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

Farm Work New Meaning
and New Joy.
M. L Sherman, of Ingham County
Michigan, hired a young man wht
had graduated from an agriculture
college and the results were so won
dsrful and far reaching that we give
place here to MI. Sherman's story
which will be read with interest by
all. We need to be awakened to tht
value Of an agricultural education
what 1t will accomplish for Us anG
our children. Few Of us have an ad'
equate conception Of the possibilities
along this line. But listen to MI.
Sherman's story:
For two years I had hired q man
who had graduated from our a%gricultu-
raj college. Some OF my neighbors
called me q fool for paying the wagc ca
ne demanded, but l never made q
better Investment. His knowledge
Was my lemon and / squeezed 1t. l
bought some books on farm chemis.
try, botany, surveying and hortloul-
ture and took practical lessons Of my
hired help in these studies.
My hired man honored his profes
sion. In a 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. 1 stood s%peechless one day
when she told me what Rlskin said
about the clouds. Her fingers were
in a book that had the hired mans
name on the fly. leaf. / looked through
1t and showed 1t to my wife. She
said If such culture Was agricultural
she was glad her daughter was finding
1t out.
THAT summer we began war on
insect pests by studying entomology.
Ny 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 his
threat to do so he had quoted the
Fl. qIent utterance of q neighbor, "A
farmers life is a dogs life." The life
Of my educated hired man, by its
very contrast with q 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.! . ,tober they had set themselves
60 protect quails and partridges. Ag
flcnlbural science had taught them
EtnabsrioaG biSes &fs gsltneYsS frtSi.d
In the second year OF our farm
education the children gave breathless
descriptions of wild fl DIVERS, ferns 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 pref
tier than tulips
Il was ashamed to confess l had
never considered the lilies or the
trees, bow they grow. Ny girl had
become a lover Of trees. She made
me promise not TO destroy her fairy
land, the wood. lot, by telling the ma.
pies, az l had intended.
THE chemistry OF foods improved
our diet and lessened the work Of the
Kitchen. In connection with some ad
Vice from the family physician, | sub
stituted the glass of milk for the mus
Of older.
II had tried to forecast the wealth
er by the barometer, but concluded
| that that nofrIIInnrt MA foN =
ial to be reliable. But Mr.. Smith
seemed to understand It's changes SUI
hclently to keep our hay. out Of TIT
way Of long storms. His OBJ Ter vations
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
liked over our barns and sheds until
dryness, ventilation and ICON venienct
for cleaning we're as good az In costly
structures. Ole result of these I'M
provements was that my boy easily
and willingly did the work about sta
bles and poultry yards, which he for
merly shirked. Ia harvest time wher
work was pushing my wife ant
uauRnbeT LOOK pleasure IN dung Choir
es, which had been impossible unde.
old conditions.
My farm was saved: that wa,
much. My boy was save; that wa
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 hi
books to reDAr for q cOnraa In th
agricultural college, from which h
graduated three years later"
Does not Mr.. Sherman's remarka
BILE experience suggest the solution o
that vexed problem. How to keep tn
boy on the farm? | think 1t does
Long live the farm collegel May II
receive the support which It's import
anco merits.
IanahAn Says les False.