Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1895-12-26

by way Of graded and high school
curriculums the course Of study is
made continuous and natural with ev-
cry facility and encouragement for
thorough scholarship, but with no spe-
cial facilities for the farming or in
dustrial classes beyond general edu-
cation.
To remedy this, agricultural colleges
were provided. Normal schools are
encouraged by the state to equip the
student teacher with the requisite gen.
eral knowledge for the duties of the
school room, and the necessary tech
nical instruction and drill in pedagogy
to be able to instruct the youth natur-
SiOns support schools for technical in
struction in the principles they en-
body, thus professionaliZing each avo-
cation and giving the student, in the
very morning of his career, the advan-
tage of the best thoughts and ripest
experience Of the veterans of his chOs-
en- profession.
Thus equipped the amateur has a
liberal foundation upon which to build
his experience, and his possibilities for
success are UNNECESSARILY increased.
1t is time that farming should be con-
Sidered and treated as a profession,
with equal educational adjuncts as
have been long enjoyed by other
branches Of human labor-mental or
physical. The agricultural interests
of North Dakota being paramount,
especial pains are taken in this college
to acquaint the student, in the agricul-
tural departments with a knowledge
of the chemistry of soils and plants,
the principles of plant and vegetable
growth as we'll as the climatic condi-
lions affecting them favorably or adj
versely; to make the tillable portions
of the state land of homes, beautiful
and home-like, and to encourage the
most profitable diversity of products;
to farm Systematically, economically
and scientifically that the maximum
Of profit may result from the minimum
expenditure of money and labor, as
well as to give instruction in those
practical branches Of industrial art
necessary adiuncts to the farm-is
one of the leading missions Of this
college.
What the university is to the scholar,
what the law school is to the student
lawyer, or the theological seminary
is to the student clergyman, the agri-
cultural college is to the student farm
err or mechanic Provided with ap-
paratus to determine the constituent
elements and to learn their functions
and economy in the animal, vegetable
and mineral kingdoms; to classify the
members of the vegetable families
and by analysis and dissection to I'M
derstand their anatomical structure
and physiological conditions; to I'M
derstand the relationship of light, heat,
moisture and soil in the production
of plant is not only pertinent, but
interesting, and is calculated to lend
hitherto unfelt. The farmer, above
all other industrialists, should work
in harmony with nature, and to do
this he must understand natures laws.
This is also true Of the ranch-man
and stock grower. The same money,
labor and feed will return twenty
five per cent greater profit if bestowed
upon the proper breeds and they are
given intelligent care. The agricul-
tural department of this institution
possesses the collated experience Of
all the pioneers and veterans of the
agricultural and stock-raising indus
tries, and the student has but to famil-
iarize himself with what others spent
wealth and labor to discover and dem
onstrate, to know as much as they.
True, to some extent, the students
knowledge is theoretical, but is must
be remembered that the graduate from
Il normal school is not teacher,
neither is the graduate of a medical
college a physician. The foundation
in either case is only laid upon which
the fabric of experience may be built.
For an individual in either medicine,
law or agriculture, to build himself up
Sc Inv
ing short lifetime, and generally
those who boast their triumph thus
over the unattainable are only experts
in their own imaginations and quacks
I'm the minds Of knowing men. 'Ex-
perience is the best teacher" True,
but why each man devote his life to
discovering the discovered? Why not
accept the known Observation-Disclosures
strated and proven by experience Of
others-upon the threshold Of bust
ness career, and devote the energies to
somthing new? Why not utilize the
experience and observation Of eminent
predecessors as our capital our stock
in trade, instead of attempting the
same feat as they, in the same manner
and often with less ability; then when
attained we have simply spent years
for what could have been had for the
trouble of memorizing?
Every other profession has for de-
,cades collected the wisdom Of it's devo-
tees and proffered each student appli-
cant to it's ranks their ripest thoughts
and accepted discoveries. But the
farmer has secuted the idea Of an edd-
cational basis or professional standard
for agriculture, and has made himself
alike the subject Of common prey and
ridiculous carricature in the funny
papers; and though agriculture is the
oldest occupation known to man, yet 1t
remains the least systematic-a verita-
bic child among adult professions. II
n man is not fit. or was too negligent
to equip himself for any other busi-
ness by common consent. he can farm
If n child is too dull for law or medl-
cine or business he is only fit for the
farm. But us Il matter of fact to be
q successful farmoy' requires not only
skill, but higher order OF tact and