Middletown transcript., 1906-05-12
FARM EDUCATION

A Massachusetts, friend asked that
Hoard'S DGiryman print that portion of
the address of its editor which was spe-
cially devoted to farm education, and de-
livered while President of the Farmers
National Congress, in Fanueil Hall, Bos-
| ton, Mass, in 1899.
The extr,,,t asked for is as follows:
"Gul -, I, LET there be light" The
average larmer of this country does not
yet squarely believe in that principle as
all aid to himself and his farm. He has
too little sympathy for agricultural
schools, or for better agricultural edu-
! cation.
This is seen in the fact that, as class,
the farmers spent thousands Of dollars to
educate their children to be lawyers or
doctors, where they spend one dollar to
especially fit them to be intelligent farm
ers.
This strange indifference to the advan-
tages which trained use of knowledge
imparts, is difficult of explanation. But
few farmers believe there is such thing
as science of agriculture.
The great mass do not believe that the
thing we call farming can be taught to
their children from books or schools
The American farmer will admit the ne
cessity of special intellectual training to
be lawyer, doctor, preacher, editor,
merchant or mechanic, and his sacrifice
for the education Of his children in every
thing but farming, is without parallel in
the history of any other nation. He sees
clearly that, if his boy is to understand
the principles of law, or medicine, or me-
chanics or Of banking, he must look into
books and read there the record of the
experience and judgment OF those that
have gone before him. That boy's in
tellect must be trained to discern prin-
ciple on the printed page, and then by
practice learn how to apply that principle
to produce material results.
"Do you suppose that the farmers who
swarmed out of New England and New
York into Ohio, Michigan, Indiana and
the farther west would have reduced the
| fertility of their lands as they have
done if they had been taught in the coun-
try schools when boys, the meaning and
methods of conserving nitrogen, phos-
phoric acid and potash as fertilizing
agents? Is there farmer here that ever
heard those agents of all plant growth
mentioned in the studies of his boy yhood
feel deeply on the great lack of pri-
mary farm education. l had to face it in
my own young life, and the boasted
craftsmanship of my country has not yet
provided conditions much if any better
| in this direction than those which obtain
ed fifty years ago.
The difference between successful and
unsuccessful men in all caliings is not luck
but rather judgment and energy. Good
judgment is an act of the mind and one
must have a mind well stored with sound
knowledge and we'll transd to use it in or
der to exercise the best judgment. l see
a ray OF hope in the fact that this great
national body of farmers has come too
see the tremendous importance of this
question. l hope you will include it
every year in your programmes until
discussion is crystalized into action all
over the nation.
"Ideas govern. Wrong ideas, or lack
of right ideas, govern just as rigidly as
the best OF ideas. Good, sound thought,
correct ideas OF theory and practice must
take the place of unsound ones, or there
can be no improvement in the produc-
tiveness and profit of our soil or animals.
When We see a man farming in a
wasteful way or with animals unified
to his purpose, we know conclusively
that that man lacks right ideas of his
business. The outcome of his hands will
depend not on the strength of the hands,
but upon the soundness of the ideas
which govern the hands. This is seen
and demonstrated in every community
of farmers in the world. For instance
dairy farming is essentially a work of
IDEAS 1t is largely governed by forces
and conditions which have sprung into