The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1888-06-21

II WHICH tHey are idlu. 4nc moA- &
chant handles manufactured goods,
whose qualities are readily known.
The railroad man has his special
things to know and guard against;
the brakeman must know all the sta
lions and all the peculiarities of the
particular piece Of road over which his
train runs; so, too, the engineer, the
fireman, the conductor. | might go
on and take up profession after pro-
fession, and show that i'll each one
there is special set of Objects to be
known, and outside OF
which there is no call to go, but L
need not take time and space for so
doing.
How is it now with the farmers
profession? He comes in contact
with everything. There is, first, the
soil, wonderful mixture of things,
good, bad, Indifferent, and out Of it he
must grow good grass, good crops,
good fruits. There, too, are the plants;
first those which he purposely grows,
as wheat, rye, oats, Indian corn, the
grasses and clovers, the fruits and
vegetables, and others which he an
nually cultivates for their yield Of
good things Besides these, there are
the Thousand and one" weeds, poison
GUS plants, and other cumberers Of the
ground, which come up everywhere,
as if by magic. There are, too, the
hordes of rusts, smuts, mildews, and
mould, tiny vegetation, but never
theless most powerful one. In ad-
dition, there are the animals Of the
farm. and here. again, are first those
which are domesticated, as the horse,
the OK, the sheep, the hog, the dog,
the cat, etc., ETC.; and secondly, the
animal pests, as the rats, mice, goph-
ers. some birds, ETC., and the myriads
Of insect foes which swarm on every
side to eat up all our crops. Still
more, there is that tickle thing, the
weather, which affects the farmer far
more than it does the mariner upon
the stormy ocean. 1t makes or ruins
his crops; its changes. mean money
made or money lost.
Now, the boy in the country school
will come in contact with all these
things when he becomes a farmer
but how does the school fit him fol
knowing them, or anything about
them? What does the common
school do for the boy who ought to be
acquainted with the soil? Does il
help him at all? Does it even sug.
gest to him how he may learn any.
thing about it? Does it tell him any
thing about the plants of the farm
Does it hint to him about the rusts OF
|, smuts, the mildews or the moulds
Does it tell him anything about in
sects? Does it teach him anything
as to their habits?
: I appeal to the experience Of every
intelligent farmer and ask in all can
dor, whether the common school Ii
doing its whole duty by the country
boy? Should he not have the oppor
tunity of learning something abou
the soil, the plants, the animals, th'
air, and the clouds? Would not
knowledge Of these be of the highes
value to him in his future life upol
the farm?
Men and women of the country,
want to make an appeal to you in be
half Of the country boy! Give hin
the opportunity to become acquainte'
with the things around him. Put tn
study of soils, plants, animals, etc.
into your schools. Ask your school
teachers to give instruction Of thi
kind. Demand Of them that the,
know enough to give such instruction
2 in the right soay. Ii you will deman
t only the best Of teachers for your chill
dren, you can have these things taugh
to them; but if you are willing t
{ take, year by year, the young an
{ poorly prepared teachers, the worl
1 will not and can not be done. Yo,
l will have to pay roundly for such eff
r cient teachers; but will it not be tn
best economy in the long run, for ar
they not to instruct your children TO
l their whole life's work?