FAKMEKS' IS^STITUTES. 699 



cause knowledge will be useful to you in making your life on the farm 

 happier and your work on the farm more successful? Or does he not 

 often say, "Go to school and get an education, so j^ou may grow up and 

 become an editor, or a doctor, or a lawyer, or a school teacher, or a 

 preacher, and then you will not hate to work so hard." In speaking of 

 their own children or of other children who have had the good fortune to 

 acquire a good education. I have frequently heard farmers say it is to be 

 hoped that thoy will make some good use of their schooling, or it is not 

 necessai-y for them to remain in school longer, if they intend to be farm- 

 ers. Just as though knowledge could not be made use of on the farm. 

 A lady was a successful teacher in one of the high schools of this State. 

 She gave up her position, married a farmer and is now living happily uijon 

 a large farm. Some lamented that a woman who had received a finished 

 education should throw herself away by living upon a farm. But she is 

 proud of her husl)and's calling, and says, "Let us show our children the 

 bright side of farm life, by seeing it ourselves, remembering that in teach- 

 ing them to love the country, there is taught the love of country— the very 

 essence of patriotism." 



Farming is a great educator. It dcA-elops forethought and self-suffi- 

 ciency. Continued employment in the service of others, in many instances, 

 tends to cripple native capacity. Men and women do not rench their 

 highest development under restraint. There must be freedom before one's 

 life blossoms out into its. greatest power and beauty. Fi'eedom of actiou. 

 freedom of thought, freedom of expression are essential to the largest 

 growth. This freedom is easiest found in farm life. 



But then you say too much work on the farm. Yes, if It becomes 

 drudgery. Let us make haste to learn that the reward of work Is power- 

 power to do more work. Work is not only an opportunity to make a living, 

 but is also an opportunity to make a life. While man is acting on the 

 world through work, work is perpetually reacting on man. A boy learning 

 to saw a straight line is also learning to tell the truth. While discovering 

 the beauties and equities of a symmetrical leaf, he is uncovering in his 

 soul the principles of .justice. There is no one in a better- position to be- 

 come an observer of nature than the farmer. In Shakespeare's words, 

 ''He may find sermons in stones, books in running brooks and good in 

 everything." Although a knowledge of books is valuable, he does not 

 need a book to study science. Experience teaches the farmer more than 

 the school can teach about insects of all kinds— especially about bugs- 

 potato bugs, chinch bugs, little bugs, big bugs, and humbugs as well. In 

 going about the business of the farm its owner may form the habit of 

 observation, endeavoring thereby to learn some new thing about the 

 secrets of nature, something that may please his fancy and give him food 

 for entertaining thought. Some one said: 



"The building swallow and the skillful bee 

 Taught ancient men their gifts of masonry." 



