The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1895-09-17
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In noting an article IN last weeks
Caucasian entitled Farmers and Ne
chanic3' College," it inspired a few
thoughts in our mind of which we
wish to give our readers the benefit.
Why was the q. S. Government so
careful to appropriate money for the
education of the farmer and mechanic7
Because they are the foundation of
our industrial system. And because
the farmer is less likely to educate than
men of other professions.
There is a common idea among our
farmers that if their sons expect to be
farmers they need only the rudiments
of an education, and that hard work
will fight the rest of the battle. Now
hard work Is very essential to good,
economical farming, but not all there
is of it by any means.
A little burning of phosphorus in the
brain saves considerable wear and tear
Of muscle. There will always be
''hewers of wood and drawers of
water" and we need not be uneasy for
fear we will u short of laborers. Be-
sides, labor done intelligently ceases to
be burdensome and is always more re-
~munerative.
The farmers must be educated to
take their proper stand in political,
social and religious affairs
The farmers of our State constitute
nine tenths of her population, and yet
they invariably have to take the back
seat, and all because they lack educa
ton. In any public gathering they
conspicuous for their silence. Why
Because they are not interested in our
public aft Airs7 Mol But because they
think they are not capable of speaking
in public, and aiding in moulding pub
lie sentiment, and their neighbors en-
gagged in other professions agree with
them and take possession of their right
full heritage. This comes about simply
from the lack Of education.
North Carolina is essentially a farm
ing State and al ways will be. The
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our towns grow, the more profitable
will be our farms; hence the great i'm
portance of education along this line.
In fact, education on the line of
farming has become positively neces-
sary to enable the farmer to success
tulip compete with men in other pro
fessions, who are educating along their
special lines of work.
Any class that is not educated is at
the mercy of all educated classes. Self
preservation is the first la of nature,
and the rule holds good with classes,
or branches of industry, as we'll as
with corporations and individuals. It
is perfectly natural for lawyers, dec
tors, merchants and manufacturers to
combine among themselves for mutual
protection.
They give each other the benefit of
their discoveries and improvements,
and each one tries to keep abreas1 with
the times.
Now the farmer should follow suit
and educate and improve all be pos
sibly a
The question is often asked, why do
farmers sons generally go u~neducated?
In the first place they are SO isolated
that it is usually harder for their chill
dren to attend school. Then they do
not get their money along through the
year as other people do, and they "a
not very we'll send before the crop is
gathered, and after it is harvested they,
think it is then too late to start. Then
again, it must be said to the shame Of
many farmers, that they feel that if
their sons r going to be farmers they
need no education above reading tUrit-
ing and arithmetic.
If the boy expects to be a farmer he is
kept at home in the fall to assist in
gathering, and called home in the
Spring to assist in planting the crop.
Further, he may not even be allowed
to go to college if he expects to farm,
whereas, his more fortunate brother,
who aspires to some of the learned pro
LESSONS, will be kept at college matters
not what the sacrifice may cost. Now
this is not altogether due to favoritism
between sons, but more to thoughtless-
ness. The father means to do right,
and says, of course, my would be-law-
yer son cannot possibly compete with
other lawyers without an education,
hence be must go to college and take a
course. and l will keep my would be-
farmer son at home to help pay expen-
ses and then send him next year. But
oomos or eIae III