The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1885-12-25
MANKATo FREE PRESS.
FRIDAY. DECEMBER as. 1895.
AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION
sAV HOME.


AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION
AT HOME.
Young farmers aud young men ex-
pecting to become farmers can do
much in the way of getting q good
agricultural education without going
to an agricultural college. Farms are
schools. They are tho best OF all
schools in which to learn much that
concerns farming. They are the only
schools worth naming, 40 far as &C
curing knowledge Of some things con-
nected with farming is concerned.
Teaching by object lessons Is effective.
The things we see, especially the things
we do, are better remembered and
better understood than are the things
we hear or read about The best Of all
places at which to learn the practice
of farming is q good farm. The stu
dent ut such q school will almost GER
tainly learn many useful facts and
acquire more or less skill. He may or
may not learn principles. He ought
to learn how to use his hands readily
and we'll.
Farmers are teachers. Any boy with
common sense who lives On a farm
must learn something about farming.
Any fairly bright boy allowed to sit in
a school-room for q term or a year.
must learn something. Each will learn
faster and better If guided by q teacher.
1t is the duty and ought to be the
privilege of every farmer who has sons
with him to be their daily teacher
not alone by his practice, important as
this is, but by direct teaching. The
eye should be taught to observe care
fully; the hand to work wisely, as we'll
as steadily; the ear should be made of
use in learning about farming. Talk
ing about his business, by the farmer,
should be daily made a means of teach
ing his sons. 1t is not enough simply
to tell what to do, simply to answer
questions. The questions should be
encouraged or drawn out. When
known, the reasons for doing such
things should be given. 1t will rarely
do harm to confess Ignorance Of such
reasons. Talking in public--in the
farmers club or grange. or in a farm.
ers' convention. by intelligent farmers.
is a means of teaching of which they
do not do enough. Unfortunately il
often happens that when such talking
is done by them the young men and
boys have not even been asked TO be
present. Young farmers need the club
and grange more than do their fathers,
yet at many agricultural meetings the
attendance is almost entirely OF those
who have reached middle life.
For ten years past it has been my
privilege to give instruction in agricul'
ture to classes of young men and boys,
mainly fresh from the farms. Striking
differences have been noticeable il
them as to their knowledge of the bust
ness with which they have been con
nected all their lives. Many of then
have had good training in the ordinary
practice; but the large majority have
shown little evidence Of training II
habits of careful observation, or il
acquiring intelligence about farming
Most have read very little about farm
matters. Reading is one OF the very
best means of acquiring an education
at home; and reading about farming
may be made rs profitable to the yount
farmer as reading about almost any
tuluR clSc. NO OuC Cdhs AkOA lid oWi
experience, learn all that is known
about farming. We do wisely to &c
the experience of others, and often
times we can only get much of this b.
reading,
A good agricultural paper is thu
cheapest, most convenient, and mos
readily effective means through which
n farmer. young or old, can gail
information concerning many points il
agriculture, and keep himself wei
posted concerning agricultural news
Inducing farmers boys to read such
paper is one of the most e~tlectiv
modes of exciting or increasing thei
interest in farming affairs. AS educa
tors of young farmers those paper
which give some explanation of ele
mentary principles, much attention t
practical details, and careful sum
maries of current agricultural pro
gress-discoveries. experiment, etc.
are most valuable. There are NOR
good papers of this kind than eyer be
fore, and they are low priced. 4
choice can be had between those which
cover a wide field. or most excellen
ones devoted to some one line of agri
cultural work. as live stock. Some o.
the great news or political papers give
much of valuable matter about farm
ing. There is need of care in selection
Much of little value is written, Just a.
much of little value is talked.
Agricultural books, as \ class, ar
little valued by the mass OF farmers
Probably not one farmers boy in {
hundred has ever carefully read ever
n book on an agricultural subject
But some of these books are valuable
Not so low-priced in proportion t.
quantity of reading as are periodicals
many of them have been written with
care and have a permanent value
There is for criticism of many o.
them, but with care in selection agri
cultural books a be made important
helps in getting an agricultural educa
ton at home. There are two or three
very creditable American books in tn.
nature of cyclopedias of agriculture
well worth all they cost, and contain
ing much of interest, even to The
young. There is. also, a good number
of excellent books on specific subjects
and these are often read with greater
interest than those with greater range
If a young man gets interested il
horse-breeding, dairying, ensilage
drainage. etc, he will need little urgins
to read hand-books on these subjects
Small books giving trustworthy in
struction in the elementary principles
of agriculture can be had, and
strongly commend their study to in,
telligent young farmers who have not
had the opportunity to get a gooo
training in such sciences as botany
and chemistry, but who have som
ambition to understand something q
the processes going on in farm work
in tilling the soil, the growth of plants
and animals, etc. None of these book,
are designed for. or will be of value to
little children, nor, indeed, to anyon,
not willing to give them careful read
ing.
A thoughtful farm boy of Is or q
with a fair common-school education
can learn very much of interest ant
value by giving his evenings for /:
month to such little books as Thomp
sons ''Science in Farming" or War
rington's Chemistry of the Farm
These each a be had for 81. L
there were much demand for then
they ought not to cost more than hal
this. Following the study of one O
- M