62 Agriculture and the Community. 



evidence that it is of real advantage to the farmers is the 

 demand being- made for the extension of public assistance 

 in various directions. But while the demand on the State 

 increases, the State has no power to impose any obligation 

 on the industry to use the methods which research, 

 demonstration, and practice have proved to be advan- 

 tageous. In spite of all that has been done to demonstrate 

 the economy of using artificial manures liberally, the 

 average consumption in this country shows that the 

 teaching of the State has failed to affect a large body of 

 farmers. It has been proved over and over again that 

 even poor grass land will respond to treatment with 

 manures, yet much of the grass land is a disgrace to our 

 agriculture. The wisdom of keeping milk records, and 

 breeding from good milking strains, has been proved to 

 be commercially profitable to dairy farmers, yet the output 

 of milk from our dairy herds continues below what could 

 easily be achieved If our dairy farmers were using the 

 knowledge the departments of agriculture are continually 

 pressing upon them. There is no suggestion that farmers 

 should be induced to engage in experimental work; it is 

 solely a matter of securing that the industry will adopt 

 the methods that have been proved profitable. 



It appears to me essential that the State should assume 

 more responsibility for the Industry. The idea that an 

 industry succeeds best when left to the enlightened self- 

 interest of those engaged in it has few followers nowadays. 

 Those engaged in agriculture have no belief in that theory. 

 The landlords want State loans ; the farmers demand 

 security of tenure and guaranteed prices ; the workers 

 want regulation of working hours, and, In England, a 



