Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1905-11-21

scientific farmer from him. Wher
his term of school is over. he is ready
and willing TO put on oyeralls anl
tend the farm, putting into practic,
his freshly gained knowledge. In thi,
way, the knowledge being used al
once, always stays with him, and j!
useful. Again, he il always neal
enough to home that lie can see his
people at any time. II case of sick
| ness. or any other need for his pres
ence at home, he is within reach
He forms acquaintances more di
rectIy connected with the best for
his future life: all the moral and
social Tenderness are best for his well
fare in the smaller town.
Too Many Boys Make Failures.
The knowledge the farmers boy
will obtain in the county agricultural
schools will not be as extensive as at
Madison: but his being near to home:
his practical work n the county
school: and the care which is eXer-
ciSed by teachers of s.. ch schools to
make them most succf Sful, all these
make a county schol of this kind
better for a farmers boy 1t is an es-
tablished fact that there are too many
boys especially on the farm. who
start their educational life with the
idea Of getting to the fopmost round
of the ladder at once, and becoming
leaders of men. Whea they get to
the second or third round of the
ladder, they find no means of apply
ing what they have learned, and are
failures.
Best Not to Aim FOO High
1t is true that most of the great
men were farmers bofs who worked
their Way upward by their OVID power.
But it must be remembered that there
are only about three thousand in the
world today, in two thousand million
people. A better aim it is surely, to
aim first at only part way up the lad
der, work for it with all ones might,
and because it is not SO far to climb,
it is easier to reach. When it is at
tained, then try the next step. To
aim high is good thing, but to aim
too high has caused 80 per cent of this
worlds failures. We cannot all be
ROckefellers, MorganS. or Roosevelts:
but we can more Of us be the best to-
do farmers. chairmen of county
boards, members of state congress.
good attorneys. etc. After we are
those, we may take another step.
School Better Than Farm Experience.
So it is with the farmers boy. He
should not be taught that the best
thing for him is to get college edu-
cation. Let him get atsleast a COM
mon school education: if possible. a
high school education; surely, an
agricultural education, as that is un-
questiOnably necessity for the COM
ing farmer. The only way he can get
this agricultural education is by at
tending an agricultural school, THERE
is NO OTHER WAY. Experience will
not teach it till the student is too old
to profit thereby. The agricultural
school offers the only answer to the
problem. The BEST for the boy is the
school he should attend, and FOR THE
IOY the best are the county schools.
Which Will it Be?
What will the supervisors of Wood
county do? Will they allow the state
ment to stand in future years as
quoted before, that "Marathon and
Dunn counties stand out in relief in
Wisconsin above the other counties,
because they have done more for theii
young people, especially their farmers
boys? Or will they have the state
ment made, "Wood county has come
to the front as one of the best coun-
ties in the state. Among the three
first counties, Wood county stands at
the head of the line, because it has
provided a fine new S25,0C0 building
for its young people, especially its
farmers boys and girls. wherein they
can learn the science of farming,
thing necessary for their future we'll
fare. This they have done in addition
to leading the state as an agricultural
county, and in other various meanS."?
The last statement sounds much the
best, and it being so easily possible, SO
unquestionably profitable. and so
practically necessary, will or will not
the county board do next spring, take
such action as will cause it to be said?