SCIENCE AND AGRICULTURE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19171, 10 November 1925, Page 7

SCIENCE AND AGRICULTURE.

Sir, —Now that a satisfactory election is over, a question much discussed by farmers is, what is the Government going to do for agriculture t Agriculture is the only way to permanent prosperity. It is the essential industry for the existence of mankind. In recent years it has become more and more recognised that there is great scope for agricultural research. It? this country agricultural research has become sadly neglected and in this v. e have lagged behind some of the Continental countries and the United States. What is wanted is a farmers' society on the lines of the National Farmers' Union of the United Kingdom. Farmers must be organised if they are to meet the competition from other countries, also to educate the farming community the Government should provide a conspectus of what is being done in those countries where co-operation in agriculture is practised. For example, I would like to see a clear and simple account of the legislative measures which prevail in DenmarkNo one will deny that there is room for improvement in production, and therefore it would be interesting to consider two questions commonly asked. The first is: What is the relation between the: two points of view, scientific and practical farming, and is there any opposition between them ? There is no opposition, they are the same. The second question is: "What is the use of scientific training and knowledge to an ordinary farmer?" One sometimes hears the questions sskeci: "What has science (so-called) done for agriculture ? Are we any better off as a result of modern scientific methods thar> we were? Was not farming as good., cr better, in the old days ? What science done except to invent a Th '® e ; j that were not known before. . , that scientific methods are practical faming^ »k° of altering » "JtWj yhich i, does not pay is n g ends —to find and practice ha \® V Science does not mt ,h nor was^ever-intended, to propretend, nor we alth m the farm--s g'&%■ work . M the basis of everyt lIXIAMSON . Parnell.