eyes, i
the printed book.
Yet with all these objections, the conve.
ance of knowledge by means of books is
easy and cheap that their value can hard
be oyer-estimated And as the defcienoi
they possess become understood, ADLER an
ADLER men are continually laboring TO I
move these deficiencies, so far as possibl
and we are consequently getting books mo
and more practical that is, more fu
clear and exact in their teaching.
The art of farming agriculture, and q
care of domestic animals useful for labl
food and the production of clothing mat
rails very old 1t preceded nearly eve
other art, and has been handed down fro
generation to generation almost exclusive
through masters-from father TO son, 1t
an art that has not been very capable of il
proyement by travel, beceLse the diiferenc
of soil and climate, products and marke
make the agricultural knowledge of our !
ton of little comparative use to othe
And it is an art that, until the present &C
tury, had the smallest store of science
back it, Of any. 1t has had scarcely a
literature, and above every other art, it h
been supposed incapable of being taught
means Of books
There is no art in which the use of boo
is so scorned and secuted as in the art
farming. There is no art which is thong
to require less preliminary school educatic
There is no art that has so little exaetn,
in its methods, or in which figures, weigl
and measures have had so little applicable
1t is emphatically an art in which 81 ga,
so" occupies the place of 81 know; !" a
yet it is an art of which the artisans are
least DESTROYS of information for themsel,
or their children, and the most contented
know no more than their predecessors. G.
sequently it is the art which possesses I
fewest artists, and shows the most p,
work and the most poor workmen. In
countries the farm-laborer stands lowest
esteem, and falls most naturally in ey,
census under the discredtabe heading
"unskiled"
There is little likelihood that anythi
but actual necessity--the staring appro'
of starvation will effect change in t
state of things. Neither the public at la
nor the farmers themselves seem 10. C
that the labor upon which the world depel
for its food aud clothing-for the elem
tary necessities Of life-should be and C
tinue unskilled," and that those who pr
tice it should be the most poorly educa
of any. There has been heretofore so mi
virgin and untitled soil open TO use tina
may be said that the human race has mai
subsisted on the spontaneous productions
the earth. Man has done little more
self-snpport than TO sow and reap.
But with the growth of populations
the demand for more and more food is
yeloped the fact that the bounty of nat
is not inexhaustible. More and more
are compelled to realize that without