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suppose a young, educated New England farmer to settle down in the 

 woods by the side of one who had never entered a schoolhouse, and 

 whose intellect was wholly untrained. The latter may be a neater 

 ploughman; he may be physically stronger, and able to work more 

 hours without fatigue ; but supposing both equally industrious and stea- 

 dy, at the end of ten years which farm will be the best and whose pock- 

 ets "will be the fullest ? I need not answer. Now the difference is, that 

 one mind is trained to think and observe, the other is in a state of na- 

 ture ; and this one fact will be found to affect every operation, and the 

 result of every operation. But suppose that our Yankee friend has on- 

 ly had a general education, such as is given in primary schools. He has 

 learned to read, write and cipher, to think and discriminate, and look to 

 the future, but he has received no particular professional education as a 

 farmer. All he knows on this subject he has picked up as he could, by 

 copying others and reading papers. Now carry the matter further. Drop 

 the totally ignorant man, and place the other along side of one who has 

 had all his advantages, but far more, who has been educated thoroughly 

 — I do not mean that he can translate Latin and Greek, but has had his 

 intellect thoroughly trained in all its faculties, and besides he has been 

 instructed professionally in all that is known theoretically and practi- 

 cally of agriculture — of soils, manures, grain, stock, implements, book- 

 keeping, &c. Is it not to be supposed, that other things being equal, 

 this one would surpass the latter, as the latter surpassed the first ? The 

 contrary were opposed to everj'thing we know of the human mind, and 

 to all living examples. But let mc clear away a difficulty. There is, 

 I know, a deep prejudice in the minds of many farmers oa this score, 

 and it is unfortunate in the extreme that it is so. It arises from a mis- 

 take as to what the word " edncation" means. A farmer sends his son 

 to a High School, and after that to College, with the express view of 

 studying some profession. The boy looks to this end alone, is occupied 

 in learning Latin, Greek, and Mathematics, takes little exercise, becomes 

 dyspeptic, and when at home for vacation, not only shows little inclina- 

 tion or ability to work, but perhaps, as boys will do, sneers at the home- 

 ly living of his family. The father, of course, feels this severely; he 

 judges that " education" unfits a man for practical life ; and he deter- 

 mines that his younger boys shall run no such danger. Yet it is not 

 " education" in the abstract, but a mistaken or a too narrowed education 



