The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1883-11-29
Educating the Farmer.


If it is an advantage tothe physician,
OF the lawyer, or the minister, to re-
ceive instruction in the principles and /
knowledge pertaining to their several
professions, then it is none the less adj
vantageous to the farmer to be Instructed
in the principles of agricultural science.
Agriculture is one of the most difficult
sciences. It is made up of several sub
ordinate sciences, and an understand
ing of its principles requires an ac-
quaintance with chemistry, botany,
zoology, and several other sciences. (
The soil is a vast laboratory in which
the most complex chemical transforma-
tions are going forward, and IT. is for
the farmer to understand, direct re-
tard or hasten those changes, and thus
promote the growth of the plants, he
cultivates. The successful farmer must
not only be acquainted with the science
of agriculture. but must alsG know
how to apply that knowledge in the
practice of the art,Of agriculture 1t is
true man viii succeed fairly well as q
farmer who only understands the art eff
agriculture, but a. kn0wledge of the sci
ence is needed in order to -fuP1bish gen
eral principles upon. which tor practice
the art and make progress in Improve
ment. The man who only Knows the
practical part of agriculture O16esnu not
understand the why and wherefore, and
VIII not be, able to vary his operations
to meet,the changed conditions which
are continually arising. His success in
farming will be more of the i'fuckvn or
! derainstead of resting, on any substan-
/ tial basis. The scientific agriculturist
will lie able to surmOunt all obstacles
| and ensure success
Our MOST sttccessful ana most pros.
| porous farmers, are these Wllol shagelYhe
| best understanding of their business.
| Many of these men do not claim to, be
| educated men. They never received,
while at school, a days instruction in
agriculture, but they-have been close
| studentssof -the-aseienee since they be-
| gan farming. They are keen, observers,
| they slearn from Fexperienet, from ma
| ture, and from the operations of others
| they read the best agricultural books;
they attend the agricultmrl meetings
| and participate in the discussions, or
listen attentively to what others say.
! In all those ways they have been edu-
| eating themselves, and by ttint of close
application, have supplied in part the
| lack of early instruction in agriculture.
The means byswhieh the farmers fof
/ to-dlay have educated themselves Will
continue to be made use of more freely
! than ever before, and the adYance-ip
agriculture VIII continue to go on. But
/ is there no sbetter-yvaY to educate the
! rising generation of farmers than the
! hard way in which their fathers have
| educated. themselvesP Could not ~tae
common school, which is. the seminary
/ in which the mass of our people finish
| their education, give those who are 20
be farmers an education in the elements
| of that agriculture by which they are to
win livelihood? But it may be said
] that already there are too many studies
in our common schools, and that the
children are already being ruined by
| having to study too much. That is an
/ doubtedlv true, but much of what is
| studied is of less practical value than
many other branches that are not
studied. For instance, arithmetic is
| studied term after term year after year,
| until a series of three or four arith-
metics have been mastered, and theT
! perhaps two or three algebras and
| geometries win be equally as diligently
| studied Yet after having spent al this
| time in studying mathematics, all that
| will ever be used in after life by nine
tenths of the pupils will be compr.s I'd
| within the four fundamental rules. and
| the rule of interest. Geograph is sn-
OInSE STUDY upon @HlCu uuCu Tine ls
| spent unnecessarily. Term after term
| is spent in learning a mass of detail
| about different countries, the most OF
| which is never thought of after leaving
| school. Grammar is a study upon which
! much time Is spent, and oftentimes Uhe
| pupil, after all, knows very little about
1t. Many pupils find time to spend g
few terms of study upon Latin or Greek.
WHICH, to the most of them, viii be OF
no use whatever. Now, lt seems as
though that by cutting down the studies
now pursued TO what their importance
and practical value would seem. to re
quire. there would be ample space OBJ
tanned for studies which would be OF
more practical use in after life,-Neat
England Farmer.