The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1880-03-27
ADDRESS ON THE AGRICULTURAL
SCHOOLS OF EUROPE AND
AMERICA.
BY DANL DENNETT.
Delivered in the Representatives Hall,
February 4, 1880.
EDUCATIONAL AND INDUSTRIAL TRIUMpHs
IN GERMANY,

EDOCAlloNAL AND INDUSTRIAL TRIUMPT
IN GERMANY.
: And what are the industrial triumphs
Germany through her schools, and h,
complete system of agricultural and pol
| technic educati0n? The German Empii
covers 2l2,0 900 square miles of territOr'
Texas alone covers 272,OO0 square miles.
Germany supports and educates ove
. 50OO0,O 900 peOple-she has larger popul,
ton than the United States. The soil {
, Germany was mostly originally pool
Through science and "boOk farming,
that soil has been made rich, and very pre-
ductive. Germany makes its own foo
and clothing for over fifty million people
Germany makes its own wine and beel
and draws from its mines two hundre
million dollars worth of metals, sells fift
million dollars worth of coal, has 10, 90
miles of railroad, mostly steel rail an
double track; and send over 1000, 90
scholars, to school. Such are some of he
trlllmphs through science and industry.
Germany has compulsory system 0
education, and this is considered the back
bone of her system and the chief cause o
her success. The United States does no
educate half as many children and youth Al
Germany does, nor does she educate then
half as well.
1t is everywhere admitted that the early
training of boys to business and indus
trious habits is of the utmost importance
'"Train up child the way he should gon
is as good maxim to-day in Mississippi
as it was when Solomon uttered it $500
years ago at Jerusalem.
"Just as the twig is bent, the tree is in.
clincd," applies as well to children and
men of this generation as to those of former
generations.
FORCED EDUCATION.
Education, whether merely mental or
industrial, whether training the minds or
limbs of children, is, in the begnnin G
mostly forced.
Few children would learn to read or
write, or spell, or commit to memory the
multiplication table, if they We're not
forced to.
Boys are naturally active, and take to
amusements, to hunting, fishing and mis-
chief without teachers or taskmasters,
rewards or punshments.
Most boys hate to rise with or before the
sun, hate to plow or hoe, hate to attend to
business of any kind, hate confinement
hate any line of exercise, or any occupa-
tion that might make useful and prosperous
citizens of them.
Educating boys to discipline their minds
and muscles for useful purposes, compell-
ing them to live up to rules that prevail in
enlightened nations, is forcing upon them
characters and habits which they naturally
reject; but habit at length becomes second
nature, and compulsion becomes unneces-
sary. AS early discipline coins boys
character, it is usually coined for life.
GREGARIoUS PRINCIPLE IN BOYS.
Boys and young men have natural fond
ness for each others company, and left to
themselves, would be nearly as gregurious
as beavers.
Their minds become sharpened invigor-
ated, and better and more rapidly develop
ed by being brought in daily contact with
groups of other youthful minds where
nature has full sway, if properly directed
by enlightened teachers.
A lone boy in the field, plying the hoe, or
in the workshop working the saw or jack
plane, or the student in his chamber with
no companion but his books, is usually
moody, and sad and dissatisfied. But place
twenty boys in the field side by side with
plOw or hoe, or twenty with saw or jack
plane, or in the school-roOm, lecture-rOom |
A young beaver would doubtless feel |
much discouraged if compelled to fell |
Il sapling, or carry materials to build a dam |
by itself; an ant, with all its native indus
try and resolution, would give up in de-
spair if deprived of the stimulus impaired
by its myriads of working companions
and this social stimulus is so necessary to
bees that a small colony can hardly muster
courage to make sufficient honey to carry
them through the winter, while large
colony usually works with heroic courage,
and defends itself bravely against all enc
mics, and provides ample stores of food for
winter and foul weather.
ADVANTAGES CONSIDERED.
At the primary agricultural school boys
are beyond the reach of those rich mems
sons who are allowed to live an idle or an
iimless life, too many of whom look upon
abor as discreditable. They are beyond
he reach of the influence of boys of bad
habits and corrupt principles.
All the students are compelled to study
md labor upon terms of perfect equality,
md each must be amenable to the rules of
he school, regardless of rank or parentage.
They are taught that industry is honor
Ible, and farming, in all of its branches, is
lnfolded in new and pleasing light as one
# the noblest callings in any country. In !
hese schools they will quickly find that
killful farming means something more
han making cotton and corn, and pork !; {
hat it takes much study, close observation, I
aluable experience, aud great industry |
nd frugality. and sound judgment, to make
complete farmer. |
1t takes rs much solid knowledge, close 4
tudy, and good sense to make modern
armer as it does to make an eminent law
er. And this knowledge can be acquired !
n no other way than by close and long con- I
inued application.
1t takes but ordinary knowledge or skill i
0 make fair crop, on rich lands, in good
easOn but to make rich lands out of poor
lnds, to have bOuntiful crops of corn, and +
mall grain, and hay, and vegetables, and
ruits, to have rich pastures, and fat il
and
TOuld hardly grow, requires knowledge, r
kill, industry and frugality. II
The agricultural student will learn that
he farmer who makes his fields richer :
very year at the same time that he lays in n
n abundance for home and farm supplies, n
hose table is always crowned with home a
reduced comforts and even luXuries, who q
ives nothing, and has surplus every year !,
} provide for the intirmities of age, and +,
, enable him to dispense charities, and aid ;,
Ood men in their efforts to do good to the h
ublic; who is temperate in all things, nj
nd so manages his affairs that he and his n
Imily have leisure for social enjoyment II
nd mental improvement, that such farm RI
+ is at the head of his calling, and is the a,
eer of the most honorable of the nation. h
AGRICULTURE A NOBLE STUDY.
Students, as they progress through the ia
rimary agricultural schools, and the col pl
ges and universities, learn that the farm M
IS chief study is the great book of ma W
Ire; the nature and growth of plants and u
sgetables, iruits, trees and flowers the Ia
story of animals. birds and insects the eI
ialysis of soils and fertilizers; how ma NJ
ire enriches the soil of forests, prairies,
yamps and marshes, from year to year,
I'd from age to age how trees and crops, IN
uits and flowers, draw a large portion Of at
eir food from the atmosphere and the w
ins; 4; how fluids and gasses are converted in
to solid wood, and bark, and leaves. into ia
,rn, and grain, cotton sugar, and rice, in
delicious fruits and gorgeous flowers tn
wv and why draining, Undertaking and So
lb-soiling improve certain kinds Of lands
I'd greatly increase their crops; how pot sh
h, lime, gypsum, ammonia, humus. car Ia
IN, soda, salt. and other ingredients, ic
liked with some kinds of soil. in certain *
'Oportions. NAV double or quadruple the IN
ops how by following certain lands. and
lding a few hundred pounds Of stimu- to
ting manures. fertile properties that have pr
zen locked up and dormant for centuries. co
,me forth with all the vigor Of active fer be
izers, like Lazarus from his grave. and rh
&c soil appears electrified with the new tn
powers; how old fields. 81
bbed BY bad farming Of crOp-prOducing Sc
aterials, can be economically restored, vi
ID made more fertile than ever before on
e agricultural student learns that these tn