AGRICULTURAL LECTURESHIPS 389 



The further suggestion has been made that 

 County Councils should grant funds in favour 

 of " agricultural lectureships " ; but this is an 

 idea I am not disposed to support. The British 

 farmer would not be inclined to favour lectures 

 on the technicalities of his business from others 

 than experts of the very highest eminence in the 

 country, persons, that is to say, whose services 

 a single County Council might not be in a posi- 

 tion to enlist, even if it surmounted the tempta- 

 tion of appointing as lecturer some person of 

 local reputation only. In cases where lecturers of 

 a second or third rate rank have been engaged by 

 local authorities the results have sometimes been 

 far from satisfactory. Any scheme for official 

 agricultural lectureships might, therefore, be left 

 to the Board of Agriculture, which would be in 

 a much better position to engage the best talent 

 for the purpose, and might be well-advised so 

 to do, the County Councils devoting themselves, 

 rather, to the employment of agricultural 

 organizers. As regards the work of these indi- 

 viduals, it is found that they do far more good 

 by having quiet talks with the farmers in their 

 own homes, on the market, or at the village inn, 

 than by holding public meetings to propagate 

 their i<l« ;is. or by seeking to deliver addresses 

 on technical subjects on their own account. 



