Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1877-03-16
Agricultural Instruction.


addition, and We are pleased to learn that so
many academic students think il wise to add
a little knowledge of farming to their other
instruction. One OF President Hayes sons
who recently graduated, took the agricultur-
al lectures in addition to his regular course
Of study, while another son on the ground
aud one Of Gen. Grants will graduate next
year. Editor Van Duzen, who has Just vis- /
tied Cornell, says:
One of the sous of President Hayes, who
graduated recently, in addition to his regular
studies sought instruction from the lectures
pertaining to agriculture. President Hayes
has been liberal patron Of Cornell. Two
of his sons are graduates of the institution
and the third is now here President Grants
son graduates next year.
The institution has large number of stu.
dents from foreign countries. There is one
Turk, two Japanese and about twenty five
BraziliaDs. Several other countries more
or less distant have representatives here. In
the department of practical agriculture
there are less than forty students. | have
these are sons OF New York farmers. One
was pointed out to me AS a bright and en-
thusiastic seeker after agricultural knowl.
edge who comes from New York city. lie
is proposing to make practical farmer of
himself.
He found also one young lady in the reg.
ular agricultural course Of study, and why
should not the farmers wife know something
about agriculture as we'll as her husbands.
The growing interest in agricultural educa.
ton in Vermont is one of the most hopeful
signs that the Farmers Opportunity" has
come, and they have the good sense aud
wisdom to seize it. Ssme features Of their
golden opportunity may be named less
prejudice against new methods; a, knowledge
Of the growth of plants more experiments
with stock and tilage better general and
special education sagacity to read the
signs of the times clear perception Of the
use and value of brains in farming; bet.
ter acquaintance with one another; and
finally more accurate recognition OF the
value of culture in every direction.
The opinion has held too long that any
one can "farm it." Any one can do just as
well at farming without having learned his
business as he can at anything else without
first learning the trade, and but little, if any
better. Successful farming is an art a sci.
ence, trade, or whatever you see fit to
term it, and the man who succeeds does so
because he understands his business and he
who understands it best, and sees to it best
reaches the highest success Scores Of young
men are getting married this spring and set
tling down on a farm and may make living
at it, but if they had the good sense to 60
aud work from two to five years at moderate
wages with first-class farmer, one who be-
lieves in good blooded stock, in keeping his
herds well, who drains his land who puts
and keeps his barns in order has running
water for his stock and his family who has
dry wood well-housed and easy to get at;
whose house is "handy" for the womens
work, etc.; and who has place for every.
thing and everything in its pace-these
young men would know more, be happier
and better off in every respect ten years
hence, besides being worth great deal more
to the town, state and nation. Learn your
business, young man, and then begin for
yourselves. That your father and ours got
along very well by their methods, is no sign
that you will they began thirty or forty
years ago, and farming has made no little
progress since that time, and, what is more
to the point perhaps, you are not content to
live in the modest humble style of tn cir
early life. There are many young men Of
our acquaintance in Chittenden county who
had better go and work year for no wages,
or nominal sum of say S25, with Hon. Il.
| d. Mason of Richmond, or with Mr.. Taylor
on Col. Cannon's farm in Sheburne, for the
sake of what they can learn, than to begin
on their "own hook" TINS spring.
The farmers Of the west are competing
most successfully with US, and in spite Of
distance and freight, their fertile prairies are
becoming more and more a match for our
"rOck.ribbed" hills, and we must put our
brains into our farming our whole brains,
our best brains, our most thoroughly trained
brains; our sharpest wits, keenest sagacty
and most earnest purpose. God did not
make the green hills, and valleys, and
mountain streams, aud intelligent people of
this state for naught, but that we might,
with head aud heart and will with hand
and brain, "work out our salvation" which
in farming as well as in religion-is our
highest success. The old hills and fertil Q
valleys of Palestine "Howed with milk and
honey" it is true, but flowed because the
most energetic hand and brain-workiug race
the world ever saw, rolled up their sleeves
and pumped" the milk and honey out of a
soil with no more natural fertility than ours
1t will not aid US to 60 west if we lack in
brains or willingness to work; for these
are in greater demand there than here. Nay,
let us make the most and best Of oursel yes,
and then we shall happily and successfully
live and thrive here,
'WhoTe Natures heart
Beats strong amld the hills"
-s-S-.-
LIcE-Ceanlines aud vigilance will US.