Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1882-08-25
Farming and Higher Education.

1t has been stated, as curious fact,
that of the 422 graduates of Wabash
College during the half century of its
existence, but fourteen are farmers. 1t
is quite probable that this ratio will hold
good in similar institutions of advanced
learning. But there is little to marvel
at in it. OF the 422 who graduated
from Wabash College it is safe to say
that nearly all entered that school with
the expectation of preparing to enter
upon profession. The young man
who intends to become physician, a
lawyer, preacher or literary man, sees
the great advantage of having liberal
and classical education. One may be-
come an able and m'nent attorney
without collegiate education, but such
an education he realizes would be OF i'm
mense advantage to him, would give
him prestige over his rivals not so quail
iied, and place him on an equal footing
with others who have secured the same
aid. The like may be said of the young
man who would become a physician.
10 the prea ;her or literary man such an
accomplishment is indispensable. He
labor from the books of his scanty
y,
easier for him to accomplish his
desires under the tutorship OF IL corps
of teachers who make it a business to
afford, by systematized course, the
means of acquiring well-balanced ed
ucation at the least possible expenditure
OF time and labor. As Il natural result,
this class of young men repair to col
legc, and, having graduated, go at once
to the field of operations they had de-
termined to enter before they went to
college. The man who expects to pass
his life as farmer seldom goes to col
lege, from the fact that he does not re-
gard it as necessary. He may cultivate
grain. care for his stock and manage
his finances with As much ability with
an ordinary school education rs with Il
finished one from n college or universe
ty. To the profess onal man such a
thing may be regarded rs q necessity,
but 10 the farmer it is simply an accom-
plishmcnt, not at all Indispensable TO
his success. 1t is, therefore, manisestly
unjust to say that advanced education
has n tendency to prejudice students
against farming or any other honorable
pursuit. Thy secret of SO few farmers
being graduates lies in the fast that but
few farme s, or those intending to pur-
sue farmers life, enter college.
But it would be well to say, in this
connection, that while an advanced or
&" Finished education is by no means
essential to the farmer, it would be of
inestimable service 10 him, adding new
interest TO his chosen pursuit and afford
ing means of recreation from his ardu
ous physical labors. The farmer may
cultivate hi; fields and gather his har-
vests, manage his stock and dispose OF
the products of his labors, without
"book- learning" But ii he has this
learning, and has cultivated taste for
literature or science, he has at his com
mand n rccrea ion that will prove an
ineXhaustiblc source OF pleasure. There
are lifty-two Sundays in II year. Each
of these Sundays should be day of as
nearly absolute rest rs possible Be-
yond feeding and watering the stock,
and such neccs sary work, nothing
should be done on the farm. During
the long hours of each seventh day,
wEile the body is recuperating from the
week's honest toll that brought each
muscle and fiber into play and makes
the rest so grateful, book will furnish
delight nj tonic TO the mind that has
grown lothargic while the body has
grown weary. So, through the long
winter even ngs, when everything is
housed. and there is little to do but
to wait for the return of seed time
and harvest, well-selec,ed library
| is OF inestimable value. A well-direc.el
love of literature will do more than
aught else to refresh the exhausted en-
erges by entertaining the mind, aud
max ng it forget how tired the body is
until it is no longer weary. Besides
| this, it renders labor itself so much
more agreeable, in revealing all the Sc
crcts OF nature's alchemy, by which the
soil and the air, the rain and sun hne
are changed as by magic into waving
grasses and golden grain. The edu-
catel farmer sees further than the
simple .'becausen o: some farmer who
preceded him, lie plows deep OF
shallow for purpose. lie buys his i'm,
plements intc'ligently, and is enabled
10 economize his own strength. Pettel
| than that, he sees u thousand beauties
in his surroundings that would never
have been opened TO him in any Other
way, and the life that would seem on
| OF constant toll and endeavor is ren
dered one of positive enjoyment. il
comparison with which but few pursuits
arc half so pleasurable The few grad
yates who do leave the halls Of learning
for the plow and the field can do so viii
the knowledge that farming is the mos
healthful. honorable and remunerative
and at the same time free from the in
Vulnerable vexatlons and disnppo.nt
monts that environ most Of tho profea
pionsi--IBdlaB1p0lO JoiD1ldli