AGRICLT.TURAL DRAMATIS PERSON.E 51 



leading the world agriculturally ; we were content with 

 our position and I think most farmers felt, even if they 

 did not proclaim it, that English agriculture could not be 

 improved upon — a resting upon one's oars attitude that 

 is always dangerous. And so they did not realize that 

 it was necessary to organize in order to meet the new 

 competition successfully. 



Secondly, even before 1875, other nations hud begun 

 to organize their agricultural industry, and we had not. 

 They began to develop systems of agricultural education 

 that proved to be (as they ever must) the foundation of 

 sound and rapid development ; whereas it was not until 

 1910 that we began to concentrate attention upon 

 developing a system of agricultural education.^ 



One of the strongest indictments that can be brought 

 against our agriculturists is that, as a whole, they have 

 been opposed to education and opposed to co-operation 

 which is the bedrock of organization. 



We have, and for long have had, certain outstanding 

 farmers in each county, who are second to none in the 

 world in skill and general intelligence ; but the difference 

 between our good farmers and our bad farmers is greater 

 than exists in any other country, and it is the bad farmer 

 who pulls the average down. 



And the reason for a more uniform standard amongst 

 the agriculturists of other cc^untries is, precisely, the 

 superior education and organization which have tuned 

 up the whole industry. 



It is best to face the situation frankly, and to admit 

 that in the United Kingdom there are a large number of 

 farmers who, from want of capital and knowledge, are 

 not obtaining from the land the production it should 



• For detailed infcirmalioii see the reports of tlic Rural Coiifcrcucc 

 on Agricultural Education. 



