56 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



important a factor in the success of farm operations as is the farmer him- 

 self. If he provides, she must administer. And more, she almost inva- 

 riably has the management of the dairy and the poultry, and frequently 

 thereby contributes half the income, besides ruling with a wise and care- 

 ful hand the outgo. For this, she needs an education, and an education 

 parallel with and equal in extent to that of the farmer, her husband. 

 Science in the kitchen and in the household counts for as much in pre- 

 serving health, in making life worth living, in lending to farm life those 

 woefull3' needed features, interest and variety, in lessening expenditures 

 and making the balance on the right side, as it does in the fields or 

 orchards, or stock-yard. Still further, who is it that is to guide the infant 

 mind, to care for its health, to mould its purposes, to set its goals of ambi- 

 tion, to create its atmosphere of effort and achievement? Ah! it is here 

 that the mother is supreme. If she believes in farm life, understands 

 the intricacies of its operations, is able intelligently to discuss the knotty 

 problems of planning and managing as they arise, is thorouglily inter- 

 ested in the work and loyal and enthusiastic for the calling, there is no 

 question about the children's interest in it. From Hannah on down 

 through the ages it is the mothers who have added recruits to the pulpit 

 and the missionary field. No theological school has ever exerted a tithe 

 of the moulding influence of a mother's faith, a mother's love, a mother's 

 ambition softly breathed into the half-attentive ear of the boy at her 

 knee; and sometimes, working against tremendous odds, it has transfig- 

 ured the most stubborn and rebellious dispositions. Such an influence 

 exerted for the farm is all powerful. And then, if to the motlier's influ- 

 ence is added the interest of the sweetheart, have we not made assurance 

 doubly sure and taken a bond of fate for the future of the boy? Let the 

 girl be wedded to the farm and I will venture to say that the boy will be a 

 fairly enthusiastic brother-in-law. But first the mother and the daughter 

 must find interest in this farm life and work, and through education 

 must make that interest intelligent. Such education is the business of 

 an agricultural college. That when properly trained women are a power 

 on the farm as everywhere else is proved by actual example. The most 

 enthusiastic, intelligent, successful practical farmer at one of the insti- 

 tutes last winter was a woman. In all subsequent remarks, then, be it 

 understood that we mean to include both girl and boy. 



I said a few moments ago that our mission was to educate for farming 

 those who look forward to farming. It is useless for us to deceive our- 

 selves. There is no known machine so constructed that you can put a 

 young man in at one end, turn a crank for four years and bring him out 

 at the other end a farmer; or a teacher, either, or a physician. The 

 material, the previous bias, counts for everything. An Oliver 

 Wendell Holmes may be educated first as a lawyer, then as a 

 physician, but he makes his name world-famous as an author. A 

 Walter Scott may spend years in studying for the law, but he turns out a 

 novel writer. On the other hand, no amount of planing and binding and 

 shaping can ever make of a twisted, gnarled tree-trunk a tall, stately 

 mast. Possibly it might make an excellent, sturdy, shapely knee-timber. 

 No amount of grinding, sharpening, polishing and pearl-handle setting 

 can make a carving knife of a piece of soft iron. So, when, as lately 

 occurred, I hear some man gloating over an agricultural college graduate 



