1871. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



569 



produce, if we can reasonably produce it our- 

 selves. 



It would be a woful time among lazy people 

 and those that assume that their precious flesh 

 and bones would be contaminated by useful 

 toil, if we had the power of the "Grand Turk" 

 for a single day. The decree should go forth 

 at once, "that if any would not work, 



NEITHER SHOULD HE EAT." All should WOrk 



in some form. With the head to teach others, 

 with the hands in a thousand ways to alleviate 

 human toil, or even by the heels to teach the 

 child how to walk easily and gracefully! All 

 should be ^^roducers in some form, as well as 

 consumers. Then the great disparity in so- 

 ciety would be somewhat modified ; there 

 would be less crime, less sufTering, and eventu- 

 ally a higher civilization. John Ruskin says 

 that "it is only by labor that thought can be 

 made healthy, and only by thought that labor 

 can be made happy." This is true ; and much 

 of the sickly sentimentalism which disgraces 

 our literature springs from the pernicious idea 

 that it is degrading tff'labor in cultivating the 

 soil, in the mechanic arts, or in any of the 

 rough but manly pursuits that the world so 

 greatly needs. 



Thanks to the founders of this new institu- 

 tion, and to our correspondent for calling 

 attention in these columns to its noble work. 



For the New England Fanner. 

 •WORCESTER CO. FREE INSTITUTE OP 

 INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE. 



A very satisfactory examination of this 

 institute took place on the 26th of July, fol- 

 lowed by equally satisfactory exercises of the 

 graduating class. The fifteen young gentle- 

 men who composed this class had written long 

 essays, each upon some one of the subjects to 

 which they had been devoting their attention 

 during the three years of their course. These 

 were long, elaborate, well-written papers, 

 showing how thoroughly and faithfully they 

 had been working. It was impossible to hear 

 them all, but enough of each was read to give 

 an idea of its ability and character. 



At the same time, in other parts of the prin- 

 cipal building, full samples of the work done 

 in the several departments of drawing were 

 exhibited, and many records of their work in 

 geometry and other branches ; and, in the 

 Washburn workshop, pupils were seen at work, 

 — giving abundant evidence of their skill in 

 the use of tools. 



The great and precious distinction of this 

 institute is that it offers opportunities and in- 

 ducements for the formation or continuance of 



habits of manual labor ; that it is the Institute 

 of Industrial Science. A great and threaten- 

 ing evil in the States of New England is the 

 prevalence of a desire among boys and young 

 men to avoid manual labor. This is a great, 

 sometimes a fatal mistake, physically, morally 

 and economically. A boy cannot promise to 

 attain to perfect manhood whose bodily powers 

 are not accustomed to vigorous exercise. 

 And this habit of exercise ought to begin early 

 and be faitlifiilly continued through youth and 

 early manhood. By this process all the 

 powers of the body will be fully developed, 

 and preparation will be made for a vigorous 

 manhood : and with this and by virtue of this 

 exercise, there may be perfect health of body 

 and mind. In a body thus healthily strength- 

 ened, and with habits of ready, easy and skil- 

 ful labor, the mind will be in the best condition 

 to act, and the moral nature may be kept in a 

 sound and healthful state. Without these 

 habits and powers there wjU be danger of 

 intemperance and excess, and when a place 

 not re(juiring bodily exertion cannot be found, 

 there will be temptation to violation of the 

 laws of the land. This is not a fanciful theory ; 

 would that it were. But the records of the 

 prisons in New England and the other North- 

 ern States show that nearly all the young men 

 confined in them are there for want of a 

 trade and of habits of honest industry. 



There are undoubtedly many operations and 

 processes in the arts and in machinery which 

 require only intelligent supervision, and there 

 are many places which do not seem to require 

 manual labor. But the candidates for these 

 situations are already more numerous than the 

 places, and are becoming more numerous every 

 year. Such institutions as the Technological 

 Institute in Boston, the School of Arts at 

 Hanover, N. H., the State Agricultural School, 

 and this at Worcester, are becoming more nu- 

 merous, and are yearly attracting more pupils, 

 not only in New England, but throughout the 

 country. Unless habits of manual labor ac- 

 company the knowledge of useful arts and of 

 the applications of science, an education in 

 one of these institutions may be a misfortune 

 to those who secure it. A young man who, for 

 three or four years of his youth, discontinues 

 the energetic use of his muscles, will resume 

 that use with repugnance and extreme diffi- 

 cutly, which may be ruinous to him. That 

 provision of this institution, therefore, which 

 requires or allows some hours daily of hard 

 work is to be especially commended. It is 

 the great distmction of the institute, showing 

 that it was founded by men who had a regard 

 for the permanent welfare of the pupils. 



It will doubtless be said that young men 

 may be qualified here to superintend manual 

 operations, without the necessity of working 

 themselves. That is really a mistake. He 

 only is per/ectly fit to superintend and conduct 

 the work of others who can take hold of the 

 tool that is used and wield it himself with more 



