The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1879-06-05
Agricultural Education.

Through grange influences the
demand for industrial education
has assumed in our State of Ten
nessee practical shape in equip
ping our public schools for the work
of planting in the minds Of her
coming farmers an elementary
knowledge of the principles of ag-
riculture.
The last General Assembly passed
an act to amend the public school
law, which provides for the intro
duction of the study of the element
airy principles of agricultural sci
ence into the public schools Of the
State, and authorized the Superin
tendent of Public Instruction and
Commissioner Of Agriculture to
provide the necessary text book for
the purpose.
This IS an advance step on the
part of our State, though a prac
tical one to meet the popular de-
mand for the better education for
the farm, for the application of sci
ences and skill in tilling the soil,
and wise economy in farm man
agement. The burden of all agri-
cultural addresses has long been
educate for the farm" and the adj
vantages of scientific methods, of
intelligent direction, of linking
brains with the SOIL" have been
forcibly impressed; but to our state
is due the credit of first providing
for the instruction of the young in
the elements of agricultural science
In the public schools-the only me-
dunn through which such instruc-
ton can be brought within the
reach of the masses.
We shall watch the experiment
with interest, and whether it sue
ceeds in its present shape or not,
we trust it will lead to the adoption
of system that will fully meet the
demand of this great industry, and
reYolutionize the methods that have
done so much towards impoverish-
ing our rich soil and destroying the
fertility of our farms. The effort to
teach even the elementary princi-
Piles of this important science in our
public schools will be attended with
difficulties, for these schools can
never offer collegiate advantages
and facilities, and so results at first
may be small and unsatisfactory,
but the end win be to popularIze
agricultural education, and thus co
give an impetus to the growth of
our agricultural colleges they can
never hope for so long as our
farmers place so low an estimate
upon education of this character.
Great good will be accomplished if
foundation can be laid in the pub
lie schools upon which the farmer
may build from the farm and the
journal such early instruction as
will quicken the intelligence of the
young farmer, and direct his mind
to the value of improved methods
in farm management, is one of the
great wants of the age. Indeed, the
important truth that all education
should have a specified aim was
never more fully appreciated than
now, and we bid our agricultural
friends God speed i'll the effort to
give our public schools a practical
value in this direction, A special
training which will indoctrinaGe the
mind of the young farmer with the
principles of agriculture, will ider
tify him with his pursuit, as the
lawyer or the doctor, and arouse his
pride and prove a stimulus that
mere routine farming can meyer
give. No pursuit affords a widee
scope for the exercise of the intel
lect than this, and Notwithstanding
the Importance of it's relation to
the happiness and welfare of the
human family without the adoption
of higher standard of intelligence
than that which now directs 1t, its
votaries may never rise higher in
the social scale than "hewers of
wood and drawers of water" yet
there is encouragement In the fact
that farmers realize that that 'hIgh-
er standard" is possible, and may
be obtained by proper effort, an eff
fort which must be made if agricul-
ture is ever invested with that dig.
nifty and responsibility as a pursuit
to which it is entitled by virtue OF
its Importance.
The movement is in keeping with
the progressive spirit of the age,
and we gather the most encourag
ing hopes of its success from the
fact that our energetic and able
commissioner of agriculture and
our indefatigable superintendent Of
public instruction are identified
with SO important a feature of it.
For the idea itself and its formula
ton the State and the country is
indebted to our own fellow citizen
DR.. L. b. Harwell, Master of the
State Grange and JOINT Representa-
tive in the Legislature from Giles
and Lincoln. The subject was first
introduced by him before the State
Grange last year, and was discussed
and approved with great unanimity
Subsequently through his persistent
efforts the leg islature enacted a bill
which is destined we hope to &C
complish much for agriculture. His
work has been well done. 1t only
remains for the commissioner anG
uperintendent TO utilize it in the
preparation of an elementary text
book which shall be practical and
, elementary in its character. while
at the same time it is comprehen
sive. They nave a difficult task &c
perform, but they are competent
and we can but expect good results
from their labors.
Death Of Capt. r. A. Burrus