222 Education of Farmers. [^la-Jj 



And iu theorizing about the particular class of schools needed, we 

 begin at the wrong end. First, let the farmers rouse themselves to 

 some action in the matter ; let a deep, universal sense of the im- 

 portance and necessity of education be felt, and the particular meth- 

 od will regulate itself. 



It would be useless to errect a mint without gold for coinage. — 

 We plan our agricultural colleges. What we want is bullion. We 

 want the eager mind first. We want farmers aroused from the in- 

 activity, in this respect, into which they have allowed themselves to 

 fall. We want them to take hold of the matter in earnest ; and 

 until they do, until from the rocks of Maine to the bayous of Louisi- 

 ana, from the prairies of the North-west to the swamps of Florida, 

 there comes up a heartfelt cry, " we must educate" — until then, we 

 say, the root of the matter is untouched. 



There are now appliances enough ichere the true fire hums. The 

 farmer contributes nobly to our great men; and if this individual 

 spirit was general, the world would be regenerated. We have honor 

 and truth, virtue and health — the greatest blessing — and numbers, 

 and wealth ; but without education, without a main-spring, we must, 

 run down. And here we are, at the foot of the hill. TANTALUS-like, 

 the fruit just above our heads, but we can not reach it. Does any 

 one doubt it ? Does any one contend that the farmer occupies the 

 position that he should occupy ? Let us look at the facts. 



Who fill our offices? Who tax our property? Who tug at the 

 wheel? and who ride? Who pay the taxes? Who spend the 

 money? and, worse by far, who sit in the seats of learning? — 

 Who wield the pen — ay, "the pen agricultural?" Who make the 

 great speeches at our agricultural fairs in most cases ? Are we ru- 

 lers, or ruled? When we take our wheat to market do we find mat- 

 ters arranged for our convenience and benefit, or are we exposed to 

 the tricks and deceits of a horde of sharpers, who lead us as " lambs 

 to the slaughter ? " Every one knows the true answers to these 

 questions. We farmers are made in too many cases the sport and 

 tool of others. Must this be so? Must we, through our own cul- 

 pable negligence, want knoioledge ? Must we lions pull our teeth, 

 and go about begging our food from jackalls? Agriculture is in- 

 deed the greatest, noblest, and best of all pursuits, ichen its sons be- 

 come educated men. It is a popular mistake to suppose the farm- 

 er's son fit for no pursuit but agrimltnre. We want to recruit 

 the ranks of every pursuit from their number. When a ship- 



