25 Aprii,, 1917.] German Challenge to British Agriculture. 223 



To make up for that handicap in the race for agricultiii'al supremacy, 

 Britain and lier Dominions must be prepared to spend large sums of 

 money on agricultural education and research. We do not have to look 

 across the Khine to seek exiuuples of good tillage and high production. 

 Here in Victoria we have individual instances of wheat farmers, dairy 

 farmers, and potato growers, whose methods of farming are on a high 

 plane of efficiency, but, unfortunately, such cases are rare. The majority 

 ■of our farms are cultivated with only average skill, and this is the reason 

 for our low average yields. The great task ahead is to lift the average 

 farming towards the plane of the best — to encourage the Many to do what 

 the Few are doing. To do this we do not even have to discover any new 

 knowledge; we only need to apply i)rinciples and methods that are 

 already well known. 



But while the systematic application of present day knowledge to all 

 farms in the State would inevitably lead to an enonnous increase in 

 output, we must not imagine that the smninit of technical perfection 

 would then be attained. 



In respect to nearly all branches of agriculture — the choice and 

 selection of seed — the rational use of artificial manures, the use of food- 

 stuffs for stock, the use of machines for economizing labour and cheapen- 

 ing production, the improvement in live stock, the production of new and 

 more prolific ty]K's of crops, the winning to agriculture of new lands — 

 we are only beginning to realize the vast possibilities for improvement 

 that are opening up along these avenues. For the discovery and utiliza- 

 tion of this new knowledge a comprehensive system of research is 

 necessary. Agricultural education and research must therefore go hand 

 in hand in any progressive scheme for rural advancement, the foi-mer 

 applying the knowledge already won, the latter elucidating new facts 

 whicli will form the basis of future progress. 



The German challenge for agricultural supremacy is the challenge of 

 organization and efficiency. It must be met by better organization and 

 increased efficiency. 



The cla.sh of war found Britain unready — in military, industrial, and 

 in agricultural organization. By stupendous efforts and at great cost 

 military and industrial organization has been created in three years 

 which has outfought the best military machine hitherto created. The 

 task of organizing agriculture is now being undertaken. The State in 

 future must play a greater part in developing and fostering riiral in- 

 terests and industries. Mr. Runciman recently said, " A country which 

 fails to regulate and foster industries in the national interest cannot, in 

 the nature of things, long survive the rivalry of another country where 

 the industries are so fostered and regulated." Ancient democracies 

 tended to repress the free life of the individual. Modem democracies 

 tend to err in the other direction, and adopt a policy of laissez-faire 

 wider which an industry of national importance may languish. The war 

 tas shown us that a State, whilst allowing individual liberty, must 

 adopt a constructive policy and provide the necessary administrative 

 machinery to develop to the utmost possible limit all the manifold 

 resources of the country. 



