PRESIDENT S ADDRESS — SECTION K. 



253 



training that ii in jeopardy, but what is of even greater impor- 

 tance, the efficiency of the technical staff for teaching purposes. 

 However great his original coanpetency, no agricultural teacher, 

 who is not ui daily contact with agricultural operations, can hope 

 to' avoid gradual deterioration. He finds himself divorced from 

 the realities of his subject, and his teaching is bound to' suffer pro- 

 portionately. The great practical efficiency of the Australian 

 agricultural colleges lias been very largely built up on their farms, 

 and nothing but harm can come from meddling with them. 



I should perhaps draw attention here to the obvious fact that 

 the adoption ot these suggestions would practically double the time 

 available for the technical training of those exempted from farm 

 duties. At Eoseworthy, the present normal course of training 

 extends over three years; but, since one-half cf the students' time 

 is taken up with farm work, from the point of view of theoretical 

 training, it car not be said to be equivalent to more than an 

 eighteen months' course. And, from long personal experience, I 

 can vouch for the cramping influence of existing arrangements on 

 the scope and eft'ectiveness of the training imparted. Hence, those 

 v>rho are freed from the ties of farm work will be given the oppor- 

 tunity of delving more deeply into their subjects than is at present 

 possible. 



What becomes ultimately of fcTmen agricultural college 

 students ? There are sceptics who assert that the majority of them 

 are to be found in the cities. With a view to settling this point, I 

 have endeavor'red to analyze the position in so far as it affects 

 former students of the Roseworthy Agi'icultural College, and the 

 results oif my investigations may be summarized as follows: — 



