252 president's address — section k. 



* 



their time would be wasted in doing things with which they had 

 been familiar from earliest childhood. Hence, without loss oi effi- 

 ciency in the ccnrse of training, the maximum number of students 

 could be raised, if outside farm training were limited to the inex- 

 perienced, whilst the training of farm-bred lads wo'uld be restricted 

 to theoretical instruction and associated demonstrations. It may 

 occur tO' some that the practice frequently adopted in the training 

 oif engineers, namely, the suspension of diplomas or qualifying cer- 

 tificates until such time as joroof can be given of adequate post- 

 graduate practical experience, might with advantage be extended 

 to agricultural students without earlier farm experience, and thus 

 do away altogether with any attempt to combine both theoretical 

 and practical training. This would bring us back to- the European 

 view-point, which, in my opinion, is open to very grave objections. 

 Personally, after long experience^, I am satisfied that what value 

 there is in theoretical instruction in agricultural subjects is heavily 

 discoiunted in the absence of personal experience of farming prac- 

 tice. It is literally impossible adequately to impress upon students 

 the bearing aiid value of princijoles underlying practices of which 

 they are' in complete ignorance. It is no better than attempting 

 to' teach chemistry without a laboratory: the only possible atiho- 

 sphere in which such instruction could bear fruit^ — the farm atmo- 

 sphere — would be wanting. In the circumstances, much as one 

 must deplore any break in a. boy's educatioinal years, it would be 

 better that the city-bred lad should spend a couple of years on a 

 farm before entering college, rather than that, fresh from school, 

 hei should enter an agricultural college imparting theoretical train- 

 ing only, and trust to acquiring farming practice after the com- 

 pletion of his course of studies. 



In summary, then, the poilicy of exempting farm lads from farm 

 work would throw open college doors to far greater numbers than 

 can in present circumstances be admitted in comjilete good faith. 

 Numbersi would then be limited by housing and class-room accom- 

 modation only, limiting factors which present no insuperable diffi- 

 culties. This division of students into twoi distinct sections, those 

 taking a theoretical course only, and those combining with it ordi- 

 nary farm work, will undoubtedly complicate college management 

 somewhat. The attendant difficulties, however, should not be 

 beyond the power of competent coiiitrol. 



In ccnnexion Avith these suggestions, I foresee a possible danger 

 There may be those who, on the score of economy, or on any other 

 grounds, may think that, because it is open to city-bred lads to 

 acquire the requisite farming outlook by working on a farm prior to 

 entering college, the college farm should gradually disappear, or be 

 reduced to moderate-sized pleasure grounds. Against this view, if 

 it be raised, I must enter a most emphatic protest. In this 

 matter, it is not" merely the ability of the college to impart practical 



