Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1879-02-13
Agricultural Education.
WHAT IT OUGHT TO DO FOR THE
FARMER.

W AhA - OO0AL ~ III 1Oh 146
FARMER.
Professor Tanner, of the Royal Agri-
cultural College, England, in recent
address, says; 1.-THE sooner it is admit
, ted that farming caunot be taught In
colleges and schools, the sooner We
shall accept truth which must at some
time or other be forced upon each and
all ofus." And ne further adds, "but
while colleges and schools cannot teach
farming, there is great and important
work which cannot be done elsewhere,
that work is the cultivation of the
mind for the more perfect understand
ing of the every day operations of the
farm and the principles upon which
these are based" The defect in our
present system OF teaching at the agri-
cultural colleges is, not enough practice
Is CONT bined with theoretical teaching.
The student at the Law school has his
moot court, where he learns to address
the jury and argue TO the court, and
for which he prepares his points and
briefs; and the medical student has the
practice OF the dissecting room, and
work In hospitals. The agricu. tural
student should have the opportunity OF
following the plough and harrow, and
of seeing, handling and understanding
all the improved instruments Of tillage;
should not only WORK in the laboratory
and be taught to compound and ana
lyze fertilizers, but be allowed to apply
them and witness the result upon the
crop. The complaint comes not only
from the supervising farming commu-
mites, but from the graduates and
students themselves of and in our
eastern colleges, that there is too little
manual labor required of the pupils,
insufficient instruction 10 the manipu-
lation of Implements, and that they
are not allowed to take part in the ex-
periments which are or should be, GO
ing forward on the grounds and in the
laboratory OF these institutions cOntin
1aly. The government has done
much; perhaps will do more by erecting
department OF agriculture with a
capable head, who can direct and com
pei associated and thorough efforts in
the right direction in all the agricul-
tuFal colleges, and the several States
can not, 10 better service. than in
granting such aid TO these Institutions as
will reuder them capable OF affording
instruction at almost nominal cost to
the sons of the farmers and others who
seek to enter their portals. But our
farmers must drop their prejudices,
assist their sons TO an education in the
line Of their calling, realize that with
out Ii their prosterlty will dwindle into
mere hewers OF wood and drawers Of
water. and that no class of men need
culture more than the SONS of working
farmers. We all know-why not say
it2-that the majority of young men
hired on the farais are not only want
ing in that refinement which cultiva-
tion bestows, but are addicted to coarse
and vulgar habits. An association
with other youths, even for short
period, in the republic of letters, will
harmonize them just rs il does the
rough cubs who attend medical and
law lectures and who get s'hckedDinto
at least outwardly appearing gentle-
men during their Course of studies.
There is no better or as good material
iuthe world to make thoroughly edu-
Gated farmers of than the young men
of this country growing upon and
assisting in the cultivation of their
fathers farms, and it is to be hoped
that they will not be deprived of The
furtheranee and aid offered by the in
stitutions endowed for their uses.-T r.
Goodman. in the Country Gentleman.