The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1907-10-30
Agricultural Education

OF the bulky COmmOQ1I1eS WHICH, NOlllC
from the soil or under the soil, and no
other part Of our country is as fruit
full as is this in such commodities.
AT present the ordinary farmer
holds his own against any possible
representative of the landlord class Of
farmer-that is, of the men who would
own vast estates-because the ordin-
arv farmer tnites his capital, his labor
and his brains with the making Of
permanent family home, and thus can
afford to hold his land at value at
which, it cannot be held by the capital
ist, who would have to run it by leas-
ing it or by cultivating it at arms
length with hired labor.
"In other words, the typical Amer1-
can farmer of today gets his remun-
Grafton in part in the shape Of an in
dependent home for his family, and
Hives him an advantage over an alb
sentee landlord. Now, from the stand
point of the nation as whole it is
prominently desirable to keep as one
OF Our chief American types the farm
er, the farm home maker, of the med
iunl-s sized farm This type of farm
home is, one. of Our strongest political
and social bu1warks.
"Suoh a farm worked by the owner
has proved: by experience the best
place in which to breed vigorous lead
ers alike for: country and city It is
a matter Of prime economic and civic
| Importance to encourage this type of
homecoming farmer.
Wherefore, we should strive in ev-
cry way to aid in the education Of
the farmer for the farm, and should
shape Our school system with this end
in view and SO vitality important - is
this that, in my opinion, the federal
government should cooperate with the
state governments to secure the need
ed change and Improvement in our
Schools. 1t is significant that both
from Minnesota and Georgia there
have come proposals in this direction
in the appearance Of bills introduced
into the national congress. The CON
gressional 1and-grant act of 1852 &C
complished much in the establishing of
agricultural colleges in the several
states, and therefore in preparing to
turn the system Of educational train
ing for the young into channels at once
| broader and more practicab1e-and
what am saying about agricultural
training really applies to all industrial
training. But the colleges cannot
reach. the masses, and it is essential
that the. masses should be reached
Such agricultural schools as in Mime
sofa and Nebraska for farm boys and
girls. such technical high schools as
are to be found, for instance in both
! St. louis and WASHINGTON have NV
! their success shown that it is entirely
feasible to carry in practical fashion
the fundamentals of Our secondary
schools.
AT present there is gap between
our primary schools in the country and
city and the industrial collegiate cours-
es, which must be closed, and if it is
necessary the nation must help the
state to close it. Too often Our pres
ent schools tend to put altogether too
great premium upon mere literary
education and therefore to train away
from the farm and the shop.
1--WE should reverse this process.
Specific. training of practical kind
should be given to the boys and girls
who when men and women are to make
up. the backbone Of this nation by
working in agriculture, in the mechan-
zeal industries, in arts and trades; in
snort who are to do the duty that
should always come first with all of
us, the duty Of home-making and home
keeping. Too narrow a literary edu-
catioh,,is for most men and women
not, a real education at all; for real
education should fit Deon1e nri4,o I'll,