Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-02-16
Rev. DIR. Buckham on Agricultural
Education.


While casting about for the topic of a
"leader" this week, there came to hand from
our friend, President Buckham of the State
Agricultural College, copy Of his address
entitled, "What Kind of an Education shall
we Give to those of our Children who are
going to be Farmers ?" We have read it
carefully, and find in it very clear treat
ment of the question from the authors point
of view. Indeed, so much would almost Ego
without saying" We have in Vermont few
men who can state their ideas on any sub
ject with the nestness and perspicuity that
distinguish the style of DIR. Buckham.
1t is well known to our readers that we
have editorially been much at variance with
the managers of our agricultural college as
to what that college should teach, and how
it should be taught. Nevertheless there are
many points of agreement between the opin-
ions Of DIR. Buckham, as expressed in this
address, and our own. We shall not affect
any self-depreciation in reviewing it. We
recognize him as our superior in all points
of culture and literary skill. But at least
we know what many of the best farmers of
New England think upon this subject, and
agreeing with them, we hope we may be
able to place their opinions over against the
opinions of DR.. Buckham on those points
where there is disagreement. Presidents of
agricultural colleges ought to be willing to
listen, at least, to those on whom they must
depend for pupils,-presupposing, of course,
that they really desire to have their agricul-
tural classes attended by the sons and daugh-
ters of the farm.
The point first made in DIR. Buckham's s
address is that we have not the right arbi-
trarily to choose our boys occupations.
"The system of CASTE" says he, (which re-
quires that every boy should follow his
fathers occupation, is a tyrannous and cruel
system" This all will concede. We have
no more right, arbitrarily, to choose our
boys occupations, as DIR. Buckham justly
says, ethan we have to choose their wives for
them, and, he might have added, no more
power. Each boy, when he comes to be a
man, must decide his own future. But does
DIR. Buckham mean to imply that an intelli-
gent and judicious parent, able and willing
to give his children liberal education,
shall not act upon his judgment regarding
their probable future and its educational re-
quirements If, being merchant, banker
or physician, he knows that he can con-
troll good openings for his sons in either of
those directions, would he not be justified in
directing their school studies towards COM
merce, finance or medicine? 1t is true that
as they grow older some of them may de-
velop peculiar talents or tastes, looking, per.
haps, toward theology, mechanics or agri
culture. In that case, the bent being de-
cided, the wise parent will recognize it, and
act accordingly. But it is matter of OBJ
servation that very large number of oul
young people have no such decided special
proclivities. Nevertheless they are to be
schooled. Their fathers have advantages to
offer them in their own line, far better, il
may be, than are likely to be open to them
in any other. Under such circumstances
where can there be either tyranny or cruelty
in giving them schooling best adapted tc
their probable future-even if it be that oi
a farmer?
With regard to elementary education, the
ideas put forward in the address under con
sideration are eminently sound. As DR.. b
observes, " fortunately the groundwork and
rudiments of all education are the same,
and he holds, with most of us, that these
elementary studies are preferably pursued
in public rather than in private schools, " OF
account of the healthful stimulus which
publicity and free competition give to the
schools" But as is truly asserted, every
few boys get good elementary education.
Very few are good readers, good spoilers
good writers, or masters of the elementary
mathematics. Their speech is ungrammati
cal, uncouth, and far from copious in it,
vocabulary. But, worst of all, they too
generally leave school with their native love
for knowledge entirely undeveloped, if mo-
utterly killed by the unintelligent methods o.
instruction followed there. The art of teach
ing is quite as far behind what it ought t.
be as the art of agriculture, to say the bes
of it. The bright, observing, inquisitive
turn of mind which many find such {
bother in their children, is as thoroughly
quenched in our common schools as glow
ing iron in a snow-bank. Dr. B. says, ant
we shall all thankfully agree with him, that
education does not depend on the schoo
alone. The pupil needs good books to read
out of school. 1t is a part of the teacher
art to inspire much wider curiosity anc
desire for knowledge than the course o
school study is able to satisfy. To this enc
we want, says DR.. b., village and towr
| libraries. This is work that will have TO b,
begun from the bottom in most of our Yer
mont towns. But, with our schools as the,
are, even were libraries of instructive book
to be supplied gratis to every town in tn,
state, the call for such books from the grad
uate of our public school system would bt
almost nil. Even in the larger villages ant
cities, where libraries exist, by far the larg
est call upon them is for novels and light
literature. The literary turn given to the
instruction of our academies and high
schools tends to bend such taste for reading
as is formed in that direction. Books o.
solid instruction have very seldom to be re
newed or rebound in our lending libraries
anywhere. Filled for the most part, as sucl
libraries are, with books of mere amusement
they are by no means an unmixed good
But even the taste for such reading as thi
is rarely developed by the ordinary instruc
tion of our schools. Rather it spreads
deadening blight over the minds of tn
pupils. Only here and there an excep
tionally bright intellect survives long ex
posure to the narcotic atmosphere of tn
average school-room.
But when our boys have got good ele
mentary knowledge of numbers and Of thei
own language, what shall next be taugh
them in the schools Wesay, for the mas
of the pupils the natural sciences, but thes
DR.. Buckham dismisses as impracticable
There will doubtless come time he says
"when something will be taught in our com
mon schools about what we call nature
that is, of the beings and things that occup
this earth with us, the stones, the plants, tn