12 



S C T E X T I F I (■ 



A OR T CULTURE 



■Taniiai 



1921. 



olO iiu'iiihcrs wliose (listribatioii at tin- present time is 

 as follows : 



Alberta, 32: British C.iluiuliia. 4!t : Maiiitoha, :iO : 

 New Brunswick, 20; Nova Scotia, 20; Ontario, 171; 

 Prinee Edward Island, 12; Quehee, 129; Saskatehewan 

 40; United States, 7. 



In regard to the future of the Society, mucii could be 

 said but it is only neeessai'y at this moment to outline 

 one or two of the main (>l>je(;ts for which llie urg-aniza- 



riesifieiit J. B. REYNOLDS (left) of Guelpti. nnri |i|.:a.\ 1-; A. 



HOWE.S of the University of Alberta, at the 



Organizing c'onvention. 



tioii stands. There can be no doubt that the Societ.v 

 is needed. Thai is apjiarent from the mere fact that 

 scores of progressive, far-seeing agriculturists in Can- 

 ada have expressed in no uncertain terms their tribute 

 to the organization of the C. S. T. A. Scores of 

 letters are on file from men who are recognized as 

 authorities, and this volume of correspondence would 

 convince the most skeptical as to the need for an or- 

 ganized Societ.v of those who are technically ti'ained 

 in agriculture. 



The Soeiet.y should be able to do much to raise the 

 whole status of scientific agriculture in this country 

 and, as a result of that, the men who are engaged in 

 agricultural work should benefit. It is unfortunate 

 perhaps that (|uick results cannot be obtained but in 

 an undertaking of this sort it should be readil.v un- 

 derstood that the results are cumulative and that they 

 cannot be expected in a few months. It should also 

 lie possible for the Society to attract other scientific 

 organizations and in that way to form affiliations that 

 will strengthen the C. S. T. A. and add force to its 

 policies. Through the official organs of the Society 

 very much needed publicit.v can be given to scientific 

 agriculture in this country and to the results of research 

 work now l)eiiig done either in Canada or in other 

 countries. 



There are a number of men eligible for nienibershi)) 

 in the C. S. T. A. who have not yet joined. This is some- 

 what of a barrier to progress and the Society can only 

 make its influence felt and carry out perfectly the 

 olijects for which it has been formed when it includes 

 in its lists of members everyone who is eligible. 



]\lany difficulties have been met in the past twelve 

 inonths. None of these have proved to be serious and 

 tiiere is not the slightest doubt at this moment that the 

 ('aiiadian Society of Technical Agriculturists will be 

 a very important factor in the sane upward advance- 

 ment of scientific agriculture in this country. 



Do Our Agricultural Colleges Educate? 



Bv Prof. K. T. DICKSON, Maedonald College. 



The above title ma.y be criticised by some but the 

 term "Agricultural College"' is here intended to re- 

 present the corporate body ef the College, — the Gov- 

 ernors and teachers. 



At the present time a keen controver.sy is in progress 

 between the two schools of educatdonal t.iiought — the 

 ' ' Humanistic " " and the ' ' Realistic. ' " It is uot^ witlhin the 

 province of an Agricultural College to decide upon the 

 merits of Latin, Greek and Philosophy as compared with 

 Science, since fundamentally the curriculum of such a 

 college is scientific. But is does behoove us to consider 

 whether our Agricultural Colleges are fulfilling the 

 purposes which it is their duty to fulfil or whether 

 they are lacking in some respect. This is all the more 

 important when one sees the state of the world today, 

 the chaos with Labour and Capital diametrically op- 

 posed, altogether selfishl.v forgetting the Public. On 

 every hand we find institutions of learningbegging for 

 financial assistance and receiving onlv crumbs. Educa- 



tion is toda.v a handica]) in '"making money." Are we 

 to cry "mea culi)a"" in part or wholly? Individual and 

 corporate intr(is[)ection is necessary to answer this 

 question. 



To my niiiul the fundamental query is "Do we train 

 our students to think?" The importance of this cannot 

 be over-estimated and here it may be emphasized that 

 "thinking" and "doing" are so closelj- related that 

 they cannot be separated. How many of our students 

 think logicall.v, critically, and independently or, on the 

 other hand, how many accept unquestioningly the facts 

 as given to them by their teachers on the authoritj- of 

 others? The latter may be quite likel.v to come out at 

 the top at examination time but the former is worth 

 far more to the College and to the world. The absorp- 

 tive type of student is the valuable type, and not the 

 adsorptive, for the art of remembering is the art of 

 clear thinking and not of pure memorization. 



With true knowledge we are able to build, to acquire 



