AGRICULTURAL DRAMATLS PKRSON.E 55 



trained business man at its head. Untortunutely this 

 is not by any means always the case in this country, 

 and this leads to unsatisfactory results, and brings odium 

 on the great principle of co-operation in agricultural 

 circles. 



Again, as a class, our farmers have not recognized 

 as thev should the advantages of education, both technical 

 and general. How often has a farmer said to me, 

 " Look at Mr. S., he never had any education and he is 

 the most successful man I know." Two points are 

 overlooked in this somewhat crude statement, one — that 

 Mr. S. is educated, he has educated himselj , and the other 

 that, as a rule, it will be found that Mr. S. himself values 

 education highly and is determined to give his children 

 the best education that can be procured. Every suc- 

 cessful farmer must have a high degree of technical 

 knowledge and theoretical as well, although often he 

 mav be hardly conscious of his theoretic knowledge. He 

 must be able to handle and organize labour well. He 

 must have business acumen, for buying and selling to 

 best advantage are important factors in successful 

 farming. More than in almost any other profession he 

 must be able to think ahead and plan his course, not for 

 one year but for a series of years. Is it not clear that 

 the trained brain will do all this more effectively than the 

 untrained ? 



It augurs well for the future that the National Farmers' 

 Union have a strong education committee, which takes 

 a broad and progressive view of the needs of the com- 

 munity. Nothing can be of greater importance than to 

 lead farmers to take an active interest in the educational 

 developments within their respective counties. For 

 it is only by making use of all the information and 

 guidance which the farm institutes and countv eihuntion 



