152 A REVIVAL OF AGRICULTURE 



operations for suitable wages, and to learn 

 thoroughly all they need to know, who intend to 

 begin farming on their own account. 



Without some experience such as this, men 

 on small holdings would merely add to the 

 agricultural disasters of the times. When it can 

 be certified that an apprentice has thoroughly 

 learned all he needs to know, then he should be 

 placed on a small holding of his own, with access 

 to a local agricultural bank, whence he would 

 obtain the funds necessary to start him. It is 

 assumed that such holdings would always be so 

 chosen as to have the quality of soil and locality 

 necessary to make success possible. And the 

 holding must be the man's own. For his own 

 he will work as he never would nor could for 

 a landlord, least of all for Government or Local 

 Board as landlord. 



If some such scheme as this were early put 

 in hand, introduced gradually and carefully, but 

 with the full intention of extending it to an army 

 of small holders, and presently universal military 

 service were demanded and became law, then 

 there would probably be but little trouble in 

 sending to farmers, as apprentices, the young 

 men just done with military service, the ap- 

 prenticeship scheme being then already in full 

 swing. 



The apprentice going to a farm would, of 

 course, be at first of little use as a farm hand ; 

 but when it is remembered that, from the outset, 

 there is before that farm hand a future full of 

 hope, there is no difficulty in concluding that he 



