FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 177 



become strong self reliant men and women, able to perform well their part in life's 

 great, unplayed drama? 



Whether this essential education can best be obtained at the University, Agricul- 

 tural College, or in the common school, must depend largely upon the financial 

 ability and choice of personal occupation or pursuit of the persons interested. True 

 education is the harmonious and symmetrical development of the powers and fac- 

 ulties of the human mind and soul. A good practical education will enable one to 

 lighten the care of the farm, carry on the duties of the household, cheer the home 

 and live a pure life. 



Let us consider the daughter's education along three lines. First, fitting for a 

 broad general culture; second, for the practical; third, for ithat which gives broader 

 sympathies and increases the power of enjoying life. In the first a foundation is 

 gained; under the second comes the training of the house-keeper and mother. Suc- 

 cess depends upon the ability to manage. It is an educated mind that can plan and 

 calculate and is able to solve the problems of existence— according to Carlyle's 

 theory of lessening the denominator rather than increasing the numerator, it is 

 very necessary that every girl should know all aboiit the art of housekeeping, for it 

 is in the home where she wins her highest and noblest achievements. In acquiring 

 the third, at the present day, women are said to be losing sight of the chief end of 

 woman. Not so. and when this is realized then shall the true new woman come 

 forth, and train her children for the use and service of the world into which they 

 are born. Farmers' daughters may become farmers' wives, and they should conr 

 sider themselves as much responsible for the success of the family as their hus- 

 bands. They should know somothin:^ about business, and there is no way to this 

 so effectually as to give them an opportunity to do business for themselves. It is 

 worth everything to a woman, if by misfortune it becomes necessary for her to 

 look after property and to take care of herself, to have had some practical knowl- 

 edge of what she has to do. The knowledge derived from study, however well the 

 theory may have been learned, is never equal to practical experience. 



FORESTRY. 



J. J. GEE, Whitehall, at OCEANA COUNTY Farmers' Institute, Shelby. 



Time flies and it is a surprise to note how quickly a tree grows. To illustrate 

 how soon the second growth of oak or pine will have value I would say that by 

 measuring the diameter of some of the second growth oak that has been brought 

 into marliet this winter and counting the rings that indicate each year's growth, I 

 found that trees having a diameter of 7 inches had 21 rings, and those of 9 inches 

 diameter 27 rings; thus showing a diameter growth of 1-3 inch per year or one inch 

 every three years, and this upon poor light sand, and pine grows even more rapidly 

 than oak. Thus you see a tree large enough for a post has been grown from an 

 acorn in less than 25 years. 



Unfortunately for the coming generation is the fact that the present generation in 

 this State have been tree destroyers; and there is some reason for it, but not a 

 sutficient reason for the extreme to which we have gone. When the backwood's 

 man, and this is what we all were a few short years ago, had to contest the ground 

 with trees, stumps and roots for fields to cultivate, he looked upon the hardwood 

 forest as his worst enemy. Almost every one having the short-sighted view of 

 today's gain ever before him, ceased not to wage war upon his woodland, and be- 

 fore he was hardly aware of the fact he wakes up to find that everybody has been 

 doing the same. He is out of wood; his neighbor is in the same condition, and 

 today the writer knows of dozens of farmers in this county who are driving one, 

 two and three miles from home and buying their fuel. And the question comes up 

 what are we each to do for ourselves who still have wood lots? Most of you doubt- 

 less see the wisdom, and in fact, the necessity of only cutting for wood such trees 

 as have reached maturity and show signs of decay, or such large trees as standing 

 In the midst of smaller ones may impede their rapid growth, always being careful 

 not to destroy the young in felling the larger, if possible. 



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