The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1907-10-04
AN AGRICULTURAL SCHOOL.

n" AONASSLL ONnL SSdIOOL'
of the many good things said by
Professor Nelson at the home of Mr..
Frank H. Jacobs on Saturday even
ing, probably nothing more favora-
bly, impressed his audience than a
proposition to establish in Hartford
and every other county in the Union
an agricultural school. Professor
Nelson states the subject is being
actively agitated in Congress with a
reasonable probability that
national appropriation will be made
for the purpose, which it may be
necessary for the individual states to
supplement; and he is strongly in
hopes that this will be done at no
distant date. He advised that such
a law would be very much more
likely to be passed if pressed upon
individual Congressman by the
various localities concerned. The
idea is to establish on a property,
varying under varying circumstances
from so to 200 acres, a school where
the youth of the county may assem-
BILE for their education at compare
lively light expense and learn by
actually doing the experimental work
themselves under the guidance and in
struction of an expert teacher. This
will not only develop a taste for
agricultural pursuits but practical
knowledge which will serve them in
good stead as soon as they start out
for themselves in life's battle. He
pointed with especial pride to the
fact that the state of Georgia I'M
aided by any onalappropriation
has already established eleven such
schools, and he believes that it
is because of this parentalinterest on
the part of the state that such rapid
progress is being made there in the
science and practice of agricultural,
and that through these uplifting in
fuences the south is so rapidly forg-
;cr ~ &ba Fro,t
In our own state, one school has
been in operation in Cecil county for
the past year and though it is not
yet past the experimental stage has
up to date received the most cordial
support and patronage from the
public and more than equaled in its
operation the hopes of its promoters
and the public school authorities
who are aiding in the work. 1t may
be added that the opportunity here
was an exceptional one, since a
private school property was donated
for the purpose, thus avoiding the
heavy outlay which county school
boards could not unaided meet.
No political and sociological prob
lem of the day so seriously demands
the attention of the political econo-
mist as the economical but success
full development of our agricultural
resources since this is the foundation
for the success of every county; yet
our own is suffering annually by the
drift of our youth to city occupa-
tions.
Attracted by liberal salaries and
gay surroundings the best bone and
sinew of the country is every year
becoming the best bone and sinew of
the city; and country homes occupied
by the old people only and fertile
lands left uncultivated for want OF
labor, have become an oft told tale.
If the temptations and response
bilities of city life and the expensive
habits soon acquired there were
taken into consideration, and the
relative standing of the man of forty
years frequently broken down both
morally and physically who has been
spending the past twenty years in
city toll were compared with the
healthy vigor of mind, morals and
body of similar man in the country
it would not be hard to decide which
had made the wiser choice of an
abode. The desolating loneliness of
country life which formerly preyed so
heavily upon youth is today largely
removed by being able to step to his
telephone and talk to the world, or
by going a short distance to the
trolley he is able to ride to the popul-
Gus centers. Remembering that
Providence has blest with naturalre-
sources this fair land far beyond every
other it is not unreasonable to con-
clude that country life should not
only be more profitable here than in
any other land, but, knowing its
various effects directly and indirect
ly upon man, it should be and is the
best place for him to establish a
healthy, prosperous home. The
time has fully come when the nation
as such must hold up in attractive
form to its rising generation the
value of the country home and help
by its enlightening aid to make it all
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