294 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



illiterate boor, •with scarcely a thought or an aspiration 

 above his own labourers and companions. Fortunately 

 we have outlived such an era; and a good education 

 is no longer considered as being above a tenant's proper 

 station or right. When Mr. Colvillo pooh-poolied the 

 piano, and wished to return to the golden age of tlie 

 maid with themilking-pail, he could not find any one to 

 support him. And although it may be politic enough 

 for the master even yet to know how to draw a furrow 

 himself, the interpretation of his duty is susceptible of 

 a far higher reading. " Science, the arts, and me- 

 chanics," as they said at the Farmers' Club, have, by 

 this, gradually increasing calls on his attention, and it 

 will be to his best interest not to neglect them. 



The important question, after all, is as to when the 

 education of the farmer should or does actually 

 commence? Up to a certain time most lads must 

 receive the same kind of treatment. They learn 

 to read, write, and cipher ; and at the meeting 

 the other night there was a pretty general opinion 

 that Latin and Greek could do them no harm. 

 So far, and any boy of the middle or even higher 

 classes in society might be well grounded, without ever 

 touching on the important point of " What he's going 

 to be?" But there is a limit to all this. The soldier goes 

 to Sandhurst or Addiscomb, the merchant as a clerk to 

 London, the divine to tlie university, and the future 

 farmer to Cirencester or Kennington. If he does, he is a 

 grand exception to wliat has so far been the common 

 course of things. Or, if, as we may assume he does not, he 

 leaves Horace and Homer for farm accounts, tlie rota- 

 tion of crops, and the diseases of cattle, as he will 

 study them in company with some practical authority 

 of repute. There is more probability of this ; but 

 still such an apprenticeship is by no means the common 

 lot. The greater chance is, that he only leaves school 

 " to look about him." If his father sliould be en- 

 gaged in rural pursuits, he goes home to assist, and to 

 get that inherent knowledge of the business only 

 to be acquired under such circumstances; that is, by 

 doing very much as he likes. As a principle of educa- 

 tion, we should say that young men are generally be- 

 yond the beneficial influence of any rule or sys- 

 tem when they are thus left to themselves under the 

 family roof. And yet it is in this wise that the ma- 

 jority of our farmers have learnt the rudiments of their 

 profession. While one brother is grinding at the law, 

 and another walking the hospitals, " John" is 

 troubling himself very little about his business, until 

 Maryaime hints that if they are ever going to be 

 married he had better look out for a place of his own. 

 And tiien the old people start them, and John really 

 begins at last to learn farming in earnest. And much 

 credit to him that he has got on so well as he has 

 done. 



Even admitting that a man mi«ht and often does 

 acquire a practical knowledge of his profession in this 

 way, there are yet many things that it is almost im- 

 possible for him to pickup at home. His education 

 wants " pointing," as it wer^, for the pursuit forwliich 

 he is intended; and we must accept it as a very 

 evident truism, that the more one really knows of 

 his business the more likely is ho to succeed in 

 it. Now, the devolopment of modern agriculture 

 has made this same " pointing " more and more indis- 

 pensable. In the days when we all did jnst as we had 

 done, a lad might perhaps have learned the whole art 

 of farming on the farm itself. But he can scarcely do 

 BO now. Science, mechanics, and the arts are by this 



part and parcel of his daily avocations ; and it is almost 

 as necessary for him to be well grounded in these, 

 as in the mere routine of ploughing, sowing, and 

 reaping. In fact, science and the arts bear directly on 

 these ; and the man who has not some jtroportionate 

 knowledge of their efiFects works more or less in the 

 dark, as well as at the mercy of many who are sure to 

 play ujion his ignorance. Wliat would promise to guard 

 him against the tricks of some of the manure dealers so 

 surely as a personal acquaintance with chemistry ? 

 What shall secure for him the best implements but some 

 practice in mechanics ? And youth, be it remembered, 

 is the time for learning. Many who had not the op- 

 portunity in their younger days have gradually edu- 

 cated themselves in these matters. But self-educated 

 men are ever exceptional ; and the farmer who is to 

 have, as he should have, a knowledge of such sciences, 

 should obtain it ere he ventures to report himself up 

 to his business. 



There are already, as we have said, establishments 

 especially provided for supplying such information ; 

 and others, no doubt, would spring up as more and 

 more use was made of them. The application rests 

 now altogether with the farmers themselves; and those 

 who are content with giving their sons merely a reading 

 and writing education, just fitting them for anything, 

 or rather for nothing, may rest assured that they are 

 not affording their children that fair chance they should 

 have. Mr. Bond, indeed, would go so far as to both 

 test and stimulate tlie proficiency of our agricultural 

 youth by a system of public examination. Hitherto, all 

 attempts at this have been unmistakable failures. Nor 

 are we very sanguine as to such a means ever meeting 

 with any very general support. There can, of 

 course, be no objection to each separate institution 

 having periodically such an ordeal of its own ; 

 but we question very much whether any number 

 of young men of " one-and-twenty " would go up for 

 " honours." However, there is a manifest inclination 

 in many places to foster advancement by this or some 

 similar agency. Both the Highland and West of 

 England Societies have for some time been moving in 

 this direction ; and Mr. Bond calls directly on our 

 national society also to look to it. Here " lies hid in 

 embryo the Royal Agricultural Society's most success- 

 ful ojierations and her proudest tMumphs." 



Just at this time Mr. Bond is especially em- 

 phatic on the improvement and education of 

 our agricultural population. During the same 

 week that he read his paper at the Central Club 

 "On the Education, Discipline, and Introduction 

 of the young Farmer to Life," there was published 

 by the Suffolk Society a prize-essay in his name on 

 "The Elevation, Improvement, and Education of the 

 Labouring Classes." Perha])s, if anything, there were 

 portions of the Club paper which assimilated in style 

 more with what a Discourse might be, than an every-day 

 address of one i'armer to his fellows. The essay, how- 

 ever, goes even beyond tliis. It is filled with references 

 to and quotations from the Scriptures, abounds in ex- 

 hortations and lamentations, is written up to the 

 precept of " Love the brethren," and concludes with a 

 short prayer. We question the taste or policy of 

 thus continually introducing the most sacred subjecfs, 

 while wo have the highest authorities to support 

 us in saying such a practice is commonly attended 

 with more harm than good. Mr. Bond lias already 

 deservedly distinguished himself as a writer and speaker 

 on agricultural topics, and liis papers hitherto have 

 struck us as being singularly well composed. But 

 we fear the tone of his more recent efforts will rather 

 tend to defeat his intentions, good as we must allow 

 them to be, 



