The patron of husbandry., 1882-02-11

schools.
The farmer is said to be as much
alive to his interests as anybody
else, and is as ready to pursue sue
cess, and as indefatigaoly, through
whatever channels are open to him.
and yet the college languishes be
cause he does not care to educate
practically his boy for his life work.
He rejects even the blessing the
State seeks TO thrust upon hiE at
his very door, and allows, to the
life-long detriment of those most
doar to him, golden opportunity
to slip through his grasp. OF the
million and half of inhabitants in
our State, more than seven-t tenths
are engaged in agriculture. Not
withstanding the rapid growth of
American agriculture and COM
merce, and the vast possibilities in
our own State depending upon the
energy and intelligence of tins large
number for development, there are,
in the department of practical sgri
culture in the State University,
only ten pupils, and three in the
scientific, whilst in the apprentice
department, Offering such excellent
advantages to INDECENT young men,
and to parents who have not the
means to educate their sons in the
other departments, there is not one,
and not one of the vast army of
agricultarists studying the rudi-
ments in the public schools. Here
is abundant proof If the farmers
themselves depreciate the intelli-
gence required for the farm, how
long will it be before the term "far-
mer" will cease to be a reflection
in any sense upon the intelligence
OF him who tills the soil?
The professional man must de-
vote some of the best years of his
life, and large sums of money, to
qualify him for practice. Even the
humble shoemaker was once re-
quired to serve an apprenticeship
of seven years. Yet not one of the
large number of sprightly and ac-
tive young men who are eagerly
seeking employment in our State,
and who are ready te devote all the
energies of vigorous young man
hood to some profitable business, Is
willing to make practical agricul-
turlst of himself at the expense of
two years remunerative labor. Yet
where could he find a wider, more
profitable or respectable fold?
Thousands of the bright eyed boys
who are educated beyond the
sphere of usefulness, throng the
over~crowded professions and thus
sacrifice a useful, progressive, pros
porous, vigorous manhood, to a life
of seedy responsibility. They owe
their misfortune to the pride and
blindness which degrade the life of
the farmer. How can the evil Of
which we are complaining be rem-
edied? How can those engaged in
agricultural pursuits be aroused to
a proper sense of their own and the
interes ts of their sons in this mat
ter? The State has performed a
liberal part; the college, with its
corps of able professors, supported
by the revenues of the State, is
ready to perform It's duty; and the
thousands of pubic school teachers
all over the State await the com
mands of the master Who is re-
sponsibIe for the low ebb of interest
in this SUBJECT?
Nature has been most lavish in
her gifts to us, for no state in the
Union can boast of advantagesisu-
perior to ours; neither in the ex-
tent and variety of her resources,
either in agriculture, mining or
manufactures, situated in the very
heart Of the south, surrounded by
a numb ber of the best states in the
Union, traverAed in every dirrec-
ton by the great thoroughfares OF
travel, which brings her in direct
injection with every section oi
the country, it is very fitting that
she should be, as in fact the educa.
tional center Of the south. These
vast potentialities for material de-
velopment demand the better edu-
cation of the masses for which we
contend, and of all the activities
which go to make up the sum tota
of her social and Industrial progress
mono are of more or equal impor,
tance to tho agricultural, and nc
class more than those who pursue
it needs an educated intelligence tc
direct thoir labors. We have ne
disposition to reflect upon the in.
telligence of the farmers of the state
or to depreciate the practical gooo
sense of which they have the righr
to boast. There is something in
the nature of our institutions, in
fact, in the ,pirit, even, of our body
polite, that engenders a spright,
illness of mind, perhaps, peculiarly
American, and of whith our farm.
ers of Tennessee have their full
| share; but we do depIore that indif.
ference to agricultural education
which is, to-day, the one severe re-
Election upon a people who have al
the elements of material prosperity
in their grasp, everything to stimu-
late their pride, and to arouse their
energies, everything to justify the
hope that our state will one day be-
come one OF the proudest, veal.