32 Middle-Class Education, 



In fact, as every schoolmaster will state, the difficulty is to 

 find the English class enough to occupy their time with. This 

 difficulty the purely commercial academy meets by the incessant 

 reduplication of writing and ciphering, all the beneficial effect 

 of which wearisome practice may be equally well attained in a 

 few months under a more reasonable regime. 



I have stated that to a certain point the instruction required 

 is much the same for all, and that it is only after some pro- 

 gress has been made that teaching branches off to meet the 

 special requirements of the various professions and spheres of 

 life. This point may be reached at the age of twelve or fourteen, 

 according to the pupil's natural talent, and thenceforth he that is 

 intended for college will mainly devote his time to the study of 

 the classics, yet granting some part to the attainment of modern 

 language and science ; while the commercial lad will distribute his 

 day in the inverse proportions, making modern knowledge his 

 primary aim, yet not altogether neglecting the classics. So 

 might a far higher general tone of intellectual polish, a more 

 extended mental sympathy, be diffused throughout society, whilst 

 the peculiar acquirements of each profession were still respected, 

 in accordance with its distinguishing type. I cannot admit that 

 the intended farmer has at school no spare time for training 

 of this sort. The simple fact is that the young agriculturist is 

 usually of an idle sort as regards books, being given rather to 

 out-door sport, in Avhicli he is too much encouraged by the 

 injudicious remarks made at home. Granted that he cannot 

 often expect, like a Burns, to express in touching verse the 

 poetry of all the simple objects around him ; or, like Ferguson, 

 to take astronomical observations by the help of a slate-frame 

 strung across with beads as he watches his flock by night ; yet 

 that which he can easily acquire may give him gi-eat additional 

 grasp of mind, and gild many a tedious wintry or wet hour, 

 such as Virgil suggests may be devoted to the sharpening of 

 hurdle-stakes. 



French. — To decide whether French be needful to the modern 

 farmer, it may suffice to take a look at our show-yards, and 

 remark the number of foreigners there present, and the extent 

 of their purchases both of stock and machinery. Every child 

 should acquire its difficult accent, and learn to converse with 

 ease at as early an age as possible. 



" I only speak," said an accomplished traveller and linguist to 

 me the other day, " with the inevitably bad pronunciation of one 

 who began French at twenty-three." 



German. — For the same reason, though not to the same 

 extent, would early instruction in German be of advantage. 



Mathematics — In this study the young farmer need not advance 



