TAEMEES' INSTITUTES. 695 



times tbis may be unavoidable, but if at all possible, tbis boy should have 

 an equal opportunity with the other boys and girls of his age. There is 

 only one time to lay this foiuidation, and that is in his youth. If he does 

 not acquire a good common school education while yovuig he will have 

 nothing on -which to build, and his intellectual structure will be a failure. 



When the foundation is complete, when a general education has been 

 acquired, Avhich must be similar both in city and country, it is then Ave 

 notice the diflerence in the buildings to be erected. Some wish to build 

 a doctor's office, some a store, some a factory, some a lawyer's office, some 

 a parsonage. In other Avords, each must choose a profession, and must 

 build according to the profession he has chosen. Here is where 1 think 

 the farmer makes one of his most serious mistakes, the lack of training 

 in his profession. 



Suppose a man had four sons, and Avlien each became of age he would 

 tell tlieni to choose a profession, and he would giA'e them the means to, 

 start in Imsiness. One says, "I have decided to be a doctor." The father 

 says, "All right, I Avill build you a doctor's office, giA^e you a medicine case 

 and surgical instruments and lomorrow you may be a doctor." The 

 next says, "I Avill be a hiAA^ver." The father says he Avill provide him with 

 an office and a shelf of hnv books and he may enter his profession on to- 

 morrow. The third says he has chosen civil engineering as his profession. 

 The father says, "I Avil provide you Avith transit, chain and compasses, 

 or surA^eyor's outfit, and tomorrow you may go to Avork." We would say, 

 "HoAV ridiculous! Does he expect those boys to do anything Avithout pro- 

 fessional training?" But Avhen the fourth boy says he Avill be a farmer, 

 Ave think he is perfectly right to say to him, "Here is a farm; be a 

 farmer." 



NoAv Avhy do we expect more of this boy than the others? While we be- 

 lieve the farmer boy to be e(iual Avitli any, I believe we credit him with 

 too much natural born ability. I believe it is just as essential for the 

 farmer boy to receive professional training as in any other profession of 

 life. 



I am glad AA^e have our State Agricultural Colleges where our boys and 

 girls can receive practical training to make more successful farmers and 

 farmer's wives. I wish it Avere Avithin reach of all country boys who 

 choose farming as their profession to take a course at Purdue or some 

 agricultural college. I am sui'e he Avould be a more successful farmer for 

 the information and practical training he had received. 



While all can not attend these colleges, much information may be ob- 

 tained by reading and books. We may learn by the experiments of others. 

 Carlyle, the poet, says "The tr-ue university of these days is a collection of 

 good books." 



We are glad the days are passed when the almanac and the newspaper 

 formed the chief literature of the farmer's library. We are glad that 

 noAV Avhen aa'o enter the home of a thrifty, industrious farmer Ave find on 

 the table the leading papers and magazines of the day, and the standard 



