RURAL PHILOSOPHIES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 59, Issue 183, 18 May 1939, Page 8

RURAL PHILOSOPHIES.

KEEPING THE HANDS CLEAN. PASSING OF WAR SCARE. / An English correspondent has some interesting things to say concerning the young men possessed of college diplomas who were seeking employment on the land; especially concerning those who groused that they had a. job to find it. ' . “Taking things by and large,” he argued, “farming in this country is not short of managers to supervise-the work but is woefully short of hands to do the actual work. The possession of a good education and of a diploma should not make the owner- think that he is too good for ordinary farm work. Education should be considered a personal asset which saves ordinary routine work from being a monotonous grind.” His other great point was that in farm work you could keep your hands clean, even though they were covered with muck, which was difficult to accomplish iu many walks of life which are looked upon as being so greatly above it.

But what an unreal life most of us have lived lately (remarks A. G. Street iii the “Farmers’ Weekly,” London, just' after ..the recent threat of a European war had passed). Try as one . would, it was difficult, even on a farm, to make business go as usual. Harvesting, threshing, ploughing and planting all have gone steadily forward, but those engaged in them have all the time been wondering. The young man with the drill pr broadcast could not keep the question from bis mind/as to whether he would share in the subsequent harvesting. The old thatclier, pegging last year’s straw to) cover this. year’s grain, has been wondering whether lie will be able to work so peacefully and methodically when be puts the,hat on the rioks of the harvest of 1939. The huntsman returning from cubbing lias been asking himself whether next September will - see bis bounds making the same journey home. The young bride of yesterday must have been thinking, even during the marriage ceremony', bow long shall I have my husband by my side ? “Continuous Question Mark?” Marriage, sport, pleasure, work business, recently all have been one continuous question mark for all classes of peo)se, none of whom, wanted war, most of whom were ready to defend their ideas of decency in either private or national life. Then, on September 30, came the welcome news of a respite from such continuous and ever increasing woriy and fear. News that sanity was to rule the world for a while—it is to be hoped for a long, long while. Even so. faiming folk still remember that, whatever happens in the future, the land will remain and its needs must ever be served. We hope the future will be a time of prolonged indefinitely prolonged peace, and farming lias its functions in peace no less than iu war (states the editor of the “Farmers’ Weekly”). Agriculture, in fact, is traditionally an occupation of peace. Swords into ploughshares has ever been the hope of war-weary nations. It is an unhappy nation that can think of its agriculture only as a munition industry, for the goods it produces are as welcome in peace as in war. Tin--fortunately this country lias failed completely to recognise the 1 immense contribution farming has to make to its welfare cxeept in emergency. Yet in spite of difference and neglect the farmers of this country are producing annually £250.000,000 worth of goods, food and clothes which people want in their daily lives, goods of . which they want more. The events of the past few weeks 'and the prospects for the future all combine to make this the greatest opportunity our generation will have for a new appreciation . and development of the farming of this country. The £250,000,600 we now produce can be doubled, people fed on the produce of our land, and the land itself made vigorous and responsive to the calls wo may make upon it.