Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1883-09-12
Why do YOung Men OF Culture Shun thc
Occupation Of Farming.


That educated young men do shun th
',rmers life needs no proof 1t is a prof
'sition which may be assumed. Then tn
inquiry, why is it SOP assumes some i'm
,ortance. Why do Young men who hav,
received the benefits of more than a.
ordinary education avoid the farm an
crowd the already replete ranks of tn
professions. There must be reason 70
II. In this matter, as in everything else il
life, the effect must have n sufficient pre-
ceding cause. The cause in this case mus
not be looked for in anything that j,
hereditary, for the ranks Of the profession
ire, to great extent, recruited from
lmong farmers sons
In searching the higher ranks of th
Drofessions-for those names that ar
written high on the roll of fame-for thu
,ames of those who have, staatled thu
world bv their attainments and the'
ichevments we shall find that II l,rg
proportion were once farmers boys. Their
here can be no taint of blood or want o.
natural talent among those born upon th
farm. The facts teach the reverse of this
md demonstrate most conclusively lha
here is an abundance of na ural talenl
and ability among farmers boys.
Then why does not that talent after
becoming cultivated remain on the farm? !?
Why are there so few cultured men
among farmers?
rhr fist reason which snail present is
this The education attained ut the higher
schools rs tney are at present constituted
does not fit men for successful farmers
they leave the walls of their alma mater
are unfit for anything but intellectual
labor; thrown upon their own resources
with n view OF gaining their livelihood by
manual toll. they would be helpless. Tins
will not be disputed; but there is no good
reason why it should be so; there is no
good reason why he farmer should BE-
ignorant and the educated man unf',rh
for manual toll. There might be union
of the two qualifications; The educated
professional man being competent to
perform manual labor and the farmer abe
to cope ntellecNualIy with 'he professional
man. Schools especially designed to
educate and FL Young men for farmers
might be est .blished and supported. In
each schopI young men might be taught
al the operations Of well conduc'e ed
farm at the same time that they were
acquiring knowledge of those higher
branches ot science which relate to agri-
culture. Olhrr classes have such schools;
there are schools of divinity, of law. of
medicine, of civil engineering and others
where young men are fi'ed for the posi-
tions which they are to ii!l through life.
Another reason why young men OF
culture avoid the farm and seek other
employment is the feeling all too prevalent
that there is sonnet hing degrading in
manual labor that the man who earns his
bread by the sweat of his brow is per-
forming the labor of u menial and that
his social position is partially lowered on
that account; that he is obliged to look
up 10 and TO measure yenerate the more
fortunate occupants of the professions.
This idea has descended 10 us from II
darker age, and is relic of the ideas and
beliefs which prevailed long ago in another
era, and under other forms of govern
ment; when all manual labor was menial
labor; when the masses were born to
life of ignorance and toll and the few for
knowledge and power; when the few
claimed to rule by fright divine" and the
many we're content to grovel as serfs and
81 ives. The light and progress OF the 10 h
century has failed as yet to eradicate this
idea wholly from the minds OF men. But
in this advanced age of the world. in this
land and in these days of material and
educational progress, with country grid
ironed by railroads and spanned bv mag
netic telegraphs, dot ed throughout its
length and breadth by churches, colleges
and school houses, affording to every
citizen of the commonwealth the npportu
nifty of acquiring some sort OF an educa.
ton. With the printing press throwing
forth its various publications in such guam
titles that there is no good reason why
every family may not be supplied. where,
according to the words of the boasled
declaration, all men are born free and
equal,-in such an age, and IN such
country it would seem that the idea of the
degradation of labor ought to be wholly
abandoned.
The next reason which will be noticed
is this: The lack of influence which
farmers exert in proportion to their num-
bers. It is true that on 4th of July occa
sions when the orator of the day rises on
spread eagle pinions into the regions OF
bombast; it is true, too, that in times of
high political excitement when the polit
clans of all parties wish every vote to
count. and it is also true that at many of
our agricultural fairs when some loud
mouthed, professional man, simply because
he is fluent talker. is employed to deliver
the address, the honest, hard handed,
industrious farmer and his ancient, honor.
able and noble calling are lauded to the
skies and the toll worn worker is t1attered
and cajoled to the nanseating point until
he is led to pquire.-why, if the farmers
life is so very desirable. are not these loud
mouthed fellows engaged in ii? Why are
they not gaining an honest liveliho by
the sweat of the brow and with calloused
hands and sunburnt faces swelling the
ranks of honest toll? Yet the fact remains
uncontroverted that farmers do not exert
as much influence in society rs their num-
bers entille them. Every young man
knows this; he knows that distinction in
any honorable calling is reached by brain
work, and as he looks upon the farmers of
his acquaintance he sees that too many
of them ARE mere plodders. hard workers
of great physical strength and endurance.
of good native talent perhaps, but uncul
tivaled; he knows, too, that the influence
of men in society is not measured by their
ability 10 perform manual labor, but by
their intelligence, by their brain power.
by their ability to think, to originate and
appropriate ideas and by their ability to-
these in such a form as 10 influence
ihe minds and actions OF their fellow men.
This power farmers at present do not
possess and cannot until, rs class, they
will be better educated; until, as a
class, they are m9de 10 see the need OF
culture. Farmers do not seem to desire
high intellectual culture. A majority
seem willing to move on in the old ruts,
deemug it almost sacrilege for one of
their number to aspire to anything higher
and more noble than the calling OF mere
hand worker. expecting as n matter of
course that as one of their number becomes
better educated he will cease to be far
mer, seemingly content to sit at the feet OF
culture and 10 be led by others, but never
dreaming that they have right to lead,
and why have they notP Why has not
farmer right to aspire o The highest
civil or political distinction in the land.
There is no good reason why, but because
all avenues to distinction are in erea,
measure closed against the farmer and
annronriated hv those who fill other call