The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-03-03
TEACH PUPILS TO THINK.

In an address delivered at a Uni
versity of Vermont meeting held in
Washington recently, Senator Dilling-
ham said:
President Harper of Chicago once
said that the State University ought
to be the center of thought politically,
religiously, and socially, in all of the
branches by which a Nation is made
great. Now our institution has a flu
ture along agricultural lines which
we don't dream of. Look at the coun-
tries of Europe where all the land is
cultivated, no land for pasture That
great cultivation in Germany is the
result of the Investigations of German
scientists under the German govern
ment. This must be done especially
in Vermont. Vermont ranks eight
zenith in the list of States in regard
to the value of crop from an acre of
land This is because we are near
the market, and we have an advan-
tage over the West. When Vermont
wakes up as she will under the in
fuence of our Agricultural College,
then Vermont will take on the inten-
sive type of farming and we will raise
six blade grass where we now raise
one.
What our institutions can do for
agriculture it can do all along the
walks of life. We have $4,000 pupils
in the common schools but only five
per cent get into high schools and
only two and half per cent. ever
graduate Less get into college. The
common school has had a great in
fluence and most of our people were
thus educated and they have met ev-
cry crisis. But today our common
schools in my judgment are in GER
tain respects not doing the work they
ought. ] want the University to help
them by not admitting students un-
less they have had a real mental dis
cipline and knowledge of English
and mathematics which they now
lack. Nine boys from school and one
from college failed in English trying
to get the appointment for the United
States Naval Academy. They learn
to make chairs but they can't pass
an examination in English grammar
They are crammed but not taught to
think Let our University help the
State by making the schools teach our
boys to think, which is the best def
nltlOn OF education.
When we can leach boys and girls,
and men and women to think more,
we shall have taken long step for
ward. 1t is because the Germans
are thinkers that they have made
such progress in scientific agricul-
ture and forestry.
When our people think more they
will not be content with the old waste
full and unscientific methods of farm
ing. They will study their business
as an engineer studies his profession.
They will know the varieties of soils
and their needs, the value of fertiliz-
ers, the possibilities of apple growing
and the proper care of orchards.
The value of thinking is not con-
fined to any one pursuit. One should
be able to think out his own prob
lens. 1t is so easy to lean on some
other person. The advice of others
is of great value but unless a man is
able as court of last resort to sum-
mon before him all the evidence on a
doubtful point and decide for himself
he is unfit for large responsibility. A
vast deal CT this worlds trouble
comes from the failure to think We
do not think how a thoughtless re-
mark will wound a friend. We dc
not think of the serious results that
will follow certain acts. Careless
thoughtless, forgetful, we blundel
along through life and wonder why
we do not succeed.
The capacity of clear, honest think
ing is a power that should be cult
waited carefully for it's effect upon the
character is beyond measure. By al
means let us teach the boys and girls
to think.