Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1911-03-24


yzs,, ONT turn : up your npse'
bkBNA when a friend suggests, that
MI you encourage your ICY 10
take up farming l6Eshts ltfe-t
-lNlI work. | knowihat fafrl-
A---- err has been Looked upon
as an unkempt, illiterate, awkward;
poor, strugg ing creature without hope
of reward for the utmost occidental
and plann:ng, with buildings & and
grounds and machinery and horses
n1ortgaged, wife overworked, and chill
dren forced to remain out Of school
to help at farm work, nothing but toll
and poverty. 1'f e
+ If such conditions ever really exist
ed generally among Uncle Sans till-'
ers of the soil, which is extremely
doubtful, they have departed, for agTi-
culture nowadays is king. It has taken
long time to bring it about; but the
farmer of today has every opportu-
nifty to be the most Independent and
seli+respecting citizen of this country.
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
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 boy become
proficient in agricuture). Beally, 1t 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 a 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.
stitute work or in conducting movable
schools OF agriculture. or short win
ter courses, at the college or at Access
sihle places in different parts of the
state" q
So great has been he impetus lin,
education for the farmer that there ATes
500 institutions giving instruction in.
agriculture. These include nearly 20
colleges, ITO 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 profes-
sional work or as teachers, instead of
becoming actual farmers.
II for some reason your boy can't 90
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 oer'o"rG"or'
occupations-th farmers, da.rj S.
and fruit growers, and their sons and
daughters who arc unable to leave
home during the busy seasons--the
special winter courses have been or
ganized. These courses carry In length
from n week to twelve weeks. They
are in most casss severely practical
They center. around the judging paw
lion, the laboratory, the dairy, and the
cheese room, with lectures and read
inss 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 a
large number Of practicum courses and
lecture courses which are confined to
single line OF practice, such as cereal
judging. stock judging, and the de-
Etruction Of noKious insects
The specia 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 peo-
pie will have to DO when they take
ct,nrIe OF farms fuaas
And, finally, thsre are the summer
schools for teachers and the one-year
Hnd two-ysIr normal courses, in all