1868. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



101 



forth too many young men, who, having re- 

 mained three, four, or more years, as the case 

 may be, at or in the vicinity of the institute, 

 are labelled as graduates and sent away. Ag- 

 riculture demands young men of a different 

 education and of different habits. It needs 

 theory and practice, education and labor. 



Now you may ask, of what shall my educa- 

 tion consist, and where can it be obtained >* I 

 would answer the question by asking another : 

 Of what good are our agricultural colleges ? 

 Two classes of objectors against them will 

 arise : the one, the stolid, old, time-forgotten 

 farmer, who is opposed to "book learning;" 

 the other, the over-dressed sneerer at his supe- 

 rior, the laborer. He may, perchance, ask if 

 you can trace the lineage of a Durham calf, — 

 he might go further and solicit inquiries con- 

 cerning bis own ancestors. Many are really 

 ignorant of the purport of an agricultural col- 

 lege. 



It is a place where an energetic young man 

 can learn the theory of agriculture, and also 

 its practice, and thus by combining the two, 

 become a model, profitable and successful 

 farmer. It is a place where he can, if he will, 

 fit himself for one of the four great profes- 

 sions. Among the first things learned will be 

 a course in mathematics, by which you will be 

 fitted as your own surveyors. You will learn 

 chemistry, — chemistry, as applied to agricul- 

 ture ; then cultivation of the soil ; fruit, grain, 

 and root raising ; a complete nursery culture ; 

 market and landscape gardening ; horticulture, 

 forestry, animal anatomy, physiology, and hy- 

 geine, all kinds of stock-raising, orcharding 

 and fruit culture, and many other things. In- 

 struction will also be given in writing and 

 composition, so that you may not only keep 

 your own books, but be able to write a state- 

 ment for the farmer's club, or report its pro- 

 ceedings audits doings, and, it may be, to edit 

 a farming paper. You will also be taught how 

 to be your own architect, mechanic, lawyer, 

 physician, — in fine, it will teach you how to 

 become a perfect professional man, indepen- 

 dent of your neighbor. 



Would you become all this, you must not 

 only learn, but carry into practice what you 

 have learned. Some may say all this book 

 learning will not make a good farmer of you. 

 They are right, — it will not. Theory will not 

 make a farmer, neither will labor alone, — 

 success demands and cannot be obtained with- 

 out both. If you think an agricultural college 

 alone will make you a "lord of the soil," time 

 will reveal your error. If you think you can 

 be a successful farmer without some such edu- 

 cational course, another error will be shown. It 

 is only a combination of both which can bring 

 success as a result. 



We speak of "the top of the heap," in a col- 

 loquial way. You never can attain it if you 

 labor under the impression that you can be 

 successful in any profession without energy in 

 the preparation. Do the foundation work 



well, then the superstructure may be more 

 easily reared. 



Concerning the professions, I would also say 

 a word. Let every farmer's son look at the 

 statistics of every graduating class of our col- 

 leges, and see what numbers take up the study 

 of law and medicine, and consider what chance 

 there is for an individual man among such 

 numbers, unless he be determined to reach the 

 "top of the heap." The law is now crowded, 

 and, fortunately for us, our physique is such 

 that but a small proportion of our young men 

 can find occupation as guardians of the public 

 health. 



Then let every farmer's boy look at the 

 "old place," — not as if distance was the only 

 enchantment, — but impartially. It will have 

 a new tie for him. Let him think what his 

 father has done, and see if he cannot do bet- 

 ter. Let him think what the times are. Let 

 him weigh his chances among the professions, 

 among the merchants, the mechanics, and 

 among agriculturists. Let him think what 

 farmers can do, what rank they may attain, 

 and what preparation is needed. 



Chas. E. Hall. 



Hanover, N. E., Dec, 1867. 



Remarks. — The writer of the foregoing 

 communication modestly offers it as the pro- 

 duction of a farmer's son. The course of 

 study he has sketched for the students of our 

 agricultural colleges is certainly quite com- 

 prehensive ; but as it may be no more so than 

 that marked out by many other minds, we 

 most willingly submit his views and expecta- 

 tions to the consideration of the public and of 

 the managers of these institutions, although we 

 may be less sanguine than himself of attaining 

 entire "independence of one's neighbor" by 

 any combination of education, theory and 

 practice in agriculture. 



The Hen Fever. — There are unmistakable 

 symptoms that this epidemic is about to rage 

 with fearful violence Already there is a 

 good deal of hen talk in the cars, and sober 

 merchants as they pass to and from their busi- 

 ness discuss earnestly the merits of improved 

 coops, and talk learnedly of the varieties of 

 feed most conducive to the health of growing 

 fowls. Poultry shows in various sections give 

 ample promise that the wants of fanciers can 

 be met both as to price and name, and al- 

 though the high priced fowls are called by 

 names that were unknown to Burnham, yet 

 the birds, as formerly, seem to be noted 

 chiefly for depth of voice and length of leg. 

 At a recent show in New York, a pair of Hou- 

 dan, which is the favorite variety this season, 

 were held at $1000, and apair of Creve Cceurs 

 were ticketed at $250. Other fowls were 

 held at lower prices, down to the insignificant 



