1856. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



always to find just the right men. Still, if the right 

 men have fitted themselves for any position in life, 

 which circumstances and time may bring about, 

 then, of course, the right men can be found, so 

 that nothing will l)e lost by farmers in obtaining 

 all useful information on all other subjects which 

 may present themselves for investigation. 



Now, it is well known that the farmer, the me- 

 chanic, the manufacturer, the professional man, the 

 scientific man and the scholar, each of these, have 

 their particular ideas in which they view matter and 

 things. Namely, the practical men and the theo- 

 retical ; some, perhaps the majority, will incline 

 largely to the practical view of things, while others 

 will incline more to the theoretical side ; now, 

 which is right and which wrong? The farmer says 

 the great and leading points of a farmer's life are 

 the practical, and it is true. But then I claim that 

 this is just as true in regard to the jirofessional 

 man, scientific man and scholar. Why not ? 

 Still, Avhile I lay the principal claim to the practical 

 in all things, at the same time the theoretical is 

 worthy of attention and study. In fact, theory 

 many times precedes practice, not by sj)eculation 

 so much, as in opening the way for practice, which 

 comes along either to refute or sustain, as the case 

 may prove to be. Now, to my mind, where the- 

 ory and practice can be made to harmonize and 

 work together, each in its own way, without clash- 

 ing with each other, that system of education will 



For the New England Farmer. 



WHAT A FARMER'S EDUCATION 

 SHOD ID BE. 



Mr. Editor : — What kind of education do far- 

 mers require, difierent from other classes, may be 

 asked by those engaged in other employments. 

 Now it may be a difficult matter to determine just 

 what kind of education farmers should possess, in 

 order to qualify them for their vocation and position 

 in fife. Still, some ideas on this subject may not 

 be out of place ; if farmers can be induced to think 

 on the subject, it will have at least a good look to- 

 wards improvement on this ])oint. Any education 

 that a farmer can pick up, of course, will be better 

 than none, or, at least, a very scanty one, — a fact 

 which many farmers, as well as other men, are too 

 apt to content themselves with. In fact, a farmer 

 should consider that his education is never finished 

 until he lays his body down in the grave, and this 

 fact will hold good when applied to all classes of 

 people. Now we have a great deal in the world at 

 present, among all classes, which passes for educa- 

 tion, but in reality it is just no education at all. 

 That is to say, it is not that kind of education which 

 serves to lead a man to become an honorable, up- 

 right and useful citizen. A man may have a great 

 deal of what the world calls knowledge, yet in re- 

 ality be not educated, after all, in a strict sense. 



Education ]n'oper, means, as I understand it, the 

 fitting, training and preparing one's self for all the | be the most perfect and useful in all things. 

 dudes which men have to do with in this life. Now In these days the question is often put, what kind 

 a farmer's education should be of that character of studies should the young farmer pursue, or the 

 which partakes largely of the practical in all things scholar in school study, in order to maJ^e the young 

 that he has to do with. He should see the neces-jman an educated one in after life? To this ques- 

 sity of fitting himself for his own position in life, I tion, almost as many answers might be given as 

 and he should adapt his means to that end; he you have men to deal with; some would say, per- 



shoukl feel, also, that he has a peculiar work to per- 

 form ; he should feel, in reality, that no one else 

 can do that work but himself, which is true in every 

 sense of the word. But then a fiirmer's education, 

 in the main, should be directed with a particular 

 reference to his business on the farm ; because, it is 

 from that source that he derives his living, and it is 

 there that his forte lies, and if he does not succeed 

 in making a point there, he will hardly do so in 

 anything else. Now, while I cannot lay down 

 any rule to guide or govern all in this matter, yet 

 I may be able to throw out some ideas, which, if 

 improved upon, will result in benefit to all con- 

 cerned. I have become satisfied, too, from per- 

 sonal observation, that a fiirmer's education, if it is 

 ever obtained at all, must be got upon the farm. 



Of course, there will be exceptions to this rule, 

 but a home education is what the mass of farmers 

 must depend on, or a system of self-instruction. 

 And in reality, this is the ])lace for it, so far at 

 least as all jjractical instruction relates to it, Avheth- 

 er it be on the farm, or sell-improvement as relates 

 to a general education. In i'act, I believe that the 

 farm is a better place to get a practical education, 

 such an education as will both be useful and ])rofit- 

 able, than any other position in which a man can bo 

 placed. I might go on to say how a farmer should 

 fit himself to fulfil all the duties which devolve 

 upon him as a citizen, how he should educate him- 

 self so as to meet all the exigencies which men have 

 to encounter. But it may not be practicable, or 

 even necessary, now to do this, as when men are 

 wanted to till any particular position in life, they 

 can generally be found, though it may be ditncult 



haps the majority, that in order to make the far- 

 mer a thorough scholar, he must go through a reg- 

 ular course of scientific studies, dead languages and 

 all, in order to come out right in the end. Others 

 will say they wish their sons to have a thorough, 

 practical and scientific education, such a one as will 

 have a direct bearing on their practical business, 

 and in all other relations in life ; still, the dead lan- 

 guages they want no time spent with, as in reality 

 they consider them of no consequence whatever. 

 Now what I contend for, is an education ; I do not 

 care so much how they get it, as that they shall 

 have it at some rate. Still, if parents feel disposed 

 to put their sons through college, dead languages 

 and all, then do so ; they can make good fanners 

 after they get through ; that is to say, if you can get 

 them there, a question which will remain to be 

 tried. 



Now, while I freely admit that this course can 

 make thorough going scholars and scientific far- 

 mers, yet I claim on the other hand, that as thor- 

 oughly scientific farmers and as good scholars can 

 be made without any aid from the dead languages, 

 or heathen mythology, as with it. And why not, we 

 ask ? What great diti'erence does it make, just 

 what path you take to gain a certain jioint, provid- 

 ed both paths come to the fame thing finally ? The 

 question is not put as to how much Greek and Lat- 

 in )ou are able to read and master, or whether yon 

 can read any at all ; but the greater question is, 

 have you got a good practical and scientific educa- 

 tion, such a one aswill lead you to become a good 

 firmer, and an honorable, useful and upright citiien. 

 If so, then all right ; you can pass along. Now it 



