HABITS OF FARMERS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVIII, Issue 297, 1 December 1928, Page 12

HABITS OF FARMERS

NOT EASY TO ALTER

TRAIN THE YOUNG AGRICUL-

TURALLY

Whether agricultural education benefits the farmer, and really reaches the workers on the land,, for whom it is intended, was the object of an inquiry set on foot by the Scottish Board of Agriculture, and undertaken by J. R. Campbell, an authority on agricultural education. Mr. Campbell reports that agricultural education has effected great improvements in farm practice, especially in dairying, manuring, seeding and poultry-keeping. These improvements, he declares, amply justiiy the expenditure that has been incurred. But the work of tile educationalists, Mr. Campbell says, is not reaching a sufficiently large proportion of those engaged in farming. This, he believes, is due to the fact that, so tar as tile less progressive farmers are concerned, too much time has been spent in trying to instruct men whose habits were already formed before the attempt to educate them in technical agriculture commenced. Mr. Campbell is of opinion that little useful purpose is served by the teaching of agricultural science, except to young men and women who will adopt themselves to the new knowledge and metnods. In order to reach the mass of farmers it is essential, he says, that the local winter courses should be developed extensively, and, it is clear, must have for their objective not only education, but organisation directed to self-edu-cation of young farmers and farm workers of say, from 20 to 30 years of age.

These young farm workers should be encouraged to constitute themselves a circle, club or society for the purpose of extending their studies after the close of the course. Its primary work should be the continuation of studies, and this might with advantage, take the form of discussions on articles in agricultural journals, or any matter of common interest to farmers.