94 RURAL RECONSTRUCTION 



:< organising " agriculture must be mainly to give the small men not 

 only every facility, but, beyond that, every inducement to fulfil our 

 wish and settle in large numbers where we desire to have them settle, 

 figuratively speaking, " under their several vines and fig trees," 

 which means in comfort as well in appropriate prosperity, with life 

 made pleasant to them, so far as human action can make it so. It 

 is the well fed, kindly treated horse that ploughs and draws its 

 weight well ; the servant who is made comfortable who does his 

 work best. 



We are to organise, or else re-organise, country life. We want to 

 re-people deserted villages, render neglected plains and hillsides 

 agriculturally more productive, spread populousness, prosperity and 

 wealth over the entire country outside towns. To that end we must 

 provide comforts for the people who already are in the country districts 

 and for others whom we wish to see settling there, and a settled satis- 

 factory order of things, under which they may live and prosper. 

 Less broad in its sympathies and in its conception of its duties than 

 its sister departments in Canada and the United States, our Ministry 

 of Agriculture, acting through large agricultural organisation 

 societies now wholly dependent upon it and under its orders, has 

 altogether ignored this part of the work to be done. In truth, it 

 does not possess any proper organs through which to attempt that 

 work. For a little eloquent haranguing by men quite unconnected 

 with humble country life, will not accomplish the task for the per- 

 formance of which people of the same class as the intended con- 

 verts, knowing their wants and talking their language, are required. 

 We have, and have in truth for a long time had, more than enough 

 of such superior oratory : " Organise ! " Admirably intended as they 

 are and all along have been, these admonitions produce little effect. 



Country life, indeed, wants to be made, not profitable only, but 

 in every sense attractive to those who dwell and are expected to 

 dwell in the country, attractive in a sense which, besides securing 

 pleasure, such as will at least place it, in point of attractiveness, on a 

 par with town life — although differing in the form of its attractions — 

 but in addition will impart a healthy tone to mind and character. 

 Dwellers in the country want to have, not only farms, but also 

 ' homes," and easy access to pleasant social intercourse. To 

 provide them with farms — not, to be sure, in the best of all ways — 

 is our great endeavour at present. The Americans are more in 

 earnest in this. ' We must promote the owning of farms by people 

 with the requisite intelligence and experience," says Secretary 

 Houston. " I need not," so he goes on, " point out the advantages 



