St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1893-12-09
FARMER ANDPLANTER.
AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION.

paper designed chiefly for the young
sters of the country, contains much val
| liable matter that older heads may
ponder and be aided thereby.
In a recent issue, speaking on the
very important subject Of agricultural
education it says:
The United States is better provided,
% far rs number is concerned, with
colleges and advanced schools in which
agricultural science in some form Il
taught. than any country in the world.
We have at least one school In every
state of the Union which is aided. nm
der the Immigrant act OF congress
PASSED in 1892. with appropriations
nom q great fund created to encourage
schools Of science and agriculture. In
by far q greater number o. these
schools of science, q distinct speciality
| is made of instruction in branches con-
nected with agriculture.
In several of the schools agricultural
education il not secondary and incl
dental thing, but the chief purpose and
occupation Of the institution. Both the
theory and practice Of agriculture arc
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-
tons and experiments connected with
farming operations The experiment
stations are often connected with agri-
cultural or scientific schools. and be-
side afforaing to farmers information
likely to be directly valuable to them
in their work, they form . part. in .
general way at least, of . system Of
agricultural education.
A great deal has been done IN the d.
rection 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 condi-
ton of agricultural education.
1t is certainly generally agreed
among farmers that the successful
agrisulturist 1t the present day needs
= scientific and practical education.
The sciences of chemistry, geology and
botany lie at the very foundation Of
farming. OF course every good farmer
really knows a great deal of these
sciences, rs the result Of his own and
his ancestors experience, without
learning them from books or profess
sors. But the present age is the age Of
system and organization, and the
farmer, seeing what has often been &C
complished by really expert knowledge
Of sciences connected with agriculture,
sensibly desires that his sons shall
know them.
How great . science the successful
practice of agriculture really is may
be gathered from the branches of
knowledge taught in one great agri-
cultural school These include, beside
English and mathematics. surface
geology and agricultural chemistry.
illustrating the qualities Of soils and
manures; anatomical and technical
botany; physiology and anatomy. and
veterinary medicine and surgery, Is
applied to domestic animals; the prin-
ciples of land-kurveying. leveling and
practical mechanics: agricultural econ
omy and geography. and theoretical
mechanics and elements Of mechanism.
There is, indeed, no profession or
trade which exacts 50 much OF man,
or requires that his knowledge shall
lie along so many lines, a. that Of the
farmer.
That our farmers are well aware Of
this is shown by the efforts which they
have already made or sanctioned to-
ward splnetAl syrtem Of agricultural
EBht some of them object to . system
of education 11kch they believe tends
TO separate boys from the farm, rather
than to wed them to it; and which
may lead then to disdain putting their
own hands rs The pillow when they
have le&fhsd % direct others how to
do it. - sS~'.sss
II the agricultural college really
gives q young man q distaste for farm
ing, or preference for other occupa-
ton, or . 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
bine actual teamwork 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 men but
trained agricrlturists.
Most of the agricultural colleges and
scientific schools with agricultural de-
partments which receive aid through
the land-grnat act of 1892 were not
intended to make farmers. but to
enable young farmers to obtain, if
they wished, an education suited to
their occupation. Their primary OBJ
ject was an intellectual and not =
manual education. As q matter Of
fact, only about per cent. of their
graduates take up the practice of agri-
culture.
As the writer Of the foregoing states
this country has provided in . most
generous manner for the advancement
of the agricultural interests It is al
legged that our lawmakers were ''late
in the day" in setting under way the
several devices, SO to speak, that were
intended to elevate the agricultural
interests of the country, but un-
der the circumstances we are not dis
posed to criticize the tardiness of our
government in the matter. When il
did act il acted nobly and generously,
and it must be admitted that consider
ing our age we are now doing well for
the cause Of agriculture. And il the
people now take advantage of their op-
portunities there will be justiAsble ex-
cuse for our farmers being behind in
the procession Of successful farmerA
We do not mean to imply that it will
follow rs . matter Of course that our
counn farunArx ill - q hlA A - mil.