The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1906-08-17
HELPED ALL BOUND
A STORY OF ACTUAL ExPERI-
ENOE SHOWING HOW
An Agricultural Education Gave
Farm Work New Meaning
and New joy.

and New Joy.
M. l. Sherman, of Ingham County
Michigan, hired q young man who
had graduated from an agriculture
college and the results were 80 won
derful and far. reaching that we give
place here to Mr.. Sherman's story
which will be read with interest by
all. We need to be awakened to the
value OF an agricultural education,
what 1T will accomplish for us and
our children. Few Of us have an ad.
equate conception of the possibilities
along this line. But listen to Mr..
Sherman's story:
For two years l had hired man
who had graduated from our agricultu-
raj college. Some Of my neighbors
called me fool for paying the wages
ne demanded, but l never made q
better Investment. His knowledge
WAS my lemon and 1 squeezed 1t.
bought some books on farm chemls.
try, botany, surveying and hortioul-
hired help in these studies.
My hired man honored his profes
sion. In q few weeks my boy, late
lY Indifferent to farm work, tagged at
his heels and begged to help him.
My girl trailed after us with her bot.
any. l stood speechless one day
when she told me what Ruskin said
about the clouds. Her fingers were
in book that had the hired man 8
name on the fly loaf. looked through
1t and showed it to my wife. She
said If such culture gas agricultural
she was glad her daughter was finding
1t out.
THAT summer we began war on
insect pests by studying entomology,
My children went wild with enthusi
asm, collecting specimens under the
hired mans directions. Because he
was Watching for q certain moth,
VIII refused to go with some other
boys to the CIRCUS, though the year
before he came near running away
to join a CIRCUS company. In hls
threat to do 30 he had quoted the
fr, qIent utteranoe of q neighbor, "A
farmers life is dogs life." The life
or my educated hired man, by It's
very contrast with dogs life had
saved my boy.
Before summer was over our chill
dren knew the birds. their ways and
haunts, from the bobolink to the owl.
b, Q 3tober they had set themselves
Go protect quaila and partridges. Az
stIcultural setenoss hnd taught sShero
/ rloaf bi IS u 81 tanners y:
In the second year OF our farm
education the children gave breathess
descriptions of wild fl )wers, forms and
lovely dogwOod white with blossoms.
They we're amazed at the beauty of
forest tree flowers. Father, did you
know that the trees In the woods have
fl>wers? Why did you never tells us?
See the lovely red and green satin OF
the hickory buds, eyer SO much pret
tier than tulips
Il Was ashamed to confess had
never considered the lilies or the
trees, bow they grow. My girl bad
become q lover of treeB. She made
me promise not TO destroy her tsiry.
land, the wood lot, by telling the ma.
pies, az had intended.
The chemistry Of foods improved
our diet and lessenad the work of the
kitchen. In connection with some ad
vice fiom the family physician, sub
stituted the glass OF milk for the mug
Of older
i had tried to forecast the wealth.
er by the barometer, but concluded
that that instrument was too mercur-
lal to be reliable. But Mr.. Smith
seemed to understand It's changes SUI
ficlently to keep our hay. out OF the
way Of long storms. His OBJ ,eryations
and mine were another example of tht
difference between educated and un.
educated eyes.
No new buildings were put up.
but under Mr.. Smiths directions |
fixed over our barns and sheds until
dryness, ventilation and convenience
for cleaning were as good az In costly
STRUCTURES. OIe result OF these I'm
pf0vements was that my boy easily
and willingly did the work about sta.
bles and poultry yards, which he for
mcfly shlrked. La harvest time when
work was pushing my wife and
uauBhueI Cook pl0hSure In q )lnR Cl0r.
es, which had been impossible under
old conditions.
My farm was saved: that was
much. My boy WAS save; that wax
more. The farm had become more at
tractiVe than the circus or the city.
After Mr. Smith went away the boy
worked on the farm and with his
books to prepare for course in the
agricultural college, from which he
graduated three years later"
Does not Mr. Snerman's remarka.
ble experience suggest the solution Of
that Vexed problem. How to keep the
boy on the farm2 1 think 1t does
Long live the farm collegel May it
receive the support which It's Import
ance merits.
Il IN VNa In. Al