What College for the Boy 283 



Now, the chief function of these transitory interests 

 in special forms of work and learning as shown by 

 the young growing boy is this : to furnish the 

 occasions for a great variety of activities and practices 

 for trying him out on all the possible sides of his 

 nature. Not one of these intense boyish interests is 

 necessarily very directly preparatory to his final 

 choice of a vocation, while all are indirectly so. 

 Therefore, if the fifteen-year-old son chances to 

 win in a corn-raising contest, or at a live-stock exhi- 

 bition, or if he manifests unusual interest in arith- 

 methic, declamation, or nature study, do not regard 

 any of these as necessarily pointing to his best 

 possible vocational work. Presumably, at such 

 an undeveloped age, he is still in possession of some 

 latent interests and aptitudes, one of which may 

 far outweigh any such thing hitherto awakened 

 in his life. Give him time to mature and, if at 

 all practicable, send him on to college. 



WHAT COLLEGE FOR THE COUNTRY BOY 



It is the opinion of the author that the State 

 Agricultural College, as now situated and organized, 

 is the ideal institution of higher learning for the 

 country -bred youth. It offers him every reasonable 

 incentive and opportunity for continuing in the 

 calling of his father, if he be so inclined, while at 

 the same time it gives instruction in many other 

 departments of learning. Whether the state in- 



