Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1904-08-23

ID. A. Dickson hits the nail when he
saws that the paramount need Of farm
er is a good education. The farmer
needs education in It's broadcast sense.
Facts ne needs, and he needs % know
how 20 think as well As how To do. He
needs to know much about farming, but
he needs also TO know the relation of
farming o. other things. Trae EDUCATION
will teach him b. respect bis calling
Farming Is an honorable and respectable
calling. vet who so belittles the Profes-
sion aud practice Of farming as does the
farmer himSelfg only farmer,
Good enough for q farmer" Hell
never be nothing but a farmer," are
everyday quotations. But We will con-
slider that matter more fully in another
article. The farmer needs TO get away
from the old notion that a smattering OF
arithmetic is an education. The idea
once prevailing that arithmetic was the
most Important study ior boy Is now
cut of date. As much as any other does
the farmers boy need 70 know grammar
and the use Of language. He must know
how u read. how 20 think and how 10
express himself. The Tribune Farmer
puts out the best farmers market report
in the world, and vet how few Of those
farmers who studied arithmetic hrst,
last and all the time when boys can read
these thorough and concise reports un-
derstandingly!
The farmer needs a thorough educa-
ton that he may be thorough in all
things, his business included. He needs
an honest education that he may be
honest in thought, honest in work and
honest in his dealings. But most farm
ers think they are honest, and that all
other classes are combined TO rob them,
and further, they think they must be
sharp in order to get even with their
neighbors who are in other lines of busi-
ness. And YOU will find that to many
farmers the word sharp is syononymous
with crooked or tricky. Now, see here,
Mr.. Farmer, that is where you are of.
Any fool can be tricky, but it takes a
smart man to be honest. When a farmer
sights his own work he is dishonest
with himself. Had he been taught thor
oughness in school he would have seen
that he was robbing himself whenever
he failed to do his work properly. When
a farmer lies about quality, or when he
delivers goods inferior to sample, he is
dishonest. and a broader education
would put him above such narrowness.
When business man agrees TO see an
other on certain day and hour he tries
10 do so. Bat how many farmers care
whether they are prompt or not? fhe
farmers ignorance makes him careless
as 10 his word. From not being thor
ough he goes TO being rot prompt, from
not being prompt he goes TO being not
honest. And this creates diStruSt and
makes business men diStrust the farmers
all alike. Hence, the honest farmers suf-
fer for the many crooked ones, and all
suffer alike. Pretty hard, this? No. l
have lost thousands of dollars simply
because farmers did not keep their words
with me. Only yesterday l waited two
hours to meet man who wanted TO buy
a pig. He did not come. | lost that
time and was forced to disappoint others.
Late last night this farmer drove up and
wanted to see those pigs. He had been
10 a ball game all day and thought he
could pick out pig as well in the night
as in the day time. All pigs looked alike
TO him lust about then, and cannot say
/ am sorry.
Few things have done US more harm
than sham education. Hatched from a
germ of dishonesty the product is dis
honest. Perhaps college education is
not necessary, but we need to be taught
TO think, to do and TO judge correctly.
Much of farmers education can be
obtained at home. Less lOating around
the saloons and more reading farm jour
nails. The farmer who conscientiously
and thoroughly follows the news of the
week in The Tribune Farmer will soon
become.well posted in the affairs OF the
world. After the news of the week let
him study the markets, and then let him
study various lines of agricultural work
as he finds it in this paper, and it will
not be long before he will feel stronger
and more capable. His neighbor will
note the difference, and respect him ac-
cordingly. He will become interested
in other agricultural journals, and his
farm will become more productive and
more valuable. Education, then, must
be thorough, and it must be broad
enough, that its poSsessor may proht
by comparison, as judgment based upon
one line alone is apt TO be erroneous.
Good schools for the farmers boys and
girls will cost little more than wine or
beer. A very few cents difference IN
YOUR taxes stands between good schools
and poor schools. Start the children
right. Secure thorough and honest
teachers, regardless of cost.-Dr. Rich
IL III Md MoptroSe Mich in Irib-