The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1893-10-12
AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION.
The Objection to 1t Which Is Made by
Some Farmers.

Some Farmers.
THE United States is better provided,
so far as number is concerned, with
colleges and advanced schools in which
agricultural science in some form is
taught, than any other country in the
world. We have now at least one
school in every state of the Union
which is aided, under the land grant
act of congress- passed in 1862, with APP
preparations from great fund created
to encourage schools of science and
agriculture. In by far the greater
number of these schools of science,
distinct speciality is made of instruction
in branches connected with agricul-
ture.
In several of the schools agricultural
education is not secondary and incl
dental thing but the chief purpose and
occupation of the institution. Both
the theory and practice of agriculture
are taught in them.
Other acts of congress have given aid
to agricultural experiment stations es-
tablished by the states, whose main
purpose is to make scientific inveStiga-
tions and experiments connected with
farming operations The experiment.
stations are often connected with agri-
cultural or scientific schools, and be-
sides affOrding to farmers information
likely to be directly valuable to them
in their work, they form part, in a
general way at least of a system of
agricultural education.
A dao1 hos hnnY1 DOM in fhff
direction of the scientific training of
farmers in the past thirty years; but
the criticisms often expressed by
American farmers in their gatherings,
indicate that many among them are
not satisfied with the present condition
of agricultural education.
1t is certainly generally agreed
among farmers that the successful ag-
riculturist at the present day needs
scientific and practical education. The
sciences of chemistry, geology ana
botany lie at the very foundation of
farming. OF course every good farmer
really knows a great deal of these
sciences, as the result of his own and
his ancestors experience, without learn
ing them from books or professors.
But the present age is the age of Sys-
tenn and organization, and the farmer,
seeing what has often been accom-
plished by really expert knowledge of
sciences connected with agriculture,
sensibly desires that his sons shall
know them.
How great a science the successful
practice of agriculture really is, may
be gathered from the branches of
knowledge in one great agricultural
school. These include, beside English
and mathematics, surface geology and
agricultural chemistry, illustrating the
qualities of soils and manures; ana
tomical and technical botany; physiol-
ogy and anatomy, and veterinary medi-
cine and surgery as applied to domestic
animals: the principles of land survey
ing, leveling and practical mechanics;
agricultural economy and geography;
and theoretical mechanics and ele-
ments of mechanism.
There is, indeed, no profession or
trade which eXacts so much of man,
or requires that his knowledge shall
lie along so many lines, as that of the
farmer. That our farmers are well
aware of this is shown by the efforts
which they have already made or sane
toned toward a general system of agri-
cultural education.
But some of them object to system
of education which they believe tends
to separate boys from the farm, rather
than to wed them to it: and which may
lead them to disdain putting their own
hands to the pillow when they have
learned to direct others how to do it.
If the agricultural college really
gives a young man a distaste for farm
ing or a preference for other occupa-
ton, or a dislike for engaging person
ally in the work of the farm, grave
mistake has been made. The best ag-
ricultural schools are those which COM
bne actual Framework with the proper
instruction. In such schools the term
of study extends over several years, in
stead of two or three, and the instruc-
ton is in the hands of men who are
themselves not only educated but
trained agricultursts.
Most of the agricultural colleges and
scientific schools with agricultural de-
partments which receive aid through
the land grand act of 1862 were not
intended to make farmers, but to ena-
bic young farmers to obtain, II they
wished. an education suited to their
occupation. Their primary object was
an intellectual and not a manual edu-
cation. AS a matter of fact, only about
eight per cent. Of their graduates take
up the practice of agriculture. Youths
Companion.
The First Slave Traders,