The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-04-23
WHAT IS THE MATTER?
WHY 90 AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE
STUDENTS LEAVE THE FARNl
T..cy Study Law or Medicine, or Engage
I'm Mercantile Pursuits->om Of the
Eeason. WHY They Learn To Dislike
Farming.

4 gentleman who hal been invited 10 de-
liver n commencement address M an agri
cultural COLLEGE, in which he hal once held
a professors chair. recently told the writer
Of this article that he found it impossible to
select a subject. We suggested several topics
more or les connected with farmers and
their calling, but the e%x-profe-sor shook his
head. 1t Is useless 10 talk b the young
mon about agriculture" he said the fact i,
when tie -tu lents leave the college none Of
them g. i1 farming"
.,-.ilg odr bewiliercl look, the ev-profe4-
ror vent ou to say that although the students
won't from the farm 10 the college and took
al. agricultural course, they all left the insti-
tuition 10 study law or medicine, or 10 en-.
gage in mercantile pursuits.
THEY GIT HIGH NOTIONS
Il don't know how it is" he said, "but
they all get high notions ia their heads, and
they think that farming Is too slow and un-
profitable 10 suit them. During tho whole
time I was al the college, / mover knew ono
ont Of the hundreds Of students 10 return to
the farm"
All this vas said in a deliberate, matter Of
fact way, and we at once jumped 20 the CON
clusion that il our agricultural schools wcr"
simply used to turn young farmers into law
ycrs, doctors and merchants, there was some
thing wrong somewhere.
Ii these facts have not been uucOnsciously
overstated. the advocates OF agricultural cd
ucation will very naturally feel inclined o
ask a few questions. Are the teachers, rs a
rule, men who have a fancy for the learned
professionsf Do the stndents in their debates
discuss literary and political subjects Are
they allowed 10 devote much time breeding
novels, poetry, history aud the newspapers
An affirmative auswer 10 these questions
viii explain much that IS now mysterious
THOUGHTS WHICH LEAD AsTRAY.
The young agricultural student who finds
bis professors always talking about great
lawyer. writers, AMI successful business
men, will fall into their way ct thinking
Political debates will fire him with the ambi-
ton 70 distinguish himself at the bar or 10
public life. Too much time de7otod 90 bellies
lettrcs will make him think Of everything in
the world except diversified farming.
But il may be that none Of the points men
toned can be urged against the agricultural
schools and their teachers. What, then, is
the mattcri Do our youngsters naturally
take a dislike - farm lire, Do their fathers
tell them that there is no money in II and
that the farmers arc growing poorer every
ycarf
There Is something in this way Of putting
it. When farmers take a gloomy, hopeless
view Of their occupation, they cannot ex-
pect their sons 10 look Oh the bright side Of
Things. And yet, in spite Of ali that can be-
said, the fact remains that the young and
industrious farmer who goe4 20 work with
the advantage OF q scientific education, has
in his power So make himself happy, in
dependent, prosperous and distinguished
But, after all, success does not depend 50
much upon the education, or the land, as It
does upon the man.-Atlanta Constitution.