Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-02-13
Farmers Boys.

al HtiS DO1S
For farmers, the country wants the most
energetic, thoroughgoing and wideawake
bows that can he found. Hence, if boy is
blessed with that browning ooncomitant
which moves the brains-let him
become n farmer. Brains constitute the
great desideratum in agricultural science
ut the present day. Fifty years ago, muscle
was the essential requisite. Fifty years
ago u farmer was expected to perform
every manual labor ofthe farm by the eX.
ercse of muscular force, while at the pres
ent day he needs brains more than muscle
to enable him to manage labor-saving
tools and implements with skill and eff
cheney. When the labOrs of the farm
were nearly all performed by the laborious
and Eltiguing application of human force,
farming was irksome and drudgery. But
now, when teams and steam power re-
spond TO the bidding OF the tller of the
soil, agriculture is the most agreeable pur-
suit one can desire. True, at some seasons
of the year farmers are required to labor
early and late for several days. Then,
again, perhaps for weeks they will have
easy times. -Dirigo Rarni
This is the text we propose to take for n
few remarks this week, and first and fore
most will say We are tired and sick OF
seeing and hearing that eXhortation so
constantly: Keep the boys on the farm
Now in the above text, "lf Il boy has
brains keep him on the farm" Why? Is
our craftsmanship so iudicious and so
perfect that brains are no longer needed in
its administration; are the measures pro.
posed and acts passed in our Legislative
bodies, state and national, 50 wise beyond
I'LL question, so entirely for public good
and national honor that brains are no
more necessity to secure just laws and
prevent the passage Of unwise or inEmou,
ones? Is the law SO ably administered that
all criminals are justly punished and the
law made patent? Are brains no more
needed in the medical profession TO ascer
tain the causes and prescribe the remedies
for diseased Are our iails and prisons
empty, that there is no need of able teach
ers to show the benefits of noble, honest
life and that the result of sin and crime is
misery and death? And who can tell us
where now this country would have stood
ifall farmers sons had staid Oh the farm !;
if no Greeley had welded Il power from
the editorial DESK if no Lincoln had in our
time of greatest extremity and direst peril
come to hold with firm and steady hand
the ship of state and guide our course with
wisdom, and in an integrity now seem
ing almost providential? These are simply
instances of the working of the idea of
letting the farm boy choose his course in
life. We strongly object to the idea that
boys are to be confined to the farm by a
kind of Chinese wall of opinion or educa-
ton or custom, and that he shall take no
other occupation, find no other, if no
broader field of action. We can not see
why farmers boy should be bound to
follow his fathers occupation more than
the son of II shoemaker or blacksmith, Il
printer or machinst, Il doctor or lawyer
should be to follow that Of his father, and
yet who ever saw in the papers, or heard
any public speaker urge such nonsense?
Boys, us near us we can find them out, are
very much like other people, and most of
them have some bent or inclination it
would be well f9r their guardians to rec
ognize.
Some farmers boys love farm work; to
take care of stock" break steers, y etc, but
have little more mechanical ingenuity than
q clam, while others spend every leisure
moment in making water wheels, mills,
brackets, etc., and yet others are possess
ed'' to get hold ola book and turn toward
natural history, law or medicine; and still
in spite of these strong natural tendencies
they must be fed into the mill Of education
like meat into sausage machine and all
come out regulation links " of farmers
Iffarming is the only pleasant and profit
able occupation in life and all others are a
hardship and n drudgery farmers boys
should not monopolize all the good and
shirk all the hard and unpleasant; Or. il
farming is an occupation, Il means Of liv-
ing, on an equality with others named
each having their pleasures and each their
hardships, let not the boys previous con-
dition," birth or parentage influence in
deciding what be shall be, but as far as
possible recognize decided preference
which will make in his liIe-work that Il
pleasure to him which to another woult
be the veriest drudgery.
Now we are certain that some of tho
wiseacreswho are SO continually crying on
that farmers are not occupying the plac,
to which they are justly entitled; that they
embody what little there is of worth ans
integrity in the world, and still; that
the boys have so much of depravity
rs to be always squrming to get out of SC
enviable a condition, will be sure to fine
out that we are running down farmin!
and berate us accordingly. Well, we can
stop this time to talk about that. but vii
take it when it comes.
Hon. Frederick Billings Jerseys.