The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1889-04-26
MANUAL LABOR EDUCATION.

The owner or manager Of a farm
who c',n turn his hand adroitly to diff
ferent kinds of work, as opportunity
calls for it, in the presence of his hir
ed men, has a great advantage over the
owner who may be bungler in gau-
ging pillow, turning furrow, repair
ing horserake, sowing grass seed, lay
ing drain tiles, or running a reaper
Prof. S. r. Thompson of New-Wil-
mington, Pa, named in a public ad-
dress the following among other "fun-
damental arts which the farmer
should understand: Adapting har-
ness to horse. 2. Hltching up a
team. 3. Driving team. 4. Hold
inga plow. 5. Setting up and adjust
ing a mower. 6 Grinding a mower
knife. :. Planting a tree. 8. Graft
ing budding. 9. Judging the mer-
its of horses, COWS, sheep and other an
imals. The list might be readily dou-
bied.
Manual labor has been thought by
some persons to be degrading. Acer-
tain lady once remarked to the writer
with apparent pride, when speaking of
her son who had charge of a high-pri-
ced farm, 81 want you to understand,
sir, that J--don't have to work."
A few years later he failed in business
by depending on others. On the 9TH
er hand manual skill is sometimes
quite an accomplishment. Many years
ago on the occasion of a great public
trial of agricultural implements near
London, when the want of skilled
plowman embarrassed the trial, the
former Duke of Richmond stepped for
ward, adjusted the implement and
turned the furrow in a skillful man.
ner. Sometimes readiness in hard la
Dor is quite convenience, and the
owner who employs hired men will
succeed better if he can show them per-
sonally how to do piece Of work, than
to be compelled to call on one of them
to teach the owner how to do it. An
amusing illustration occurred in the
writer's early years when he had
charge of a nursery, and many days Of
work were required to dress large
plantation of trees with the hoe
Being called away from home a day
he spent little time by way Of en-
couragement among his men before
leaving, and took the hoe in hand for
a single row. He took no apparent
notice of their sly winks at one anoth-
er, apparently saying, Snow let's give
him a sweat But the owner had
done much more of that kind of work
than his men, and it was no effort to
keep even without apparently noticing
their movements. Pulling out his
watch at the end Of the row, he re-
marked to them: ave have been Just
half all hour row-that will give you
sixteen rows apiece to-day, and We
shall get along nicely with the work,
reaching sixty four rows to that tree
by the time l get back" They saw
how they were caught, but said moth
ing, and discovered they would have to
make brisk work to get the allotted
task completed, which they preferred
to do rather than make balk.
The physical exercise in learning
how to handle tools gives great advan-
tage to students who are closely enga-
ged in mental studies. A distinguish
ed gentleman of South Carolina stated,
half century ago, that when closely
engaged, when young man, in his
studies, he acquired more knowledge.
and in better manner. when he gave
ten hours to study, and four to bodily
labor each day, than he had previous
ly done with his entire fourteen hours
in study.
The helplessness of the young man
who is afraid of work, or who affects
to despise it, is not desirable accom-
plishment. The one who knows thor
oughly how to help himself, even if he
happens to have no money in his pock
ct, is better off, feels richer, and has
happier days, than the young man
with hundred thousand dollars COM
ing to him, but who is compelled con-
tinually to call on a servant to supply
common bodily wants: Many instan-
ces could be cited where young men
have been spoiled by the prospect of a
great fortune coming to them, and
they either became drones in the CON-
munity in after years, or else speedily
ran through with their means after
they obtained control.