The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-10-16
WHY SHOULD NOT THE FARMER H.
THEM

WHY SHOULD NOT THE FARMER u.u
THEM?
From the Western friend, Whose
letter last week inspired the artioIo
to which he refers in the followino
note, comes a letter from which W.
quote:
81 note with pleasure your artiolo
on Evolution of Agricultural Edr
cation" but with due Difference
think you altogether miss the point
I am quite sure you have discernad
my views too clearly to think that
quarrel with the attempt to teach
agriculture in schools and colIeono
My criticism is directed to tho
point that agriculture is not tauobt.
that the pupils do not go to agricDl
tUral colleges to learn agriculturA
but to get just such an education ae
they would get at any other schools
X X X I note, for instance, that
part Of the funds (the total meager
enough, of course) appropriated to
the agricultural college are diverted
to the support of professor and as.
sistant to teach oratory. Now in.
structiOn in oratory may be well
enough, but what place has it in an
agricultural college? So, too, of in.
struction in military drill and tao.
tics"
We are glad to have opportunity
to make the position of The Farm.
ers' Voice perfectly clear on this
point. While insisting upon the
most rigid course in practical agri-
culture, we know of nothing that
will add to the accomplishments Of
any boy or girl in any other walk of
life, and for which the funds of the
State Ire employed to supply, that
should not be as literally supplied to
the boy or girl who goes from the
farm to the college or university.
The intellectual life of the farm, the
social graces of the farmer and his
wife and children, should be as high
and as charming as those of the city,
bred folk. If to the latter oratory
and military drill are essential, they
are no less so to the farm boy Or girl,
In short, we distinctly refuse to
accept the idea that the farmer is in
a class by himself that to others be-
long the esthetic and artistic, while
to him remain only the cOmmoner
and ruder things of life. Removed
from social contact such as is en-,
joyed by his brother in the city, the
farmer actually stands in greater
need of attention to the social graces
and the mental accomplishments
during his school period.
The agricultural college is organ
lied for a four years course-that
represents all the time which the
average young man can apply TO
"'getting an educatiOn"in the schools
Into it, then, must be crOWdedalItn the
work which is essential to his full
development, so far as scholastic
training has to do with that develop
ment. Whatever u educatlonal
determine to be the essen
tials for a successful life in any otlS
walks must be supplied to the STU
dent of agriculture just as much as
to the boy who is going into law, OF
medicine, or the editorial sanctum'
IF "oratory may be we'll enough 1of
the one it is no less so for the otner'
and it should no sooner be dropped
rom the curriculum of the agrlcuF
5ural college than from that OF any
other college.
We hope the day may come ln'0
5he life of the farm when literature,
md music, and art, and Oratory snaH
ind therein S commonly as in any
other walk of life worthy deVoIe0'
md opponents when agriculture
will be but a part of it's culture I'LL.
7ersal-and no other agency ~"
may contribute SO largely I"
hat end as the agricultural college
Farmers Voice.
A nice way to pay your SUI
o-soA:oo o-I "a 46o ana time DldhN