Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-06-20
In England and Here.

III httNs
.ScriJner's Monthly quotes from Nature IAN
English periodically some remarks about
the different theories of education that
there agitate the public mind. These, as
regards the English universities, are three.
The first looks upon those schools as ecclesi-
astical nurseries. This, which was the early
and original view, says Nature, is now pass
ing out of mind, and only needs to be men
toned and dismissed. The second looks
upon the colleges as places where the young
Tartars of society are covered with varnish
of "culture." Dr. Lyon Playfair said that
the Scotch university taught man how to
make thousand year, the English univer
sity how to spend ten thousand. He simply
put into forcible language prevalent pur-
pose among many. They distinctly discard
the idea that it is the duty of the univer-
sity to equip a man for the struggle for a
livelihood, to train him for business, or the
industrial arts. Their token is "culture,"
not culture in the sense of higher learning,
sense of mental equipment that does not
pay, and which is of no use to the owner in
practical life-a sort of evening dress of the
mind, which may be ornamental under the
artificial light of society, but is ill-suited to
everyday work.
Now this sort of culture is not much sought
after by hard-headed fathers, whose sons
have to get or keep living by their own ex-
ertions. 1t is sought for less and less every
year, says the writer in Nature. The English
universities begin to see this, but instead OF
changing their scheme of education to sui
the times they are endeavoring to maintain
attendance by the bride of fellowships, thai
is, permanent pensions, which they are abb,
to offer out of their great revenues, as prizes,
in the nature of bonus. A lad of ability,
whose friends would not send him to college
simply to gain an education which weakens
the character, goes there because, by show
of possessing that culture which he despises,
he gains good round sum of money. This
is, of course, but a temporary expedient. A
school that has to buy the attendance of its
pupils is .flnctus o6fcio.
The third view, says the writer we quote,
teaches that the university is place where
any one may be trained for ally and every
respectable path in life. The advocates of
this view say Do not bride men by fellow.
ships to come to university from which
they will go carrying with them very little
learning, and that for the most part useless,
and an artificial culture of doubtful value.
Make it worth their while to come; teach
them there what they want to be taught,
train them as they desire to be trained.
Take care to broaden this teaching with the
nurture of higher learning and science, and
then there will be every hope of seeing true
culture and useful education go hand in hand.
So it seems that even in the aristocratic
schools where the nobility and gentry of
lordly England send their gilded youth to be
educated, there is beginning to be an ont
cry against the sham "culture of the time,
and demand for solid, useful and practical
information. 1t is we'll.
But in country like ours, where every boy
is expecting to have to make his own way.
what shall we say of those institutions
which disregard the demands of the time ?
Is it astonishing that their classes are small,
and that their great boast is of the large per-
centage of politicians, and men who live by
their wits, among their alumni No won.
der that they cry all the time for free schol-
arshlp and endowments, and would be glad
it, like the old world schools they try to ape,
they could pension their prize graduates
with fellowships.
1t will not do. The demand now is for
industrial education, and this demand will
not be long in being met and supplied. AL
ready nearly all our New England colleges
are making tentative advances in that direc.
ton, and where they are doing so effectively
they deserve warm recognition, and gener.
GUS advertisement of their work by the press
for the information of the people. In this
connection we will remark that we heal
good news from Middlebury, news that some
of our agricultural friends who have sons
for whom they seek higher education than
that of the common school and academy
will be glad to hear. A friend writes us
"The Senior class has just returned from
across the lake, where they have been study
ing geology and mineralogy, taking note OF
the ore beds and learning the process Of
transmitting ore into iron ETC., ETC., this un
der Professor Seely. The Sophomores hav,
just surveyed our village, and recently re
turned from Lake Dunmore, where the,
spent three days under Professor Brainart
in taking the altitude of the overhangint
mountain. The Junior class is positivel,
inspecting the surface of Champlain VALLEY
in the study of botany"
All this is extremely encouraging, and il
will not go on long, we hope, before som,
wellto-do Addison county farmer NAV seel
to emulate the noble Conant of New Hamp
shire, and strengthen the hands of Middle
bury for still more effective work in tn
direction it is taking. Professor Seely i
trying to establish an agricultural expert
ment station; why are there not men in hi
vicinity who will raise the two or thre
thousand dollars year to make it finau
cially equal to the task the Professor has IN
dertaken for the benefit of our farmin
interest The Hon. Henry Lane, of Corr
wall, and our friend Douglas, of Whiting
ought to be moving in this matter.
Milking ShOrshOrns.
Mr.. l.. S. Hardins article on milking Sbor