MARCH 22 
THE RURAL HEW-YORKER. 
489 
HOW SHALL WE EDUCATE OUR CHIL¬ 
DREN AGRICULTURALLY? 
How shall we so educate them that they will 
most highly appreciate the benefits of farm 
life and turn them to the best advantage ? 
C. K. THORNE. 
The successful farmer of to day must possess 
—1, an ardent love for his calling; 2, good 
business ability; and. 3, a general knowledge 
of the relationship between agriculture and 
the various branches of natural science. This 
postulate granted, our problem is to deter¬ 
mine what course of training on the farm, in 
the home, and in the school, will most surely 
develop aud foster these qualifications in our 
children. 
LOVE FOR THE CALLING. 
Evidently the first step in endeavoring to 
inculcate in a child a love for the life of the 
farm, is to interest him in the operations of 
the farm, and here, as iu every other depart¬ 
ment of human activity, interest and respon¬ 
sibility go hand in hand, until responsibility 
becomes drudgery, when interest ceases. 
I believe that no surer method can be de¬ 
vised for driving au ambitious boy away from 
the farm, than that of hurrying him to a fresh 
task the iustant the old one is completed; 
allowing him no time for books or play; giv¬ 
ing him always the poorest tools and the most 
disagreeable portions of the work, and per¬ 
mitting him to feel no sense of ownership iu 
auything pertaining to the farm, and no re¬ 
sponsibility for the successful outcome of any 
of its operations. The boy thus treated—and 
there are such—has no other hope than to 
leave the parental homestead at the earliest 
possible opportunity, and seek for more favor¬ 
able chances on some other farm, or in some 
other calling But Dy the time he has thus 
t>een driven to strike out for himself, he will 
generally have become so disgusted with farm 
life, that he will avoid that calling for all time 
to come. 
On the other hand, I know that boys whose 
natural inclinations might lie supposed to lie 
iu other directions, may be so treated as to 
conceive an ardent love for the farm. For 
instance, a boy with less than a verage physical 
strength, aud with a passiou for books, was 
required to perform daily tasks, which were 
often irksome, but a liberal margin was always 
allowed for play after the tasks were com¬ 
pleted, A pet owe lamb was given him, aud 
he was allowed to 9poud the value of its annu¬ 
al fleece, and of those of its increase, for such 
things as all boys crave; yet at the same time, 
by indirect methods, ho was prevented from 
spending much of his money foolishly. The 
sense of responsibility involved in the spend¬ 
ing of bis money, the keeping of the little ac¬ 
counts relating to it, aud the interest in his 
growing flock, which increased, not only by 
reproduction, but also bv purchase from other 
flocks, with the wages which he was permitted 
und encouraged to earn by doiug odd jobs for 
the neighbors when work was not pressing at 
homo; all these, not only brought out some 
of the pleasanter sides of farm life, but also 
laid the foundation of habits afterwards found 
very serviceable iu business matters. 
Can any one doubt the avil effect upon this 
hoy, if, after he had fed and played with his 
lamb for a Summer or two, believing, in his 
childish heart, that it was really his own, 
learning to love it with the full force of his 
nature, it bad then been sold to the butcher, 
and the mouey quietly dropped into his fa¬ 
ther’s pocket l Yet just such things have hap - 
pened. The lamb was but an item among 
many. As the boy grow older he was allowed 
to plant plots of ground for himself, und 
though his crops were sometimes fuilures, aud 
the money brought by the successful ones was 
not always judiciously spent, yet in the work 
of caring for them,the discovery was made that 
labor is not necessarily drudgery, but may bo 
so lightened by the hope of ultimate reward 
os to become rather u pleasure; while the 
planning for his crops stimulated a desire to 
learn what others had done in similar direc¬ 
tions, and this led him to agricultural books 
and papers. Both l his stimulus, and the value 
of the experience gained were far greater 
than would have been probable, not to say 
possible, in the case of working under the di¬ 
rection of another. 
One important feature of this boy’s circum¬ 
stances was that, when the day’s work was 
doue, a most restful home awaited him, a home 
of the plainest kind, so far as architecture and 
surroundings were concerned—simply a log 
cottage embowered among orchard trees aud 
evergreens, and surrounded with flowers in 
their season—but all its belongings were neat 
and clean, and on its fireside table was always 
to be found some of the best literature of the 
day, both agricultural and general. 
In this brief sketch I have outlined the work 
I believe necessary towards stimulating in a 
farmer’s boy a love for his father’s calling. 
The filling in must vary, of course, to suit in¬ 
dividual temperaments and circumstances, 
always keeping in mind, however, that inter¬ 
est most precede affection, and that no inter¬ 
est is so great as that coming from actual pos¬ 
session. 
GOOD BUSINESS ABILITY. 
Business ability is partly a matter of heredi¬ 
ty; partly one of theoretical education; large¬ 
ly one of experience, or practical education. 
The son of parents, who have both possessed su¬ 
perior ability in business, will stand a far better 
chance in life, other things being equal, than 
if one or both his parents had lacked this 
quality. The boy who has constantly before 
him an example of good business management, 
will uuconsciously imbibe some valuable les¬ 
sons. All these, however, will count for but 
little if he be denied every opportunity for 
doing business on his own responsibility. He 
will uo more learn to do business by watching 
the methods of others than he could learn to 
swim by standing on the bauk and looking at 
his comrades in the water. 
The first step towards making a business 
farmer of the fanner’s boy is to make him his 
father’s confidant, in the business management 
of the farm; the next, and more important, is 
to interest him with small matters of busi¬ 
ness to be conducted on his own judgment, 
increasing bis responsibilities with increased 
experience. He will be more than human if 
he makes no blunders; but it is through our 
blunders we rise, when we properly profit by 
them. The only school in which the business 
management of the farm can be learned is the 
farm itself; but. a short course iu a commer¬ 
cial college will furnish suggestions, regarding 
the conduct of business in geueral, which will 
be found very serviceable on the farm, aud 
every farmer's boy should have the opportu¬ 
nity to attend such a course. 
KNOWLEDGE. 
It is scarcely necessary, at this day, to 
urge the importance to the farmer, who 
would become master of his profession, of 
some knowledge of the various branches of 
natural science; and yet we have much to 
learn regarding the relationship between 
science and agriculture, before we can say 
definitely, just how far the prospective farmer 
should pursue this study before considering 
himself equipped for his calling. The truth 
is, that the brevity of life, aud the necessity 
for bread-winning which comes upon many 
of us so early, are the only reasons for setting 
any limit to tliis pursuit, since there is scarce¬ 
ly a problem in natural science but has some 
bearing, near or remote, upon some of the 
processes called into play Dy the farmer. 
This part of our subject, however, requires 
out a passing notice here. In almost every 
State an agricultural college stands ready 
to lead the young farmer as far as he will con¬ 
sent to be led in the way of the application of 
science to agriculture. True, tbisleading has 
too often been like that of "the blind leading 
the blind,” but a better day is dawning with 
the fllliug of the agricultural professorships 
of these colleges by young men who have 
brought to the study of science a lively feel¬ 
ing of the needs of agriculture, born of prac¬ 
tical rraining on the farm. 
The question which most deeply concerns us 
here, is how to adapt the training which must 
precede that of the college, to the needs of the 
prospective farmer. The training given in 
our common aud high schools is based upon 
ancient ideas, and the needs of practical 
modern life meet little recognition there. 
Until this fact cun be generally recognizer! 
und acted upon, we have tho problem before 
us of so using these imperfect schools as to de¬ 
rive the greatest possible benefit from them, 
supplementing, with judicious home-teach¬ 
ing, such defects as we may not be able to 
Jomedy. 
The most that we cau in any case hope to 
accomplish through the schools, is to teach our 
children tho rudiments of those branches of 
knowledge which are likely to lie of the great¬ 
est practical benefit to them, aud to form in 
them habits of independent research—the lat¬ 
ter being by far the more important part—de¬ 
pending upon the stimulus of actual applica¬ 
tion, to urge them forward in the acquisition 
of knowledge after the school-room shall have 
been exchanged for tho field. We shall be 
fortunate indeed if we so far succeed iu lay¬ 
ing the foundations of t heir education, that no 
time shall have been squandered upon mut¬ 
ters not pertinent to the single object in view, 
although we must uot forget thatour children 
are to become not only fanners, but citizens 
as well, aud therefore thattV"* various depart¬ 
ments of mental and political science, of liter¬ 
ature and art, must not be entirely neglected. 
Unquestionably the most important knowl¬ 
edge that can be imparted to any child, wheth¬ 
er boy or girl, whether destined to become 
farmer or merchant, teacher or housekeeper, 
is that of the organization and requirements 
of the human system; and yet the common 
school generally, and the high school too fre¬ 
quently, shirk the duty of imparting this 
knowledge; consequently, the child grows to 
maturity in utter ignorance of that oue 
science which enters into the every-day life of 
every individual, no 'natter what his calling. 
In my opinion the intricacies of grammar and 
geography, of arithmetic and algebra, might 
well await the solution of this vital question, 
instead of taking the precedence, as they now 
do. In fact, I believe thatour children spend 
far too much time on these subjects; that if 
their powers of observation were trained, as 
they necessarily are in the study of natural 
science, instead of their powers of memory 
chiefly, as under the present, system, the out¬ 
come would be a far greateF degree of intelli¬ 
gence, and the grammar and geography, the 
arithmetic aDd algebra, would in the end re¬ 
ceive all due attention. 
Next to the knowledge of self, to which I 
have referred, 1 would have every child ac¬ 
quire the power of expression, since we must 
all of us, one way or another, to our children, 
if to no others, become teachers. I would 
therefore introduce drawing, composition and 
language very early in the child's curriculum, 
embracing in the list named, first, the study 
of our own tongue; next that of French aud 
German—the latter especially. This study of 
language, however, could be a different affair 
from that of grammar, as it has been taught, 
the object being to study language as a means 
of expression, not as a code of rules to be 
memorized. From this study the dead lan¬ 
guages should be rigorously excluded; not but 
that a knowledge of them is often convenient, 
and their study an excellent drill; but botany 
and entomology may be made far more inter- 
estingto most children than Latin and Greek, 
and the drill to be obtained from them, may 
be made at least equally effective; while the 
child who has once acquired a fair knowledge 
of any of the natural sciences, will find in this 
knowledge a constant source of enjoyment and 
profit, as he goes through life. 
The writer knows whereof he is speaking on 
this point. As he looks back on the years 
when study was his only care, it is with con¬ 
stant regret for the time spent acquiring 
knowledge which is uow comparatively use¬ 
less and largely forgotten, while matters 
which could to-day be of every-day use, were 
neglected untU too late. We do not appre¬ 
ciate the value of the golden days of child 
hood! We do not realize how short- they are, 
until they have flown, and our little ones are 
men aud women, with the cares of life upon 
their shoulders! 
It is uot denied that for some children the 
study of the dead languages and higher 
mathematics will be profitable; but such 
children will not become fanners, and will 
have time to acquire these brauehes of knowl¬ 
edge after arriving at a sufficient age to decide 
upon their course iu life. 
I shall not attempt here to lay down a def¬ 
inite course of study for the farmer’s child. 
Ever} - such child—hoy or girl—should have a 
course in an agricultural college, aud the lines 
of study at home should be, as far as possible, 
such as will best, prepare for the course pre¬ 
scribed in the chosen college. Even though 
the college dreams be never realized, such a 
course will be the uearest approximation 
to a rational preparation for the farmer’s life. 
Springfield, Ohio. 
HUscfllanfous. 
THE EYE-OPENER. 
V> hat a marvelous urnount of generosity 
there is in this selfish world! Look iu the ad¬ 
vertising columns of most papers aud you will 
see, day after day, several offers to make pre¬ 
sents of considerable value “ absolutely free,” 
on one pretext or another. Circulars sent 
through the mails make the same liberal an¬ 
nouncements. The usual reason assigned for 
this generosity is a desire to introduce the 
goods mentioned into various districts by send¬ 
ing specimens free to residents there. David 
son & Co., of 7S Nassau Street, this city, offer 
by circulars and lithographed letters to send 
" Dr. Churchill’s Restorative Remedies free," 
ou receipt of 30 cents in postage stamps to pay 
for packing and postage.” Babcock & Co., of 
Centerbrook, Conn., offer to s»nd to auy boy 
or girl, free of charge, “ if 20 cents are sent for 
postage, etc., two pretty dolis,eight inches tall, 
with beautiful life-like features, pretty curls, 
ami blue eyes, or bangs aud dark eyes; a dress 
with each doll, oue elegant, gilt-bound, floral 
autograph album illustrated with birds, ferns, 
scrolls, etc., five lovely Christmas cards, one 
pretty birthday card, and a 50-page holiday 
book.” The “ Restorative Remedies,” like the 
$$ electric girdle which the Galvanic Girdle 
Co., of 21 Park Row, New York, offers to 
“send free” on receipt of 46 cents in postage 
stamps, are worthless. The girdle wouldn’t 
cost ten cents, and the “remedies” wouldn’t 
cost five cents; so that, in case the goods were 
actually sent, the fellows would make a big 
profit; but generally ordeis for goods offered 
grat is are not fll led at all. With regard to Bab 
cock & Co. we have received several letters of 
complaint, from one of which we give an ex¬ 
tract, which is a specimen of the charges made 
in the others. A friend at Leipsic, Ohio, says; 
“ These fellows are a cheap set of swindlers, 
I see their cards in several papers, but never 
twice alike—that is, they always have some¬ 
thing new to offer. My daughter sent for the 
dolls, etc. They came—not dolls, but only 
paper ‘cuts.’ The 50-page book never came. 
1 think the U. S. Card Co., of same place, is 
this firm also.” 
P. W. Sizer, 7 Warren Street, New York, ad¬ 
vertises extensively that, in order to intro¬ 
duce his goods and secure future trade he 
will, on receipt of 12 three-cent stamps (86 
cents) and the names and addresses of 12 
friends of his correspodent, send, by return 
mail, an elegant gold ring, and that two only 
will be sent to the same address for 50 cents 
and 24 names. In his advertisement is an en¬ 
graving of a handsome band ring; but the 
“elegantgold ring” sent to those who patron¬ 
ize him is a little thin brass ring which can 
be bought wholesale for a cent or less. We 
have some specimens of this, sent to us by in¬ 
quiring friends. One of these, in Richmond, 
Ohio, sent 50 cents and 24 names of prominent 
neighbors, who will doubtless soon receive 
circulars from this or some other doubtful 
firm, making equally fallacious promises 
Our friend says: “I wrote him a letter 
threatening to expose him if he did not fullfil 
his part of the contract: but he never paid 
any attention to it.” 
The fellows who offer something for noth¬ 
ing, and go to the expense of advertising their 
generosity in the press or through the mails, 
may, with absolute certainty, be considered 
sharpers or humbugs. 
Mrs. Lizzie Cotton is getting widespread no¬ 
toriety. Some say “she” is a man; but there 
is little doubt that she is a woman, as the post¬ 
master at Gorham, Maine, says she is. The 
bee-keepers of Maine, however, denounce her 
in severe terms. 
“Is Forester & Co., 130 Flatbush Avenue, 
Brooklyn, N Y., who advertise the best elec¬ 
tric belt for one dollar, a reliable concern?” 
asks a friend at Lamberton, Canada. We 
would not recommend anybody to pay even a 
one dollar for that “best electric belt.” The R. 
N.-Y. has declined the advertisement of this 
firm. 
The fellows who have been getting money 
out of the pockets of the public by offering 
large premiums, etc., to subscribers to 
journals and periodicals, having scooped 
in all they are likely to get during 
the present “subscription season.” are now 
ready to shirk their obligations. Some of 
them will doubtless make a pretense of keep¬ 
ing their promises; while others, like the pub¬ 
lishers of “Youth,” at Boston, will boldly an¬ 
nounce that they are -‘financially embarrassed’’ 
and unable to make the promised awards. 
The above concern advertised to distribute 
among subscribers $16,000, but not a cent will 
they get. 
The Royal Manufacturing Company of 
Rhode Island, is of the stripe as the Reliable 
Manufacturing Company of Philadelphia, 
which has been denounced here several times. 
We trust none of our readers will be s im ple 
enough to be gulled by either concern. 
Bohemian Oats are being sold in many parts 
of Ohio at $10 a bushel, just as the Huliess 
Oats were sold a short time ago. The swind¬ 
lers who are working this fraud usually agree 
to take enough in seeds to pay the original 
cost of the oats; but having got the order for 
their oats, they realize on it, and the farmer 
seeks for the sharpers in vam when he wishes 
to sell the product at the big price promised. 
This trick was tried several years ago very 
successfully in selliug the Huliess Oats. 
—-- 
BOOKS AND CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
Schedule of Prizes offered by the 
Mass. Hurt. Society for 1884. Robert 
Manning, Secretary, Boston, Mass. 
Forty-first and 42d Annuax Reports 
of the Queen’s County Agricultural 
Society for 1882-8. Jacob Hicks, Old West- 
bury, N. Y. Sec. 
Address of the Hon. Marshall P. Wil¬ 
der, and the other Proceedings at the Annual 
Meeting of the New England Historic Genea¬ 
logical Society, January 2, 1S84. 
Circulars of Information of the Bu¬ 
reau of Education, No. 4. 1883.—Recent 
School Law Decisions. Compiled by Lyndon 
