The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1909-06-10
THOUGHTS FROM SNYDER
More About Education The
Sort of Agricultural CoIleoe
We Have and the Sort Need
ed.
To the Editor of The Robesonian.

To the Editor of The Robesonian.
y | didn't mean all | said about
our future graduates in nv last
article, nor did | say all | meant
to say. Education is a very Ser
lous matter, especially to parents
and | suppose it is impossible fc,.
the average students to realize
its preeininent Importance until
too late to recoup themselves fo,.
past idlenesS and Indifference
Now | don't want my readers to
suppose for one instance that i
am about to write a composition
on education. | wrote one once
when | was IN school and Thought
1T was a masterpiece of COMPOST
ton, because tWoChapel Hill grad
yates who acted as judges, gave
me the premium but itwasal stol-
en- from an old reader published in
Scotland in 1772. But what hurt
me most was the fact of getting
a Bible, when the whole thing
was a fraud. | have long since
forgiven the graduates, but the
number of essays and speeches
that | have heard upon the sub
ject would far excel the tariff
schedule now being considered in
the Senate.
We haven't got half enough of
graduates, but they should be
graduates from different kinds of
colleges than those we are hay
ing. The State tried to establish
an agricultural college, butt notice
that not one-fourth of the grad
yates are in the agricultural de-
partment - civil engineering,
electrical and mechanical depart
ments seem to be the favorites
The curriculum seems to be about
the same as at the University in
it's literary department, as also
in civil engineering. What we
want is practical agricultural
college to teach nothing but
farming, aud let it be 50 cheap
that the poorest boy in Robeson
can go, and go in his shirt sleeves,
if necessary. There is too much
expense about the one III Raleigh.
At every Legislature demands
are made for appropriations to put
up expensive new buildings.
Houses that most of US would
consider comfortable enough tc
live in are considered too shabby
even for cow stalls. Get cata-
logue from its president, DR.. Hill,
and see for yourselves. sup
pose one must keep up with the
procession of the age, but | re-
member the time when a frame
school house was curiosity. Al
school houses were log houses,
and in them were some gooC
teachers, and some hard study
ing was done; also some gooC
old-fashioned thrashing.
On every side of us we see the
world progressing as never be
fore. If our farmers were a.
progressive as they are in tht
Northwestern States we'd hav'
such a county as would be th'
pride of the State. Our soil, ou
drainage facilities-if utilized
our people, the real old Anglo
Saxon stock in its purity every
thing in our favor, if Our sturd
! young men had the proper agri
cultural knowledge of the soil
! possibilities. A short trip in tn
: country some time ago shove
me farmers pursuing the sam
[ old fogy policy that will kee
. them down as long as they pun
2 sue it, such as throwing two fun
i rows together, then split out tn
bone, and then apply some 81
t fertilizers in the burrows.
5 | would like to see the Stat
. establish a real college for farm
e ers, and not in Raleigh, either
: Let it be purely for agricultur;
: purposes and none other. Tt
: farmers own the State, and VIII
n can't they do it?
SNYDER.
Red SPRINGS. N. G..