The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-01-18
Meeting of the Board Of Agriculture
at Pemfret.


9th and 9th instants, the whole board
being present, including Governor
Ormsbee and President Buckham. The
papers read have been reported in the
WATCHNAN, with the exception of Mr..
Chapin's, which will be reserved for
some future number The discussions
were brisk and spicy, and as the town
is interested most largely in dairying,
that topic was the most discussed.
Several prominent dairymen gave their
methods of feeding and the results
achieved. Mr. Tinkham welcomed the
board in a short address, and stated in
it that he believed the average yield of
the better class of diaries in town
averaged two hundred fifty pounds of
butter per COW for the year, and the re-
suits of diaries as stated seemed to cor
roborate his conclusions, several yield
ing three hundred pounds and over.
Having no hotel in town, the men,
bers of the board boarded round "
among the farmers, and for dinner the
second day the tables were set in the
hall and loaded with plenty of good
farmers fare, to which all were invited
and made welcome.
President Buckham gave very in
teresting address Thursday evening to
full house. His subject was "Edu-
cation for the Farmer He began by
reading newspaper report of farm
ers' meeting in this state where the fol-
lowing resolution was presented for de-
bate: Resolved, That education is as
necessary for the farmer as for any of
the other classes" The article said
that " after discussion the report was
adopted He said" would very much
liked to have heard that debate, and have
no doubt that much sound sense was
given utterance there. noticed that the
better sex were in attendance, though
not participating in the debate, from
which | inferred that some of the best
things that were thought were not given
utterance then and there, though / hope
they were said to private audiences on
the way home and at home, for our Yer
mont women as rule are sound, and
even somewhat advanced, on matters
of education, at least where their chill
dren are concerned. | like the form
and spirit of the resolution. 1t is bold
and outspoken. 1t does not content it.
self with the common places of educa-
ton being benefit, or with the state
ment, which nobody denies, that edu-
cation should be practical, or with criti-
cisms of methods of education. 1t says
boldly that education is necessary for
all classes, and just as necessary for
the farmer as for any other class. |
wonder if the resolution was opposed,
and by what arguments. can imagine
that some aristocrat in foreign lands
or some demagogue at home might op-
pose it, as the educated farmers, the
most numerous class, could not be so
easily held in subsection or managed
for political ends. l have heard in a
New England state the doctrine main
tanned by professed friends of the peo-
pie that too much education spoiled
the American people for manual crafts,
and that the three RS is education
enough for those who work with their
hands, and worse yet, have heard the
doctrine from farmers themselves that
too much education educated young
men away from the farm, and should
therefore be regarded with suspicion
and its extent limited. / maintain in
this meeting the affirmative of the reso-
luton. First, because education is
necessary for maintaining the respecta-
bility and dignity of the class. The
New England farmer, by right of in
heritance, belongs to an educated class,
and he should not forget it. The early
settlers were picked men. They were
not ordinary emigrants and failures in
their own land. They were men and
women of good birth and education.
John Hampden and Oliver Cromwell
had at one time determined to join the
emigrants to New England. In the
first twenty-five years of the colony
at least hundred graduates of Oxford
and Cambridge were among its people
and it was to be expected that they
would lay the foundation of society ant
government wisely, as they did, ant
the influence of such an ancestry has
kept up the moral and intellectual
standard of New England farm life
The tradition, usages and opinions o
the New England farmers have beer
those of an educated class. The book
in their homes, their debates in town
meetings, the discussions of public
questions in the door-yard, on thu
Westinghouse steps and around thu
stove at the store show them to be
reading, thinking, intelligent class