Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. TUESDAY, DECEMBER. 28, 1926. BRITISH AGRICULTURE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLVII, Issue 10805, 28 December 1926, Page 4

Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. TUESDAY, DECEMBER. 28, 1926. BRITISH AGRICULTURE.

The need for a bold educational policy with the object of improving the position of agriculture in Britain is emphasised in an article in the London “Spectator” by Sir Frank Fox, who sets out with the statement that agriculture is a humble little interloper in the British educational system. The amount devoted to agricultural education is negligible, he says, and in no other country is the matter treated so parsimoniously. In fact, he asserts that what Turkey did for Bulgaria in that direction in 1912 would compare j favourably with Britain’s present record. In Serbia he found that an essential part of every youth s education, whether he was to be farmer, artisan, professional worker or civil servant, was to qualify in some form of agricultural education. Finland, last year, was making agriculture part of the school programme at every stage, using the folk schools —where, during the winter months, young people get board, lodging, education and amusement for a nominal fee —almost wholly for the education of the men in land culture, the women in domestic science. The Dominions, without exception, says Sir Frank, do far more for agricultural education than the Homeland. In 'Australia., for instance, such training begins with the pupils in the primary schools. Elementary schools, for the teaching of agriculture alone, are established in the suburbs of the largest cities. ' Teachers and scholars in all schools are encouraged to enrol for rural camp schools during holidays to acquire first-hand knowledge of farming. After taking care that the child should have an early opportunity to learn a filial duty to Mother Earth, a typical Australian State provides a linked system of agricultural colleges and experimental farms. The “college” is also an experimental farm, hut it is organised on a more advanced basis than the farm, deals theoretically with every.branch.of land industry, and practically with most. “Great Britain needs a hold, generous policy of agricultural education based on the assumption that national policy must shortly provide for 500,000 more families on tlie land if we are to hold our position in the world, ’ 5 says Sir Frank; ‘ ‘and that when the demand comes for agricultural workers of all grades it needs to he met by a. supply of trained men. Even if national policy fails —I do not think it will fail —not a penny of an amount equal to that spent on the recent futile coal subsidy would be wasted if it were used wisely on agricultural education; the young men and young women .would be helped by it to useful careers in the Overseas Empire.” As a remedy for the present position, Sir Frank Fox outlines seven points of a policy as follows : —(1) Practical teaching of tlie culture of the land to he made an integral part of all elementary education; (2) ample provision in every part of the United Kingdom of elementary training farms, somewhat on the lines of those for training migrants; (3) generous provision of agricultural schools, good models of which, he says, are to he found in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand; (4) unstinted encouragement of a System of agricultural apprentice'ship; (5) liberal extension of the existing' agricultural colleges, with the object of training 'the farmer rather than the farm worker; (6) more research institutes, with stalls of travelling lecturers and demonstrators, for students seeking an “honours course”; (7) an agricultural research and statistical institute l coordinating all research work in curative medicine for stock 1 and plants, in analyses of soils, in observation of world-crop. conditions, in tlie investigation of premising new crops and varieties of crops, and in meteorological observations. “One. of tlie great lacks of British agriculture is l of skilled labour and skilled directors of labour. Tire British type of agricultural labourer is good and likeable; liis farmer employer’s also. But' rarely does one see skilful, efficient' team work in

agriculture. It is not the fault of farmers and workers. They have been engaged for half a century in an industry which has been largely living on the alms of the landlords. But the land must be made to pay, and one of the ; first necessities is an army of workers keen and sinneu m v/TC.J grade. ’ 5