The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1910-12-02

kyN Wnen a friend suggests that
you encourage your boy to
|SSB take up farming for his life
AV work. know that farm
or has been looked upon
as an unkempt, illiterate, awkward,
poor, struggling creature without hope
Of reward for the utmost self-denial
and planning, with buildings and
grounds and machinery and horses
mortgaged, wife overworked, and chill
dren forced to remain out of school
to help at farm work, nothing but toll
and poverty.
II such conditions ever really exist
ed generally among Uncle Sans till
ers Of the soil, which is extremely
doubtful, they have departed, for agri-
culture nowadays is king It has taken
a long time to bring it about; but the
farmer of today has every opportu-
nifty to be the most independent and
self-respecting citizen of this country
BY all means, therefore, if you pos
sibly can, persuade your boy to be a
farmer-not the clodhopper kind, of
city tradition, but the modern kind
the scientific farmer.
Don't object that you can't afford to
pay his way through college Though,
for that matter, any ambitious boy can
work his way through college without
a cent from home, and it is particular
ly easy to do so in agricultural COL
leges, for the most earnest effort of
colleges all over the United States
these days Is to help a. boy become
proficient in agriculture). Really, it is
far easier to be scientific farmer than
the other kind.
A recent letter from D. j. Crosby,
government specialist in agricultural
education, to the writer contained
this:
NEARLY every state agricultural col
lege in the United States makes some
provision for reaching the young man
who cannot secure college education.
Several Of these institutions offer cor
respondence courses and reading
courses In agriculture; nearly every
one Of them Is engaged in farmers in
schools of agriculture, or short win
ter courses, at the college or at Access
sible places IN different parts of the
state"
So great has been the impetus in
education for the farmer that there are
500 institutions giving instruction in
agriculture. These include nearly 70
colleges, 10 normal schools, 270 high
schools and academies, corresponding
and reading courses in Is states, Is ell
ementary schools, and over 80 for ne
groes and Indians.
Agricultural colleges proper, which
are maintained in all the states, give
full college course. generally bestow-
ing the degree of bachelor of science,
and graduates are fitted for the most
difficult and advanced problems of any
character in agricultural lines; but so
great is the demand for instructors
that most graduates take up profess
sional work or as teachers, instead Of
becoming actual farmers. Those who
have adopted farming for themselves,
however, are enjoying enviable free
and prosperous lives in their several
communities
II for some reason your boy can't go
to college, still every opportunity is
open for him to get all the education
and training that he can find time for.
To quote from one of the government
bulletins:
For those engaged in agricultural
occupations-the farmers, dairymen
and fruit growers, and their sons and
daughters who are unable to leave
home during the busy seasons-the
special winter courses have been or
ganized. These courses carry in length
from a week to twelve weeks. They
are in most cases severely practical.
They center around the Judging paw
lion, the laboratory, the dairy, and the
cheese room, with lectures and read
ings to supplement the practicums.
The nature of these courses is even
more varied than their length Of term.
They offer courses in general agricul-
ture, including more or less thorough
instruction in plant production, animal
husbandry, dairying, poultry culture.
domestic science, agronomy, bee cul-
ture, forestry, beet sugar production,
farm mechanics, botany, bacteriology,
and entomology. There are also q
large number Of practicum courses and
lecture courses which are confined to
a single line of practice, such as cereal
Judging, stock Judging, and the de-
struction of noxious insects.
The special winter courses are the
utility courses, important because OF
the influence of present practice on
future practice. And present practice
Is sure to have a powerful influence on
the young people who are to be the
future farmers, and on the quality OF
soil, farm machinery, and domestic
animals with which these young PEG
ple will have to do when they take
charge Of farms.
And, finally, there are the summer
schools for teachers and the one-yea1
and two-year normal courses, in all
of which nature study and elementary
agriculture are important features"
These special and extended courses
IRE generally given with only slight
if any, charge for tuition, and entrance
examinations are not required.
So great has been the recognition OF