26 
Annual Report of the 
practice, to commence to cultivate corn as soon as planted if the 
land is in proper condition. Harrow thoroughly once at least 
twice is better, before the blade appears above the surface, and 
again as soon as it is up. Then start the cultivator and go through 
it once a week if possible, and oftener if necessary to keep the 
weeds in check. Frequent attention not only destroys the weeds, 
but it leaves the soil light and friable, susceptable of drinking in 
the dews and rains, rich in ammonia and other plant food. Crops 
cannot grow without heat, light and air, and to admit these the 
soil must be porous and fitted to receive them. After heavy rains, 
cultivate to break up the crust, and the use of a roller or other ma¬ 
chine to break the surface hardness of the ground in cereal crops, 
when small, would pay largely on the investment. 
Educated labor upon the farm is becoming more and more appre¬ 
ciated each year, and yet the educational agencies for the advance¬ 
ment of our youth in the practical branches are not what I would 
like to see. Schools for the education of farmers, mechanics and 
those of other working industries, should teach those branches hav¬ 
ing a direct bearing upon the particular branch of life work intend¬ 
ed to be pursued, and the principlee taught should be daily applied. 
“It should not only teach the principles which underlie agriculture 
and mechanical arts, but it should teach the things themselves. What 
we want is not mere culture, but cul ture applied, culture realized, cul¬ 
ture put at work and demonstrating day by day its use.' 7 The mass of 
those engaged in the numerous avenues of labor and industry in this 
and all other counteries, have little time to pursue branches of study 
not intimately connected with their particular calling or avocation. 
Life is too short to learn everything, and aside from the common 
school education which all should receive, and the general informa¬ 
tion upon town, county, state and national affairs, fitting them to 
be useful and valuable citizens, persons who obtain their living by 
labor in any of the world's industries, have little time which they 
can spend profitably upon subjects which do not bear immediately 
upon their work. These they can afford to study with care. Divi¬ 
sion of labor is becoming more marked and distinct, hence, the im¬ 
portance of special knowledge for those engaged in any particular 
branch of work, that they may be skilled and proficient. Many of 
the studies which take up much of the time of the student in our 
