The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1895-04-16

what they are doing, instead of trying
to do everything by main strength and
ignorance, they would be much better
off. Then there are farmers who work
very hard all dav and go to sleep at
night as oon as they have eaten their
supper. Now, if they would simply
put in a good days work and devote
one or two hours to reading some good
book or paper on the line Of work they
are doing, they would probably get
suggestions and hints that would save
them many hard ticks, to say nothing
of the waste of material and time.
Now, the boys who wish to be farm
ers should be educated by all means,
and the question is, why not at an
agricultural college where farming is
taught in connection with other
branches. I know the prevalent idea
concerning such schools. Some people
seem to think the students are kept
out in field all day hoeing and blowing;
others think it is only a kid glove affair.
Such a system would of course be a
failure. On the other hand, the boys
are given a good broad education. The
sciences generally are taught and
farming is simply made a specially.
Look in our catalogue and you will
see they are taught English, history,
physics, chemistry, algebra, geometry,
trigonometry, physiology, entomology,
botany, ETC., in addition to their regu,
lar course in agriculture and horti-
culture. On agriculture they have
text books and lectures, besides prac-
tice work. In their practice hours
they are given instruction in preparing
the soil, c~ultivating and gathering
crops, ditching, laying tile, use of level,
planning and arrangement of barns,
stables, diaries and fields. In their
dairy work they are taught to milk,
feed the cattle, churn, ETC., In fact,
they are given practice in about every
thing done on the farm.
Then in addition, those who work
faithfully and need the money are
given regular work and paid for it by
the hour. Thus a good, deserving
student a often make enough to pay
a large part of his expenses.
1t is a noticeable fact that the stu
dents who work hardest are generally
the best in their classes. 1t makes
them healthy, keeps them out of mis-
chief and takes the place of athletic
sports in point of exercise. The work
clinches the class room instruction on
their minds.
Where the college has a farm in con
nection with it, and the boys + given
work to do in addition to their prac-
tice work, they should get as much
benefit as they do on their own farms
at home. Then the farm is run for
their benefit and any mistakes they
make in learning is not their loss. but
the loss of the college and treated as
instruction in any other department.
It has often been a source of wonder
to me why so few students at an agri.
cultural college and mechanical col
lege take the agricultural course.
By getting up statistics in a quiet
way, 1 find that in the first place very
few boys who expected to be farmers
are sent to college; second, that those
who go as a general thing are advised
by their fathers before leaving home
to take any other course but the agri-
cultural. They give as a reason that
farming is a poor business financially;
that there is no money in it; ,dsc.gE
If farming la what tho Oosl0es'
then he can little S"oy "ant 10 learn
ugYT1 for ~ college.
- Then, too, the boys from the farm
look upon farming as mere drudgery,
with very little, if any, pay in it,
Many of them have been made to work
and receive nothing in return. They
are young and do not realize that they
get their board and clothes from the
farm. Now if they were managed diff.
ferently I think they would look al
the matter in another light and be bet
ter satisfied. For instance, instead Of
making them work for nothing and
giving Them their clothes, I would say
let them receive pay for their work
give them a crop to be worked under
your supervision. Let them raist
stock, and let the boy own a horse az
we'll as a colt. You know the old say
ing, sit is Johnnie's colt, but papa's
horse" Let him learn early in this
, way to make money and let him also
| learn to save it and spend it iudiciously
in what he needs as we'll as for toy