The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1894-03-09


Institute at Morrlce.
In commencing the discussion of this sub
iect would ask this question, rs practical
agriculture profession?' BY practical
agriculture | do not mean that shiftless,
hap-hazard work of the farmer who lives
because he can't help 1t, and who works
little because he has to live. We have
enough of such people in all lines of en-
ployment. Every hive of bees has drones.
You cannot educate such a boy or wake up
such man to anything but dream and
white. He is always lookine for streak
of good luck such as the death of rich uncle
or grandfather. With him, increased learn
ing only increases his ability to scheme and
cOntrive how to get along with the least
possible effort. If farmer chances to be
such man his farming consists in tumble
of theories and hobbies; and his back yard
of old rails. brush and weather-worn ma
chinery
Practical, profitable farming is profess
sion. 1t requires education, tact and skill.
II it was not a profession any city lad could
run farm no matter il he did think that
butter is made from the sap of trees. He
could come out on the farm for the first
time IN his life, and as soon as he had two
or three weeks practice in driving the team
before the pillow he would make as much of
success of farming as he who has been
reared in the midst of cultivated fields.
You would not for moment expect to be
cured of small poX by man who has never
studied the profession of medicine even if
he has clerked in doctors Office and learned
how to cure chiblains and corns. You
would hardly expect TO win law suit If
you employed as attorney man who had
never studied the profession of law although
he might have heard Ben Butler or Daniel
Webster crush their opponents by the power
of Oratory. Neither can you look for the
most successful farmer in the man who has
not studied the profession OF farming. l do
not mean to say that an educated man will
always make good farmer. Educate some
men all you choose in the study of law and
they will never be anything but pettifoggers.
Educate some men all you can in the study
OF meulcltle uilu set tncy VIII hcfoi NC
anything but quacks. You can't educate
goose to do anything but quack. But if
man is a good common sense farmer with
ont education he will make far better
farmer with education.
This reminds me that IAN egg is not quite
as good that is not the best" The richest
farmers of Scotland are the educated farm
ers willing hand coupled with educa-
ton and good old Scotch common sense
makes combination that can drive the
plow. WELD the sword or rule the Notion.
The average successful farmer in your com
munity, yes, i'm this audience tonight, is the
educated farmer. The average brave sol
aler of your acquaintance who served in the
late war left the pillow and the scythe TO
serve his country. | defy any town or city
TO bring forth brighter stars to shine in our
glorious presidential armament than Gar
Seld or Lincoln who passed their boyhood
days upon the farm.
Barefooted and clothed i'm patched blue
aenims the farmer boy is trudging along
she path of fortune, while of the two classes
Of city boys, the one is whiting a dry
goods b TX the other is brushing his clothes
and shining up his shoes. When they get
TO college the farmer boy makes the best
student. He has a constitution, healthy
tan upon his cheek; there is determination
in his bosom and there is lime in his spinal
column. Should such hardy combination
rs this have the privilege of an education?
The palmiest days of the Roman Republic
were when her farmers, like Cincinnatus,
became generals in defense of their country;
and when the danger was over returned to
the labor of their little field.
America is the cradle of true liberty and
the hand of that sturdy old farmer, Father
Washington first rocked the noble infant.
Education was the milk that nourished the
infant, liberty that strengthened his limbs
and brought him forth into strong and
powerful manhood Yes, education was
she germ that caused his birth from the
healthy soil of mother America, education,
Als milk In infancy. his meat in manhood,
and his firm cane of support in old age.
Destroy our free public school system and
you will pour out the life blood of our free
government. Down with the government,
sect or schism whose stability rests upon
the ignorance of its subjects.
IN what should the education of the
farmer boy consist? He should be skilled
in the mechanical part of farming; have this
= Fowned with liberal high school or COL
pke education. Perhaps there are some
who think good farm work requires no skill.
Would you hire a green horn to shave you
or cut your hair? 1t requires more skill to
shear sheep than to shave a man. 1t takes
more skill to trim an apple tree than to ill
out blank drafts and checks. IL takes more
skill to plough a field than to match board
or balance the scales with sugar or coffee.
It requires more skill to run self-binder
than to tend a shuttle In WOODEN mill.
There are many, very many reasons why
n l.