Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-02-18
Agriculture In Country Schools.

That the public is slowly waking up to
the point of demanding that the elements Of
agricultural science be taught in the coun-
try schools is pretty clearly evidenced by the
tone of the following items appearing within
a week of each other. 1t is to be hoped
that teachers will not be slow to take the
very broad hint therein contained, and gov
ern their future course accordingly, instead
of waiting to be driven into teaching that
which we believe will sooner or later be con-
sdered almost a necessity in every school.
Dublin Farm puts it thus: {" 1t is evident
that, to equalize the production of our vari-
Gus industries, agriculture must soon re-
ceive an impetus in some shape or other.
This must certainly come in the way
of better technical education. 1t re-
quires as good man in every way to
make successful farmer nowadays as to
make lawyer, a doctor, or an engineer.
boys must be as well prepared for the first Of
all professions, viz that Of agriculture, as
| for any other, and that the farmer who Law.
ishes all his spare income for some years on
and keeps another at home with no more
than the simplest rudiments Of school knowl-
edge, to make farmer of him, does this
boy the gravest injustice. 1t is an injustice
that young man should be left unprepared
by sufficient education to make the most OF
his resources in after life, and this idea
should be kept so prominently before the
public as to lead in time to the perfection
of system of agricultural education in the
public schools, and the thorough utilization
of agricultural information. A farmer witt
equal learning and culture with the lawyer
would, we believe, find himself in quite a.
good request, with perhaps many chances il
his favor; but if the farmer allows the pro
fessional man to monopolize all the advan
tages at the start, he must expect to fine
himself at disadvantage all the wa.
through life."
Again, the National Grange at its las
session adopted the following: "Resolred
That we recommend to the Patrons of tn
several states that they demand the stud
of the elementary principles of agriculture
by legislation, in the public schools Of thei
respective states," concerning which th
! master of the New York State Grange, at it
recent meeting in Rochester, says at
important that boys designed for the farr
should be taught at least some of the rud
ments of agricultural chemistry, that the
may know how plants grow and the cause
of growth, the best rotation of crops an
why rotation is necessary, the reasons fc
applying fertilizers and how 10 apply then
and many other principles that will ASST:
in the advanced system of agriculture tina
must be adopted by the coming farmer t
make farming profitable" Lastly, Ian
and Home has the following "The premol
itory rumblings of the new departure in th
, public school system of the country, whic
shall result in the training Of our childre
in the fundamental principles of agricultur
are being more distinctly heard on ever
hand. The Kansas Horticultural Societ,
at their recent meeting, passed resolutio
urging the passage of law to provide fc
instruction in horticultural and cognat
b branches in the common schools of tn
state. Now let the agricultural society {
Kansas and of other states take similarl
progressive steps. There is no good reaso
why the children of a country that must a
ways depend upon its agriculture for il
wealth should not be as well grounded by tt
state in rudiments of the science and pra
tice of farming as in the principles OF banl
ing and the classics. The farmers have I'll
matter in their own hands. The day hi
passed when the politician could safely snu
them, and if part Of the money which I'll
state exacts from them is not devoted to tt
d most important needs of their own childrel
! the farmers themselves will be to blame"