TEACHING THE CULTIVATORS 55 



in the concrete case of his own farm what is amiss as things stand, 

 and how such errors may be corrected, how he might make more 

 money out of his farm, feed his beasts at smaller cost, or else make 

 them yield him a more ample return, how he might better things 

 by using such seed, or growing such crops, in the place of those that 

 he does grow, or how by more scientific treatment he might increase 

 the quantity or improve the quality, or else shorten the period of 

 their vegetation. That would make our man think, of course, 

 and his thinking is apt to go home and to produce results. We see 

 the effect very markedly in some foreign countries where this plan 

 has been adopted — and had been adopted not to be dropped again, 

 but, on the contrary, to be extended and pushed home with increasing 

 vigour, from stage to stage, just because it is found to produce good 

 results. It is of all the more importance for us at the present 

 moment, because we have, as already remarked, the problem of 

 enlightening the adult cultivator brought home to us under a new 

 aspect, with thousands, and it may be many thousands, of sparingly- 

 lettered small cultivators coming crowding into the ranks, for whom 

 certainly further instruction, progressing instruction, carrying 

 them continually forward from one point to another, is needed. 

 As it happens, we have examples set to us for this particular work, 

 as well as for the other, the reaching of the medium or large farmer. 

 If the admirable work done in the two North Americas, so to call 

 them, by the United States County Agents, and the Canadian 

 County Representatives, appears to relate in general more to the 

 " farmer," the occupier of more than a small holding — though there 

 are small men likewise in this " class " — in such countries as Belgium 

 and Holland, to a great extent also in France, we have precedent 

 presented to us of dealing with the very small man. In providing 

 enlightenment for our cultivators in their several grades we are 

 therefore not left without guidance. 



The system, one might say, quite naturally, had its origin in 

 Denmark, veritable hearth and home that it is of rural education. 

 The ground was all prepared for it by the famous High Schools. 

 The principle followed in those High Schools is not to cram young 

 heads with specific information, but to form a disposition and 

 competence to learn by spontaneous study and, above all things, 

 to reach the individual, as an individual, adapting instruction and 

 education — that is, the "drawing out" of capacities within him — 

 according to his personal qualities. The prototype of the county 

 agent, the county representative, the agronome de VEtat, and so on, is 

 the Danish konsulent, the first of such calling being appointed byjthe 



