INTRODUCTION 



Three years ago, the Right Honourable John Sinclair, Secretary 

 for Scotland, then a private Member of Parliament, conceived the 

 idea of sending a Commission of Scottish Agriculturists to Denmark 

 to study Danish farming on the spot. The Commission was selected 

 irrespective of politics. No one ever knew the political con- 

 stitution of the party. It arrived in Denmark in June 1904. 

 The following year the official Report was published.^ The 

 Report was most favourably received by the Press. We may be 

 pardoned lor saying that it educated public opinion ; it increased 

 the awakening interest in agriculture; it showed the need and 

 stimulated the desire for co-operation ; it helped forward the small- 

 holding movement. 



The work accomplished encouraged the Commission last year 

 to undertake, also on the suggestion and with the assistance of 

 Mr Sinclair, a similar investigation in Ireland. All those who 

 went to Denmark could not go to Ireland. This was a loss, 

 inasmuch as the Commission was deprived of the services of 

 some capable farmers. But it was not all loss. Other capable 

 farmers joined the Commission. The result was that more 

 districts were represented on the Commission to Ireland than 

 were represented on the Commission to Denmark, and that was 

 a distinct gain. 



We went to Denmark because the Danish farmers had outlived 

 the years of agricultural depression, which had hit us so hard, and 

 stood in the very forefront of those who make their living by 

 agriculture on small farms. But what took us to Ireland ? Ireland 

 had failed in agriculture as completely as Denmark had succeeded. 

 We went to Ireland to see in the revival of agriculture just 

 begun there the causes at work which in Denmark had ended 

 in unparalleled success. 



The revival of agriculture in Ireland is due in the first place 

 and pre-eminently to the self-help movement represented by the 

 Irish Agricultural Organisation Society, referred to hereafter as 

 the " I.A.O.S." ; and in the second place, to the State-aid move- 

 ment represented by the Department of Agriculture. Much that 

 we have to say must therefore have reference to these movements. 



Our investigations were greatly facilitated by help ungrudgingly 

 given by the Irish people. Foremost among our helpers was Sir 

 Horace Plunkett, who recently resigned the Vice-Presidentship of 

 the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction for 

 Ireland. He is Ireland's most outstanding figure at the present 

 time. He may be said to have originated the new movement, and 

 he knows everything about it. He put men and information at 



1 "Farming in Denmark." Blackwood & Sons. 6d. 







