Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-05-16
"The Ignorant Farmer"

"The Ignorant Farmer"
A friend has forwarded to MS slip from
the Green Mountain Freeman, in which an
anonymous writer makes an onslaught upon
us under the above heading. This anony-
nous gentleman entirely misunderstands, or
wlfully prevents, our views. Consequently,
even if he had had the courage to write his
name under his piece, we should hardly have
thought it worth while to notice what he
says-especally as we are sure our regular
readers fully understand and generally ap-
prove what we have written on this topic.
OF all styles of writing for farmers, that
which we most heartily dislike is that Of
writing from above downward" de haul en-
bas," as the French say-assumed by so
many. We have felt that the farmers want
writers who can and will write as farmers,
understanding and expressing the ideas and
feelings of the thinking men in our bust
ness, and devoted to the task Of stimulating
"a reform within the party" so to speak.
For professors and ministers and retired
merchants and professional men who have
taken up fancy farming, to attempt to i'm
prove the agriculture of the country by
preaching to the" common farmers through
the agricultural press, is utterly futile. The,
do not understand the situation.
Perhaps some who are not regularly on
readers may be. as the writer above allude'
to seems to be, of the belief that we ought
to include ourself in the above category
That in the pursuit of knowledge under diff.
fculties, we availed ourself of the advantages
of medical school for the study of branches
of science especially beneficial to farmer
(and nowhere else so well taught, and thai
we received there the degree of doctor Of
medicine is true, and may appear to remit
us to the list of professional men termed
extent, and the feeling caused US to drop
the ornamental letters from our name at the
head of this column.
But when we state the facts that our
youth was mostly passed upon the farm ;
that farming was, and had been for years,
our avocation while we pursued our medical
studies, aud for three-fourths of the time
since that we are and always have been, a
working farmer, making our living in the
fullest sense by the sweat of our brow, we
believe our claim to be recognized as one Of
the "common," in contrast with the fancy "
farmers, will be fully allowed
At any rate, our feeling and sympathy is
entirely with the working-men. And it is
among the thinking men who work with
their hands, and who are constantly studying
the problem of how to ennoble labor and Sc
cure to the laborer the just and full enjoyment
of his earnings, that the sense of the abso-
Lutte necessity of better system of education
for working-men is strongest. We feel that
if we, farmers of New England, are to main.
tain our position, and advance it to the
honor which belongs to it, but which it has
never received, we must improve and re-
model our schools. We feel, indeed, that
we are "ignorant farmers" and we wish to
provide that our children should be "edu
Gated farmers"
Now what kind of a man is it who meets
one writing in this spirit, and endeavors
like the writer in the Freeman, to stir W
feeling against him as one who decries the
farming class, and condemns them for theil
ignorance We say that such man bears
at least the appearance of one who does moi
want the farmers to take any interest in tht
6 ~
to break down anyone who urges that they
should and must take such an interest, /
they wish to see farmers respected, and thei
interests preserved and advanced. Tha
writer does well to conceal his name. w,
doubt if he is farmer at all.
The faithful minister tells his hearer
that they are sinners. He thinks it the siI
of sins in himself to hatter them with tn
idea that they need no repentance nor an,
amendment In our humble sphere we sa,
to our felow-farmers that their own tenn
poral salvation as a class, and the welfare o
our country (the prosperity and happines
of which is based upon the agricultural in
terest), depends upon their keeping abreas
of the progress of the times In every othe
branch of business the aid of modern scienc
is earnestly sought for, and eagerly accepted
The farmers alone appear to hold back fror
its teachings, and the reason is that the ed
ucational system, through which they ar
taught in their YOUTH is so defective tina
their minds are often unable to grasp eve
the elementary principles of scientific truth
as applied to the cultivation of the soil.
There are two systems of agriculture, @
of agricultural administration, in operation
One, the European, is for landed aristocrac