The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-10-27
TEACHING FARMING
SCHEME OF THE PRESIDENT OF
THE FARMERS UNION TO
Establish in Each State a School to
Teach Actual, Practical Farming
Means Much.

The movement recently preached
by President Charles S. Barrett Of
the National Farmers Union look
ing to the establishment of schools
in each State of the Union as purely
schools for actual teaching Of actual,
practical farming-in other words
farms and school conjoined-is the
most novel and radical movement Of
the kind ever conceived by anyone.
In discussing the matter w. M.
Sheriff., of Denver Colo, says: Il
have recently read in The Atlanta
Constitution a lengthy article by Mr..
Barrett, giving his idea of the pos
sibility and practlcability Of such
schools and I must say his idea,
while novel and radical, as before
said, seem to me both sure and prac-
tical.
For instance. his idea that there
shall be one great national training
or farmers school centrally located
and subsidiary small feeding schools
to not only teach, but practice sure
enough old-time farming (not pid-
dling) Is certainly a movement, If
carried out, would mean an absolute
revolution in farms and farmers ev-
erywhere-especially in the South.
Mr.. Barrett, as Is we'll known, Is a
practical, cultured, zane man; and he
says his idea has been in his brain
many years; that he is going to work
the scheme, and promulgate and car
ry it out in every detail.
It is known that SO many farmers
in the South, say in North Carolina,
South Carolina and Georgia, are
dragging not a living, scarcely, but
a hand-to-mouth existance on old
WORKOUT red gully hill sides and
dales. 1t Is his aim and determine
ton to show those worthy men (none
more worthy on Gods green earth)
that these conditions are wrong: need
not be so: can be changed by actual
training schools for young men. max
ing farming what it surely and real
~ is-a study and a science.
We all know, if once some of the
dear old-time farmers could be got
to see that "bOok-farming" Is not
nonsense, not a %bugaboo, but a neces-
sity, if farming Is to be rightly done.
l say If these schools can be run
so as TO show them. through train
ing their sons in farming schools.
transform with high intelligence and
intensity and to bring up" the So
called WORKOUT farms (not worn out,
as supposed all too often). If the
farm school can do any such work
as this, their establishment will sure
ly mean more for us all, whether in
town or country, than any movement
| have heard Of in a great time.
Mr.. Barrett is already at work;
says he has money and support be-
hind him; Is not talking as a visiona-
ry; has studied the situation, and is
going to do what he has long felt
and desired and ought to be done.
In what I write / do not mean
to place the farm head and shoulders
above other occupations. We are to
consider the thousands Of wage-earn-
ers and all other classes. I do mean
that, SO much depending on right
farming, that the farmer Of all men,
needs schooling-just as the lawyer
or the doctor or the minister must
have such to have any success or
standing whatsoever. / do not think
this a movement to turn the heads
so to speak. of this class. Where
did right schooling ever do such?
But l do believe 1t a sane and neces-
sary and feasible movement. which
heaven knows | wish hearty success.
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