December, 1921. 



SCIENTIFIC AGRICULTLJRl-:. 



: : EDITORIAL : : 



It is gratifying to note that the ini- 

 portanee of Farm Management in the cur- 

 ricula of our agricultural colleges is re- 

 ceiving some recognition. In a recent issue 

 of a -western farm paper attention Avas di- 

 rected to the comparative uselessness, to 

 the Avould-be farmer, of a training in en- 

 tomology, botany, agronomy and other 

 branches of agricultural science, unless 

 these courses are supplemented bj' a course 

 in Farm Management. It was suggested 

 that in every agricultural college there 

 should be a special department equipped 

 witli qualified experts in the teaching of 

 this subject. 



There is no doubt that the agricultural 

 colleges will soon give proper recognition, 

 when ai-ranging their courses, to a branch 

 of agriculture as important as Farm Man- 

 agement. The delay in introducing a spe- 

 cial course is probably due to two reasons: 

 first, the difficulty of obtaining compe- 

 tent instructors, and second, the equally 

 difficult task of applying the course to all 

 divisions of agriculture. It is not so much 

 a question of introducing the course as it 

 is of so planning it that the specialist in 

 hoiticulture, or in animal husbandry or 

 in agronomy, will derive the maximum 

 benefit. Rather than introduce a distinct 

 course in Farm Management, for all stu- 

 dents, might it not be possible to obtain 

 better results — especially in certain as- 

 pects of the subject — by having the iii- 

 structcrs in horticulture, animal husbandry 

 agronomy and other subjects, include, in 

 these courses, the application of the prin- 

 ciples of farm management to their part- 

 icular branch qf agriculture? It would be 

 difficult, if not impossible, to secure in- 

 structors who could be considered experts 

 in all aspects of a subject so broad in its 

 application — that must be apparent to 

 anyone who gives the matter proper con- 

 sideration. 



No one will deny the importance, to the 

 agricultural student, of a knoAvledge of the 

 business of farming — especially, to the 

 student wdio intends to return to practical 

 farming. It is to be hoped that every 

 agricultural college will include the sub- 

 ject of Farm Management in its courses 



ill a manner that will best accomplish the 

 end sought — the application of business 

 ■principles to the science and practice of 

 agriculture. 



It is not very many years since Rural 

 Engineering took its place as a distinct 

 subject in an agricultural course and even 

 today comparatively little investigational 

 work is being undertaken in tjais subject. 

 But almost every agricultural college in- 

 structs its students in Rural Engineering 

 because, on the modern farm, a knovAledge 

 of machinery, irrigation, mechanical power. 

 drainage, cold storage, etc. is vital. It was 

 found that ordinary engineering princi- 

 ples could not always be applied to agri- 

 culture and that a special study of spe- 

 cial problems was necessary. From this 

 beginning rapid but fairly recent advances 

 have been made and today Rural Engineer- 

 ing is net only taught to agricultural stu- 

 dents but is recogni.sed as a seientific sub- 

 ject, and in the field of research — if we 

 give the word a broad interpretation — is 

 already making some contributions. * Com- 

 paratively recently the American Society 

 of Agricultural Engineers came into exi.st- 

 ence and will give progress in this subject 

 still further impetus. 



The progress made towards increased 

 hog production in Canada as well as to- 

 wards the improvement of quality, as a 

 result of the conference of producers, 

 packers and government officials held at 

 Ottawa early in November is most en- 

 couraging. In spite of the different in- 

 terests which were represented, and the 

 conflicting opinions which might well 

 have been expected at siich a gathering, 

 the decLsious reached met with practically 

 unanimous approval. If the proposals 



* An outline of the development and 

 growing importance of rural engineering 

 is published in the August (1921) issue of 

 the Experiment Station Record, issued 

 by the Department of Agriculture at 

 Washington. 



