Page View
Wisconsin State Agricultural Society / Transactions of the Wisconsin State Agricultural Society, including the proceedings of the state agricultural convention held in February, 1885, together with other practical papers
Vol. XXIII (1885)
Sloan, I. C.
Agricultural education, pp. 273-280
Beach, C. R.
Science in agriculture, pp. 280-301
Page 280
280 WISCONSIN STATE AGRiCULTURAL SOCIETY. statesmanship in managing the affairs of a nation. When Abraham Lincoln had reached the age at which scholars generally graduate from highest universities, he could barely read, write, and cipher as far as the rule of three. Who will claim that he would have been a stronger or abler pilot to guide the nation through the terrible storm of rebel- lion which shook our government from foundation to ridge tree if his earlier life had been passed in colleges and uni- versitieß instead of gaining a kno'wledge of men and expe- rience in the rough and unlettered surroundings which developed the strong man and the great statesman fitted to guide a great nation in its times of danger. As Tennyson said, in view of his extensive acquaintance with <Simon Wrongless" an,1 <double fists," men who had takeh the highest honors in the Enclish universities, "knowl- edge comes but ivisdom lingers" f t'om a training in colleges and universities. It is probable that the mixed system proposed of part study and part manual labor is the worst that could possibly be devised. There is to be enough manual labor to interrupt study, but so little as to prevent the formation of, or 'destroy if already formed, the habits of steady continuous labor necessary to success in any industrial calling. In my judgment we had better tuake haste very slowly in embarking in the enterprise of an extensive and costly school for the teaching of agriculture. SCIENCE IN AGRICULTURE. BY C. R. BE.CH, Whitewater, Wis. Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen: I am here by the invitation of your secretary, and my subject is, <Science in Agriculture, and how the farmers of Wisconsin can best secure its benefits." Were slang phrases allowable before this dignified assembly, I should probably say that 1 was wel aware that I had bitten off möre than I can chew, but if you will pardon my egotism for a few moments I will tell you how I came to do it.
Based on date of publication, this material is presumed to be in the public domain.| For information on re-use, see http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/Copyright