The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-08-09

that engaso sRxi5n Of the farm
lad to Indicate ~ a5,cis equip
It be the function OF rs School
It is evident that he are. aas an
agricultural educa ton, In many re-
spects, better than any school could
whether his further education should
be narrowed into the scope Of his fu-
ture occupation, or whether he should
have that broad general culture which
experience has shown to be approved.
Or, to state it more specifically, should
it be the function Of the Ugh School
to turn out the boy instructed in some
elem entary knowledge OF farm work,
or should it seek to give him mental
power so that he will find it easy to
read and use tho great mass Of inform
alton with reference to farm work
distributed by the departments Of ag
riculture of our State and National
governments, and our farm Journals
Should education fit him for mere
" farming operations or for all rela~
tons Of life. as husband. father, neigh
bor, citizen, and member Of the
church?
The mere statement of the question
is its answer. The education Of the
farmer boy should IN no material re-
speet differ from that of any other
boy. If Latin is good for the city boy,
Liberal culture is as necessary for the
one as for the other.
Again, we must keep in view this
fundamenta truth, that the boy le
not yet the man, and that his educa-
ton must not be such as to curcum-
scribe his choice Of q career when
he has finished the High School. Every
one has a right to an education that
will leave him free choice as to his
ion f,pT hon a }
farmer, lawyer, preacher, or what
not. And 1t IS the more necessary to
make this observation from consider
alton of the fact that the capacity an0
aptitudes Of many a boy are not DIS
closed until he has baout com pleted
the High School course. Nay. many go
through college before these things
graduatefrom a financial point OF
yiew-that Wake Forts College has
turned out IN recent years, is a farm
er; while many Of the students OF the
State A. & M College have become
lawyers. They were through college
before they found themselves.
Some appear to believe that before
agriculture can gain a place IN tne
curriculum Of the High School, Latin
must be shown the door. This need
not be So It is very little agriculture
hat can be taught in our High Scnools
The teachers, many of them women
many of them young men just out OF
college, perhaps city bred, certainly
divorced from farm work, for four
wears. are not prepared to offer any
thing beyond a very elementary course
in agriculture. Nor are the schools
equipped with necessary laboratories
and apparatus. And though all THESE
conditions were changed, still room
in a four years course might still be
found for both Latin and agriculture
Again the average country LAD Is
able to learn Latin-just as able as his
fellow from town. In fact. the ad-
yantages in ability will be found to be
on his side latin is no difficult sub
iect. have seen a boy whose mind
had been ruined by a smattherlng OF
English gram mar, arltHme11c ana ms
tory. rally under the drill and discip-
line of beginners Latin and turn ou'
a bright, accurate scholar.
Nor does a boy have to go to college
to make his Latin worth while. NC
! one thinks Of restricting the study OF
history in the High School to Amer
| lean history; it is we'll that every poS
and pirl should know something OF the
history of the world. 1t is just as I'M
Dortant for general culture that the5
should have some knowledge OF a TOT
! eign language. especially Of one Whlcr
| has had such a tremendous influence
! on our own as Latin. Even one year $
study of it is worth while, and IN tWe
or three years one may gain enough -
be of lifelong service. For all VII
admit that knowledge of Latir
throws a flood Of light on the vocabu'
| larry of all our literature. and gives
| feeling of initiation into the mysteries
| of culture that nothing else can.