[SHUTT] PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS 13 
will be increased in the more difficult and more backward of our 
agricultural districts. 
The appointment of District Representatives is a recent and 
important movement, inaugurated by the Province of Ontario, but 
rapidly copied by other provinces—it marks the latest addition to the 
educational and demonstrational forces of the country. The District 
Representative is almost invariably a graduate of an agricultural 
college and a man born and raised on a farm. He is one therefore 
who has at first hand a practical knowledge of the principles of agri- 
culture. He is versed in modern methods. His headquarters are at 
some fairly large centre in an agricultural district and his work is to 
assist with advice and by demonstration as far as may be practical 
all who may apply to him. The success of a district representative 
will naturally depend largely on his personality, his willingness and 
ability to impart information and his skill as a demonstrator. Though 
we cannot as yet say what place in our educational system this officer 
may take in moulding our agriculture, there is most satisfactory evi- 
dence that in many cases he is proving an inspiration to farmers and a 
means of raising the general condition of agriculture. There is very 
much to be said in favour of the movement, for we must be all agreed 
that, with the right men in this work, the personal contact of the 
teacher and demonstrator with the farmer must result in the better- 
ment and progress of the district from the agricultural standpoint. 
In this very brief review I have only touched upon the larger 
and more important means bv which agricultural information of an 
agricultural character reaches the farmer. In concluding this phase of 
-my address, I would say that the provisions in Canada in this con- 
nection are, on the whole, ample and excellent, and that every year 
sees their development and improvement. The great mass of 
farmers may, as yet, be outside and untouched by the influence of 
these educational agencies—though I should not like to endorse any 
such statement—but of two facts we may be well assured: that these 
several agencies are in the hands of well trained, able and enthusiastic 
men and women thoroughly imbued with the desire to help and that 
already may be seen the fruits of their work in profound changes for 
the better in the practice of Canadian agriculture. 
Investigation or research in the domain of agriculture is the sys- 
tematic, skilful application of the sciences—natural, physical and 
economic—to the solution of its problems. Its product naturally 
constitutes agricultural science. Its object, first, is to discover 
facts and secondarily is to correlate and co-ordinate them so that laws 
or principles may be established. Thus, successful research in agri- 
culture adds to our definite knowledge regarding soils and crops and 
