Rensselaer Union and Jasper Republican, Volume 8, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 February 1876 — The Beat Studies for Sons of Farmers. [ARTICLE]

The Beat Studies for Sons of Farmers.

. Thk sons of American fanners can pur bm no studies that will redound to higher educational advantages to them in ftiturt life than the study or tlioir own mother and the sciences taught in the English language. It is a prevailing' fashion In lisarly all »bigh schools and seminaries to require young misses, to study French, Italian, music and draw. Ing before they know anything st all, as they should know, of their own language, |n which they always expect to speak and to write. A simitar practice is tone concerning the education of lads, boys and young men. Long before they can spell correctly one-half of the wordain common use when speaking and writing the English language, long before they have acquired even a superficial knowledge of English grammar and of rhetoric, they are required to pore over Latin, Greek of the German language. After a student has acquired a fair knowledge of English grammar and has become moderately versed in rhetoric, in the geography ot his own country and some of tlie sciences that are taught in the English language, if he then desires to pursue the study of Latin, Greek or German ho would be able to make much more satisfactory progress than it would be possible to make before acquiring a fair knowledge of the English studies alluded to. It is always better tor a babe to creep before the little thing is encouraged to make an effort to walk. It will be far better for a lad or a young inisa to learn to read words in monosyllables before he or she is encouraged to read short and easy, sentences. It will be .infinitely better in every respect for young people who have a greatdesire to travel in Europe to spend a year or-more in visiting different parts of America that are as famous in the Eastern Continent as are the great sights and marvelous wonders of America in the estimation of the devotees of pleasure residing in Europe,./ It is far more benevolent to educate the numerous heathen all about ust han to reach out the hand of beneficence to the unenlightened East Indiamqn. We have in mind a ‘yoTmgman tyfes, several such) who pur: sued a six years’ course of study in a farfamed university of this country. When these young risen appeared before the authorities for admission, they were so deficient in the study of English grammar, in rhetoric, in orthography, in the geography of their own States, and in their general knowledge of men and commercial affairs, that the examining comi mittee “ conditioned them” by advising them to study for a few weeks some of the common English branches of education, after which they were admitted into the Freshman class of the university. Well, after devoting six years, they have been honored with the cheering title of “A. M.” or “B. A.” They have studied drawing, German. French, some of the higher mathematics, while they cannot compute the interest correctly on a note covered with half a dozen indorsements nor measure a-tapering stick of timber wltaout first looking up the rules in some book. Even then, after the measurement has been made, they feel in doubt as to the correctness of the figuring.

Let young people commence with the rudiments ana master such studies as will be attended with practical advantage to them in social, domestic and commercial life. Algebra is an excellent study for some persons. But of what service is algebra to a farmer who always keeps his accounts in arithmetical numbers? Ot what advantage is algebra to an architect who is not an arithmetician of fair abilities? How much aid will a knowledge of algebra render a surveyor of land who is required to do all his figuring in chains ana links or in feet and inches ? Of what use is a fair knowledge of German to anyone when he is required to talk’and write always in the English language, even when ne canned prepare correctly a communication of 800 words for publication? The practice of requiring young people to pursue studies that win give mem no definite ideas flip great duties of life, that will not prepare them to fill stations w’ith efficiency, is one that should be deprecated, and Should receive no sympathy front the people. Let K lad be taught ’something that will prove of practical advantage to him when he has become a man; and let girls be taught to feed and clothe the body, which fe one of the most important lessons a young miss can learn. Let young people of both sexes be taught to apeak and "to -write the English lari.guage with corrected*; then let them Tearu the names of plarite, flower?, rocks and’soils all about them; and let them exercise their faculties in the geography of their own States,.and they will be far more estimable citizens than if these studies were neglected for a knowledge of German and algebra.— N. Y. Herald.