4383 
537 
try. With such a large number of people en¬ 
gaged in agriculture, such an immense area 
devoted to the same industry, anything that 
improves the social, moral and financial con¬ 
dition of the people and enhances the value 
of the capital invested, and increases the value 
of the profits received from that capital, be¬ 
comes from these facts alone of considerable 
importance. 
Education is the sine qua non to this im¬ 
provement in agriculture. No improvement 
in agriculture that is not founded upon 
the education of the farmer, possesses the 
quality of stability. Farmers must re¬ 
ceive a higher education having reference 
to agricultural success. When this higher 
education is attained, further improvement 
may be looked for ; without education our 
progress is barred. Any scheme for the edu¬ 
cation of farmers, intended to deal directly 
with men who have grown into fixed and per¬ 
manent ideas and acquired methods and habits, 
1 regard as Utopian in the extreme .Old men, 
and especially old farmers, do not take kindly 
to receiving new ideas. Farmers regard with 
a feeling akin to aversion any education 
which is not the result of manual labor on the 
farm. Being educated and receiving new 
ideas is the normal condition of the young. 
A youth under 20 years of age will acquire 
new ideas and new habits and discard old ones 
with much more facility than will a man 
above forty years of age. 
Farmers as a class must be educated through 
their youth. The method by which this edu¬ 
cation can be best accomplished is a question 
deserving of careful consideration. Agricul¬ 
ture has been a popular and honorable occu¬ 
pation in all climes and in all ages. It has 
been the fashion in this calling more than m 
any other for theson to follow in the footsteps 
of the father. The farm usually descended 
with its stock, implements, capital and the 
learning of the generation, from father to son 
and so on through succeeding generations. 
There are farmers tilling English farms to-day 
who do not know when their ancestors first 
eatno to the same farm. W hen there was no 
agricult uial press, and travel from one local¬ 
ity to another was somewhat restricted, and 
means ot communication were of the most 
limited character, agricultural education was 
like the farm itself—an inheritance to de¬ 
scend from the lather to the sons. Competi¬ 
tion in agriculture as in other industries, was 
not so close in [early times as ^at the preseut 
time. There was not the opportunity to ac¬ 
quire wealth upon the farm other than such 
wealth as might be represented by flocks and 
herds, as there is at the present time. The 
transmission of knowledge from one to an¬ 
other, except from laiher to son, was com¬ 
paratively limited. And thus it might happen 
that the agriculture of one section or district 
was unknown in another and adjoining sec¬ 
tion or district. The first method of educat¬ 
ing farmers was this method of ancient times. 
The son by being born upon the farm and 
familiar with the associations of the farm, 
ana never having the opportunity, or being re¬ 
quired to learn anything foreign thereto, 
would when the time arrived, be able to take 
his fath er’s farm with a practical knowledge 
at least equal to that which his father pos¬ 
sessed. The increase in population, the in¬ 
crease in values, and the development of other 
industries have increased the competition m 
agriculture and created the necessity for its 
lurther development. This was but the pre¬ 
lude for the more general education among 
farmers. 
This is a subject rich in material for curious 
speculation. 1 have a fancy that farmers be¬ 
came more educated, 1 mean agriculturally, 
when they first commenced to become familiar 
with the agriculture, methods and products 
of other districts. This education had its in¬ 
ception in fairs for tho sale or exhibition of 
farm stock or farm products. These fairs are 
of ancient origin, and are now of wide spread 
popularity. By gathering together the very 
best of the products of the farm, new and use¬ 
ful labor saving appliances and different 
varieties of farm stock at some central locality 
in a district, and interesting farmers in these 
exhibits at a time when they hud the leisure 
to examine such things carefully, very much 
hus been and is now being accomplished in the 
practical education of farmers. These popu¬ 
lar exhibitions of agricultural products are 
common to almost every country in the world. 
Agricultural fairs are a means of educating 
boys and girls who may be deprived of the 
other accessories to a good agricultural educa¬ 
tion, to become successful farmers and far¬ 
mers' wives. Farmers’ sons and daughters 
attend the Htate, county and town fairs and 
have a chance to see and examine the results 
of the skill and success of the best furmers in 
the country. 
A young man to become a successful farmer 
must commence by being perfectly satisfied 
with a life upon the farm. To become satisfied 
with farm life jAe farmer must commeuce by 
entertaining a feeling of respect for the calling, 
as one of the most important that an educated 
man can pursue, and at the same time ac¬ 
quiring a broad conception of the industry in 
detail and in general. From the foregoing 
premises I make the following deductions, viz- 
that at an agricultural fair, the mind of the 
farmer’s son. or daughter is more particularly 
prepared for receiving agricultural instruction 
than at any other time during the year, 
that discussion is a most valuable supplement 
to mere inquiry or observation, and that the 
agricultural address delivered by some popular 
political orator might be dispensed with, and 
in lieu thereof, the tervices of some Professor 
in an agricultural college, or some well-known 
authority upon some branch of agriculture, 
should be secured to lecture at some time 
during the exhibition, upon some topic purely 
agricultural. Lectures such as 1 have sug. 
gested, would make our agricultural fairs 
v hat they ought to be, popular schools for 
agricultural instruction, and this course 
might also do much to increase the attendance 
at our agricultural colleges, which, it must be 
confessed, is far below what it ought to be. 
Agricultural fairs are an important 
agent in educating farmers’ sons and 
daughters. We do not fully appreciate their 
importance, because they are so very common 
and we are so familiar with them. And 
again, they perform their functions as educa¬ 
tors in such a very imperceptible manner. 
Tho fanner and farmer’s son or daughter 
attend tho fair and see something new or 
novel or something which he or she had not 
previously thought of, and study into tho 
matter carefully and go homo and ponder over 
it, afterwards, and to this extent he or sho is 
educated by the agricultural exhibition. 
With ihe adoption of the suggestion I have 
offered, viz.: the abolition of the stereotyped 
“address,” and the substitution in the place 
thereof of practical lectures by Professors of 
agricultural colleges, or of well-known 
authorities in some branch or department 
of agriculture, I verily believe the interests 
of agriculture would be benefited as they could 
be in no other way. 
[To be continued.) 
POST OFFICE CLUB. 
Wk have a poet in our neighborhood. Wo 
are mindful of the great advantage we possess 
over other places in this respect, still wo uro 
not at all proud. Our poet is one of the 
sensible kind. lie doesn’t neglect his work to 
scribble and spend all his money for returned 
manuscripts. He writes his poetry when he 
has nothing else to do and drops it when work 
begins. He is a poet of Nature, too. What 
ho has to offer deals with ordinary events and 
is sure to hit near home. This we consider 
better business to be in than that worked out 
by tho fellows who aim their poetry so it hide 8 
itself in the clouds. Here is our poet’s favorite 
poem. It was published two years ago in the 
Rural, but it will bear repeating. 
THAT TERMATER RAISIN’. 
Pop gut his pi lme termater seeds, 
An’ set ’em out right, early, 
Au’ tickled hull’ to death he wuz 
Ter see ’em green as grass, 
Per most of our termaters. 
They corile sorter stunt an’ nerly, 
An’ Pop, he likes termaters 
Better’n any kind o’ suss. 
Air when the nights gut warmer 
An’ the frost hed quit u hazin’. 
Then Pop, he sot them plants out 
Jest ez nat’rel ez ye please, 
An’ the children they all wanted 
Per ter try termater iiisln’ 
So Pop he glu em eachu plant, 
Jest sos’t they wouldn t tease. 
We hed a little pauper 
Workln’ on the farm tliet summer, 
Jest a ragged little feller, 
Doin’ chores and runnln* round, 
Not much bigger nor a corn-cob, 
But ez spry ez ary hummer. 
Pop lied tuck him home ter raize him 
Sos’t they couldn’t git him bound. 
An’ that little pauper feller 
Stood around there sorter waltln,’ 
An’ lus eyes growed dreadful wistful 
Ez he looked that plantin' o’er. 
Pop wuz alius sorter foolish, 
Sorter soft un’ alius hatin’ 
Per ter see folks liuvln’ trouble, 
But ther warn’t but one plant more. 
That wuz dreadful weak and spindlin’, 
But the little feller tuck it 
An’ he trimmed It up an’ set It 
Cut ez slick an’ clean ez wax, 
An’ he hoed It and he tended. 
Carried water In a bucket, 
Au he rigged him up a cover 
From some pieces of old sacks. 
Now the children they gut tired 
An’ they quit termater raisin’, 
An’ the grass growed up and smothered 
All them plains away from view, 
Hut the lit tle pauper feller 
Stuck to hls’ii most amazin’ 
An’ it jest beats all my tellln’, 
How them plants stood up an' grew. 
Pop walked out last Sunday evenin’ 
Jest ter see how things wuz growln’, 
An’ thet big termater raisin’ 
Sorter made him stop and think. 
An’ he shot one oyo and squinted, 
And he looked ser powerful knowln’. 
That I couldn’t help a thinking 
That his mind let out a link. 
An’ sez he, “ We all git started 
Sorter fair In life's big battle, 
But ltaln tser much the startin’ 
Ez it Is the hangln’ to. 
Them ez starts out brash an’ shoutin’, 
With a mighty bang and rattle 
Finds that noise don’t count fer nothin’ 
When ye run yer Journey through. 
Take tie poorest < hance and watch It, 
Sorter foster an’ stay by It, 
An It's sure to come to somethin’, 
Ef ye keep It warm an’ bright. 
Take the biggest chance agoln’ 
An’ neglect it an’ half try it, 
It’ll dwindle down to nothin’,” 
An’ I reckon Pop was right. 
This poem is a great favorite with Uncle 
Jacob. “ Dot vas tier idea oxaekaly,” he says. 
“ It was tier vay dot we takes care off a ting 
dot makes dot ting big or little. I likes to go 
mitder brinciple dot tings vas sbust about all 
der same size vile dey vas small. Dose tings 
cannot grow off dere own account. Der growth 
off dose tings vas simply der vork dot vas put 
mitdem und nothink else. (loot care and judg¬ 
ment vas make chances grow fat und strong, 
und dot vas der only vay dey can effor gain 
mit weight. Dat vas my oxberience effery 
time. Off I vas starting out mit life again, 
I’ll bate you, I would sbust pick out one ting 
und stick to dot ting sbust like a dog mit a 
root.” SMALL PICA. 
|tti:8ic*natt£aui0 
CHEAP LANDS SUNNY SOUTH 
Instead of remaining In the cold North or going to 
the Blizzards of the West, come to Northern Georg'a 
which presents more advantages to the Home seeker 
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climate Is perfection, water pure, no Malm la; perfect 
health and cheap land either tor agricultural pur¬ 
poses or grazing Send us your address and we will 
mall you a copy of our paper descriptive of this 
section. Marietta and Noutii ukohoia Real Estate 
and Investment Co., Mauiktta, (Ia. 
OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY 
f OVjUM 11 US. Liberal Endowment. 
27 Professors and assistants. 7 well equipped Labor¬ 
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CALIFORNIA 
W Soul hern Clllii'o 
JOHN It 
V nr free, information concern 
ing Agricultural Land In 
oriiia, address with stamp, 
HSIik.lt, san Diego, ( al. 
VAPORATING FRUIT. 
E ' 
Pull treatise on Improved met hods, yields, 
ProlltM und oriees I'ltKK. Lock Box IN. 
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2 HPKITQ for Catalogua of hundreds or usorm Arti 
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UouJeissell large quantities. CHICAIJOSCAIEIO.. Chicago. 
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I Alcli-I Pluted, Sell-1 nl.ing Pen und Pencil Slump. 
Your name on In Rubber, only gftCts. silver 
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ItljltUJ-.k SIAM!* CO., New lluven. Conn 
Newirarili Over-Pauls 
Keep Your 
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when you want a pair of Ovcv Pants that “ro pr,s 
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Ifip 1 antnloon In Wool, Jeans, Cotton ad es, &<• 
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If vour Pants rip in wear you get your money back. 
Sold by ono first-classdealer in every town 
M’f’g by Wiiitkiiill & Cleveland. Newburgh, N.Y- 
AGAIN! 
One of the most unique, original and 
delightful of the Weekly Newspapers of 
America, and the 
RURAL NEW-YORKER 
both for the rest of the year for only 
$ 1 . 00 ! 
Address the 
RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
31 Park Bow, New York. 
Silk and Satin Ribbons FREE » 
IaA 9I.ES,THIS IS FOR YOU 1 llhlil * 
_rnrogift for tho ladle*. Save 
much money ami securo 
tho boat! Every lady 
knows ami appreciate*, 
tho privilege of liav- 
ingn few remnant* of 
ribbon, handy for tho 
thousand and ono 
tasty and useful 
purposes for which 
hucIi good* uro 
used, a li <l which 
they, t h o Indies, 
use lo sut h a<lvan • 
tairo. To purelmso 
whut is wanted at 
tho usual price* 
such good* aro 
sold for, wool d 
create a largo bill 
of expense, a n d 
there lore debars a 
great many from 
indulging their 
taste* in t h! * 
direction. Itculi/- 
I ing that III ere 
were thousands 
upon thousand* of 
, remnants of rib¬ 
bons among tho 
large Importing 
houses of A nieriea 
which they would 
be willing to disposo of In bulk, for a small Auction of theircost, 
to any ono capable of purchasing largely, we Instituted a search, 
resulting in our obtaining the entire Htock of Nilli. and 
Satin 1C i hhon ICoiniiaii In of several of the largest of 
these houses, who imported tho finest goods These goods may 
be depended upon us superior to anything to he found, except 
In the very best stores of America. Yet they are given away 
fr««} nothing like it ever known. A grand henefit for all tho 
ladies; beautiful,elegant, choice goods absolutely free. Wo 
have expended thousand* of dollars in this direction,am! can 
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quality, adapted for neck-wear, bonnet strings, hat trimmings, 
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minutes. Tho above oiler is based on this factthose who read 
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emullcr assortment of far inferior ribbons. Best bargain over 
known; you will not fully appreciate it until after you see all. 
Safe delivery guaranteed. Money refunded to any one not per¬ 
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ably it won t appearagnln- Address, 
11. 11ALLKTT & CO , PUBLISHERS, PORTLAND, MaINK. 
ydraulic. I)ia- 
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