228 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



that Agricultural college and spend six weeks without coming home and 

 knowing how to raise better fruit than he is raising now. I know their 

 methods and I know that the institution ought to receive better support 

 in Michigan than we are giving it now, and it ought to enjoy the patron- 

 age of every young man in this state. 



Prof. Taft: I am sure Mr. Hale's experience is not with the Michigan 

 college boys, but possibly I can account for his own experience in the 

 Nutmeg state by telling a story about a farmer who had two sons. 

 One was a very bright young man and the farmer thought he knew 

 enough to run a farm; at least, he was kept at home to work on the 

 farm. The other one was a half-way fool, and was sent to college — to 

 even things up. While he was away, the farmer had a calf that he was 

 raising, and he was trying to teach him to drink milk. He tried and 

 tried, but it was no success, and finally he wanted to know what in 

 thunder to do with the calf. The boy who was at home quickly 

 remarked, "Father, send him to college along with Bill." 



The President: I am one of the poor unfortunates who had to go to 

 growing fruit without an education, and I tell you today that, with my 

 experience, I would give a boy just as good an education, if I expected 

 him to grow fruit in the future, as I would if I expected him to be a 

 lawyer or a doctor. I would make a man of him first, I would broaden 

 him, I would make him believe there was something in him, I would 

 give him confidence in himself and in the world, and that is only gained 

 by the respect for himself which is gained by a good education. I 

 do not care whether you put him in the Agricultural college or 

 any of the technical schools; but broaden him, let him under- 

 stand that he is a man and a good one; but if he has not good 

 material in him it does not make any difference where you put him — he 

 will not amount to anything. I think a great deal of this criticism 

 that comes on young men is noticed because they are college students; 

 but we have a great many more young men who are practical failures 

 that are not college students than we have among the college students, 

 but we do not notice them. An effort has been made to make something 

 of the young man that goes to college; and if he fails the whole neigh- 

 borhood notices it, and he is a marked man; but the boy who fails to 

 get that education and goes to the dogs is not noticed, because he has 

 never been noticed and never comes to your notice; and I think this is 

 responsible for the ideas of this character. Mr. Hale has had some 

 experience. He tells us that he would like a capable, clean, bright, col- 

 lege-bred man, who is capable of taking charge of his farm. 



Mv. Hale: I want a man that is capable of taking care of it, I do 

 not care where he comes from. If from the college, so much the better. 



The President: I will engage to introduce Mr. Hale to a young man, 

 college-bred and a gentleman, before he leaves this hall, whom I believe 

 perfectly competent to do that. If they can get together, I have found 

 his man, and he is. a college-bred man, too. I think that this is a matter 

 that is very serious, and I think many of us believe, who have not 

 the opportunity now and did not get it in our youth, that the rising 

 generation needs the benefit of the best that we have in sight in the 

 way of education. 



