Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1892-05-31
InucA1loh OF FARMERS.

In looking over the proceedings OF the
last meeting of the association of Ameri'
lean agricultural colleges and expert
ment stations, we note the remarks al
Prof. J. 4. Roberts of the Cornell ex'
pertinent station on, slow can the re-
suits of work he most successfully pre-
.ented Ia the farmery' In the main, We
concur In his remarks, which are To the
effect that the bulletins issued by the
Station. must b. succinct and clear, and
az little loaded down with detail work as
possible. Hut We think he undertakes
the capacity of the farmer and ovcrrates
the advantage. ~ q classic college edu-
cation. lie says: "Tbe man Who was
educated In q college where they taught
Latin, Grvek aud mathematics princi-
pally, and where the student all through
every term had to hold himself down to
hour after hour of consecutive mental
.fiort-thst man, ! say, can pick up
long bulletin, an essay full ~ abstract
reasoning, and feel himself Interested.
lie will read hundred pages, figure 10
all out, arrang, II for himself, and be-
ready to give Il To his neighbor. Not go
the farmer"
Her. the element of time IL entirely
ignored. Th.rr u q vide difference be-
tween the capacity ani the time required
to perform such q task. Aud, the whole
thing having been figured out at the
station, what IL IN. sense ~ requiring
every one who takes NJ the bulletin Ia
figure II out Tor hlmselfs Neither farm
81. nor editors, however much Latin,
Gr,,k aud mathematics they may have
been taught, have 20, the time to devote
Ia the nccilcss nguring out of problem.
the solution. 81 which can just a. vel
D. printed a. the problem. themselves.
Resiles. the drill namei doe. not give
tn. capacity assumed for II, and sinks
into nocuous or ''innocuous desuetude'
unlcs. hc constantly keeps NJ the ever
Ci... of the drill. ~ he doe. that, be
cannot do much ~ anything el.e.
\ large proportion ~ college grad
uate. are the most commonplace men In
the world, wherever pat, while ma.
iaritv Of the most .ucccssful men Ia all
occupations lack that .'iucation, hut
have acquired the educstIon derived from
practical drill. We doubt " Lincoln,
GREELEY. Franklin aud hosts OF other
bright inicllects. would have been im.
proved by classic drlll. Eliha Burritt
l. very good sample of non-college
drilled man, hut was .clf-c,iucated To
polnt which few men reach.
Some ~ the cl-arcst thinker. aud
k,en-,t IntelleNt. la all departments of
life we're never .tuut.d by a classic drill,
bat reach by shortcut or lntui,ion
What the clss.icslly drillci mind slowly
labor. cat with great pain, because u
must run In the rut 10 abstract formulas.
We knew a man. not long since, Who had
no school education aud could scarcely
sritr MI. name; yet. when the governor
~ hi. state. . learned man sni A.plrer
lo the presidency, had any difficult prac-
it.g.l prohlem to solve hc sent for thls u
llirrate mau as hi. confidential adviser.
W.. no-dead languages may b. good
ior dcadhcad., bat the live problem. of
the dsy must be solved by those Who de-
rive mental nouri.hment from I've topics
and everyday sctl,itie.-and they have
no time 10 fool away IN this axe oi telc-
graph. and telephones. No education J.
me-, .o much Ia H. lamcntcd a. mlseduca-