The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-09-16


ers' wives is another great source of discon-
eminent and unhspplneae Of their families.
used TO know farmers wives who, in al
iition to bringing up from elk to ten chill
-lren, did all the cooking, washing and
ironing, and made and mended all the
clothes for lhtir familics, with the needle
there were no sewing machines then.
These eane women also made all the bat
Ter and cheese from large diaries and assist
I'd the "men folks" in milking 1t would
take a regiment of Bridgcts to do the same
amount of work done by one of these poor
women. Their husbands treated them
more like slaves than wives. If pcrchance
they ever asked for a dollar in money to
buy some delicacy for the table, or needed
article of clothing, a great fuss was made,
and il was denied them. They became PEE
old, fretful and peevish, and lost
the Gttractiveness of their sex at very
carly age. It could not be expected that
these women would make their homes
pleasant and attractive. 1t was impossible,
bat the fault was not theirs it was their
who had not the least apprecia-
ton of what ought to be expected of a
wife and mother.
But am pleased to see change for the
better in this respect. The sewing machine
aud cheese factory have done very much
TO Tighten the labor of farmers wives, as
class although there is yet chance for
Rememtcr, my farmer friends, the vow
made by you, whoa you led your wife and
the mother of your children to the altar.
She was young and beautiful then that
she Is now prematurclv old is your fault.
Tighten her burden. It may be too late
FOR her red checks to return, but perhaps it
is not too late for her to make your home
pleasant and attractive add such as will
cause your children to be satisfied to re.
main there and follow the calling of their
father
Every farmers home should also have
within it, at least small, well selected
library, costing, perhaps, a hundred dollars
or more, containing the best standard works
of English and American literature, aud
the best works upon agriculture, hofticul-
ture, ctc., which diI Getty interest the farm
er; and the children should be encouraged
TO form early in life the habit of read
ing useful books and, while they
should also be taught and required to
do the various kinds OF manual labor
necessary to be done upon the farm and
made to properly appreciate its importance
and to justly estimate and eschew kid glove
farming they should also tie taught and
made to believe that mental culture is also
to them of equel Importance, and that the
one is not incompatible with the other.
You may perhaps think differently, but
know of no class OF people in any bust
ness who lave more leisure Tor study and
mental culture than farmers, if they only
knew how to husband and improve their
time.
am aware by experience, that after hav-
ing toled all day in the open air and COM
ing into the house at night fatigued and
sleepy, one is disnclined to read or study.
but this Discrimination can be overcome 4;
and, tcsides, with the present improved
machinery aud appliances for doing farm
work, there is not now the necessity for
that incessant toll and drudgery upon the
part OF farmers that there formerly was,
and they have much more time for reading
and study.
Bright, active, thoughtful boys will not
be satisfied TO be simply farm laborers-
'hewers OF wood and carriers of water"
God has implanted in them desire for
something higher and nobler; and, if the
means of gratifying this desire is denied
hem upon the farm they will leave it for
other pursuits, which they hope, will sup
ply this want. 1t Is this lack of books,
this lack of the means of mental culture.
And gratifying the highest aspirations OF
their II lturc, that causes many of your
Boys 10 become dissatisfied with the farm
and leave it.
The education OF farmers children
should ha Thorough e"a adapted " ,I.i.
vocation. The minister studies divinity,
the doctor medicine, the lawyer law, and
the engineer and skilled mechanic engineer
ing and mechanics; and he who should
attempt to practice either profession with.
out this preparation of study, would Justly
be regarded and treated as prctender an
charlatan. Why should not the farmer
study agriculture and its kindred sciences.
as preparation for his life work? Ii may
he answered, ihat farming can be learned
by practice without study. This is true 10
a limited extent; but thorough knowl-
edge Of agriculture and its kindred sciences
10 practical farmer gives him greatly the
advantage over his unlearned competitors.
Although much has already been done to
improve agriculture, great Improvement
yet remain to be made, and it is to the well
educated, scientific and practical farmers
thai we are to look for these new discOy-
elifs.
Edward Everett has well said : GAL.
though agriculture is clothed with an i'm
portance which rests upon the primitive
constitution of our nature, it is very far
from being the simple concern we are apt
to think it. On the contrary, there is nc
pursuit in life which not only admits, but
requires for its full Development, more of
the resources of science and art--none
Which would better repay the pains bestow-
ed upon an appropriate eduoation.'
Our own Senator Morrill, must have tah en-
the same view of this subject and fully ap.
preciated the benelit3 of an appropriate
education to the farmer, else he would not
have bestowed the time and labor that he
did in forming and maturing plans for the
endowment, by congress, Of agricultural
colleges in al the states Of the Union.
am aware it is claimed thai in many of the
older states this iund Is diverted from the
purposes for which 1t was intended; but
IN some of the new states of the west.
where agriculture is almost the sole bust
ness OF the people, the act of congress Gre
a'ing this fund is strictly construed and
literally and faithfully carried out; aud, in
accordance vita It's provisions, large and
llourishing industrial and scientific schools
combined have been established, where o
thorough Knowledge of scientific and prac-
teal farming can be acquired, and where
the greatest prominence is given to agricul-
turc and the love of it inttiled into the
minds Of the pupils, who graduate scientific
and practical farmers, instead of embryo
ministers, lawyers and doctors.
These schools are doing noble work,
and in few years their influence for good
will be felt and appreciated. They will
furnish an enduring monument to the vie
dom aud foresight Of our honored and much
loved senator.
Farmers themselves do not sufficiently
honor their calling.
1t was the policy of antiquity to give
agriculture the first place among the pro.
LESSONS, and to this it is justly entitled,
for, by il, the daily wants and necessities
OF the millions OF the human race are sup
Piled, and without it would be famine,
gloom and despair.
But in modern times the farmer seems
to regard every other calling above hie
own, and is constantly on the look out for
place for his son, In a LAWYERS or doctors