4 Middle-Class Education. 



subjects for examination. Even at the Universities Professors 

 are not the onh", or the most important teachers. Without pre- 

 vious grounding in the subjects by the aid of tutors, and of ex- 

 pensive private tutors, their lectures would be of little use even to 

 University students. 



Some people set up a very high standard indeed for farmers' 

 sons — a wide, very wide range of studies, which, if all thoroughly 

 mastered, would produce a host of Admirable Crichtons. I am 

 not quite so sanguine as some in this respect. I do not see the 

 use oi j)f'ofessorial instruction for the great bulk of farmers' sons, 

 Avho cannot be sufficiently prepared for such a system. Neither 

 would I send a youth to an agricultural boarding-school until 

 he had mastered the elements of a common English education. 

 No one should attempt to learn mathematics, chemistry, and 

 geology until he can spell, at least moderately well, and under- 

 stand fractions. 



Being a practical farmer, I may state without presumption 

 what branches of study I have found most useful to myself, in 

 addition to a plain English education : these are, chemistry, 

 land-surveying, all kinds of measuring, the principles of geology, 

 an acquaintance with the poAver, properties, and use of the 

 steam-engine, and other machines. Some knowledge of medi- 

 cine, and the treatment of domestic animals, is also very useful. 

 IMathematios ought to be taught at school as the best kind of 

 mental discipline, algebra and logarithms being specially in- 

 cluded ; plane geometry should be learnt, as being the theory of 

 w hich all practical rules followed in measuring of all kinds are the 

 application. Land-surveying may be learned by much practice 

 without mathematics, but In a much less time loith mathematics. 

 Every farmer ought to know how to measure a field quickly and 

 correctly, that he may be quite at home in calculating the 

 progress and extent of every operation going on, almost daily, 

 on his farm. I do not mean that the chain should be often in 

 use, but that the correct lengths of the various fields being known, 

 a mere stepping across any piece of ploughing, drilling, hoeing, 

 reaping, or manuring may enable you to cast up in your mind, 

 Avithin a trifle, the amount of work done. VVhen a farmer can 

 measure and calculate with readiness and accuracy, there is no 

 difficulty in carrying out any ordinary experiment In manures, or 

 in calculating the weight of a root-crop, by merely measuring 

 some rows or pieces, and ascertaining the produce by measured 

 cart-loads of known weight. Such experiments as these may 

 be carried out near enough for general purposes with little 

 trouble or expense. I have thus carried out about forty such 

 in a year with scarcely any expense. 



Chemistry is also of frequent use even for those who are not 



