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SCIENTIFIC AGRICULTURE 



May, 1921. 



Federal and Provincial Agricultural Policies' 



President L .S. Klinck, University of B.C., 

 Vancouver, B.C. 



As one who has for some years been in close personal 

 and official touch with those who are administering: 

 the Federal and Provincial Departments of Agricul- 

 ture, I feel that it would not be just or fair to criticise 

 adversely these branches of the Government service 

 without at the same time pointing out some of the de- 

 defects in the College of Agriculture — defects for 

 which, as a member of the staff in an Agricultural Col- 

 lege, I assume my full share of responsibility. 



A fair and impartial treatment of the subject calls 

 for more skill than I am capable of. and for more cour- 

 age than I could at first muster. And yet critici.sm, 

 even though adverse, need not necessarily be a cold 

 business. If my treatment is destructive your oppor- 

 tunity will come in the discussion; if it is constructive, 

 or even suggestive, let us face the issues siiuarely. 



Because it is basic, the relationship between these 

 three divisions of agricultural work is one of the most 

 important ((uestions to be considered by this Society. 

 In my treatment of the subject I shall aim simply to 

 sketch the main outlines, without any suggestion of 

 finality, and .shall purposely avoid being unnecessarily 

 specific in matters of minor detail since you all know 

 to what extent the principles enunciated will be applic- 

 able in your respective fields of endeavor. 



With the salient features in the origin, history and 

 growth of these three branches of agricidtural service 

 we are all familiar. In the initial stages in the develop- 

 ment of each, they occupied separate and distinct 

 fields. Gradually, however, as each extended the 

 scope of its activities, the old lines of demarcation 

 became less and less distinct until at present in such 

 sub-divisions of the field as ''extension," for example, 

 a dividing line no longer exists; and one does not re- 

 quire unusual powers of discernment to see that there 

 is a possibility of a like situation arising in other lines 

 of agi'icultural work. 



The reasons for this are obvious. Organizations, 

 governmental or otherwise, naturally, and in large 

 measure rightly, bend their energies in the direction 

 from which come the public demand and the public 

 response. If the demand is persistent enough the 

 temptation becomes very strong for the Agricultural 

 College man to neglect teaching and research and de- 

 vote all his energies to extension. Hence we see in 

 some provinces similar work being conducted by two 

 or even three separate agencies, while basic work which 

 should be done by at least one of these is almost or 

 wholly neglected. A careful study of the relations of 

 the Dominion Department of Agriculture with Pro- 

 vincial Agencies — governmental and educational — re- 

 veals many splendid examples of co-operation, but 

 also, unfortunately, equally striking instances of lack 

 of co-operation and co-ordination which in some cases 

 are a near approach to chaos. 



*An address delivered at the Organizing Convention 

 of the Canadian Society of Technical Agriculturists at 

 Ottawa in June, 1920, and published in December last 

 in the report of that Convention. The address is re- 

 printed here because the recommendations of President 

 Klinck are to be presented at the coming Convention 

 of the C.S.T.A. in Winnipeg, as a basis for discussion. — 

 Editor. 



In Canada there is no industry which the Govern- 

 ment can to.ster and develop with greater propriety 

 than that of agriculture. W^ith few exceptions our gov- 

 ernments have recognized this fact and have voted 

 large appropriations without always enquiring as fully 

 as they might as to the efficiency of the organizations 

 designed to give effect to their intentions. One of the 

 results of this policy is that today there is a danger 

 of re-action : in fact in some quarters it has already set 

 in. The number of organizations functioning in agri- 

 culture and in agricultural education is considered by 

 many to be too large and as a result the people are 

 coming to demand an explanation. 



To point out defects in a system is, however, com- 

 paratively easy; to diagnose the case is much more 

 difficult. Skill, constructive ability and a high order 

 of public spirit on the part of all co-operating are neces- 

 sary to evolve and to put into force an effective 

 remedy. 



Reorganization of Agriculture in Canada has not 

 been effected, or even seriously attempted, primarily 

 because it is admittedly so difficult. And perhaps this 

 is an opportune time to remind ourselves that respon- 



President L. S. Klinck. 

 sibility will temper the most radical, even when given 

 a direct mandate to effect a needed reform. 



That the necessary machinery has not yet been per- 

 fected for the efficient and economical carrying out 

 of the agricultural affairs of this country is evident. 

 To illustrate this point I cannot do better than refer 

 to the conditions which obtained in the Province of 

 British Columbia in the spring of 1914. Happily that 

 condition no longer prevails and today in few, if in any 

 of the other provinces is there a better understanding 

 or closer co-operation among the Departments than is 

 to be found in the most westerly province of the Dom- 

 inion. 



Briefly stated, the situation in respect to agricultural 

 organization in British Columbia in 1914 was as fol- 

 lows: "Colony Farm,"' which is a provincial govern- 

 ment institution with a well-deserved reputation be- 

 cause of the excellence of many of its classes of pure 

 bred stock, came under the Provincial Secretary. The 

 illustration dry land farms, on which certain experi- 

 ments were conducted with field crops, and in systems 

 of dry land farming, were presided over by the Min- 

 ister of Lands. Experiments on the illustration and 

 demonstration farms outside the dry belt were planned 



