SHORTCOMINGS OF OUR AGRICULTURE. 43 



the professed champion of pure self-help that it was — in 

 his office. 



The German Departments acted in a markedly different 

 manner. Their " policy " did not spring ready panoplied 

 out of the head of any Zeus afflicted with a headache. 

 No Hephaestos carved it out of a god's brain with his 

 hatchet. It had to be sought after and laboured for. It 

 was so. But, once discovered, it was steadily adhered to 

 and systematically followed up. There was no " fishing " 

 about, no haphazard movement. German Ministers of Agri- 

 culture knew as surely where they were going as did Sir 

 Douglas Haig at the head of our armies. They had rather 

 more work to begin upon than their colleagues in this 

 country, because German Crowns possess considerably 

 more substantial material in the shape of crownlands to 

 administer than does ours. And there were drainage and 

 irrigation associations to look after in the public interest, 

 entailed estates to watch over in the interest of coming 

 heirs, moreover general surface drainage by ditches and 

 rivers to supervise in the interest of private owners on the 

 higher levels, and there were more things of the kind to 

 look after. There were also public studs and forests. But 

 all this was after all mere routine work involving no policy. 

 It was Adminstration rather than Agriculture. The adop- 

 tion of " a policy " grafted upon the top of all this was 

 greatly helped by the fact that in the foreign countries 

 spoken of Agriculture — or let us say, the rural population, 

 as a matter of fact engaged in Agriculture, and having 

 that industry for its main calling — played a far more con- 

 spicuous part in public economy and political life than 

 among ourselves, who had in early days already become 

 pronouncedly industrial. And a further stimulus to it still 

 was the division of the country into so many different 

 states at the time spoken of, still eyeing one another with 

 jealousy, and perpetually on the watch for opportunities to 

 go, if possible " one better " in what was considered good 

 government. " Paternal Government " was a tradition 

 in Germany. " The State " was already expected to take 

 the lead in all things. The proper role for subjects was 



