64 REPORT OF THE SCOTTISH COMMISSION 



Denmark. Mr Mulhall visited Holland, Belgium, Wurtemburg, 

 Switzerland, Bavaria, Hungary, and Austria. The Commissioners' 

 Eeports were in due time laid before the Committee, along with 

 a valuable memorandum on "A Ministry of Agriculture and 

 Industry for Ireland," by M. Tisserand, probably the greatest 

 authority on State aid to agriculture on the Continent of 

 Europe. 



Self-Help on the Continent 



The reports revealed the fact that in the countries visited 

 self-help as a rule preceded State aid. In the countries where 

 this was not the case it fell to the Government to assist the 

 farmers to co-operate. This was sometimes done by suggestion, 

 sometimes by Act of Parliament. Whether the self-help move- 

 ment preceded, accompanied, or followed the State-aid movement, 

 it was necessary that the farmers should be organised before the 

 State could adequately help them. 



Continental Departments of Agriculture and Industries 



It was also found that the Departments of Agriculture in the 

 countries visited usually included industries, and were as a rule 

 democratic in their constitution, inasmuch as they had Con- 

 sultative Councils of Agriculture, partly composed of men elected 

 by the Department of Agriculture, but mostly of men elected 

 by the different Agricultural Societies throughout the country. 

 These Councils had to meet before any measure affecting agri- 

 culture was introduced into Parliament. The agricultural experts 

 of the country had thus an opportunity of discussing with the 

 Department of Agriculture every measure before it became law. 

 That was of vast importance, even although the Department had, 

 as was usually the case, the last word on the subject. 



Education on the Continent 



Continental governments displayed great wisdom in demand- 

 ing that farmers should help themselves before the State helped 

 them. They were equally wise in deciding as they did, that 

 education was the best kind of State aid, and the kind which 

 should be pressed forward in season and out of season, though 

 they gave State aid in other and more objectionable forms. The 

 education given included nature knowledge in the primary school, 

 elementary agricultural instruction in the secondary school, and 

 higher agricultural instruction in schools and colleges suitable for 

 those who were destined to be professors and teachers of agri- 

 culture. The theory of agriculture taught at these schools was 

 put into practice on example plots and at experimental stations. 

 Technical instruction was also given in connection with rural 

 industries. Such was the education the Commissioners found in 

 vogue on the Continent — an education which has turned out as 

 successful farmers and as capable craftsmen as are to be found 

 anywhere. 



