244 



SCIENTIFIC AGRICULTURE 



Jvme, 1921. 



coun, L.H. Newman, L.C. Raymond, Chas. E. Saun- 

 ders,' F.W.L. Sladen, Geo. E. Sanders, W. Sadler, 

 J.D. Tothill, R.C. Treherne, F. Torrance. 



Editor's Note: 



The complete tex.t submitted to the Convention in 

 Dr. Swaine's report covered forty-eight typewritten 

 pa^es, including niunerous prolDlems in eac^i of llhe 

 following- divisions of agriculture: agronomy, animal 

 hnsbaiidry, Imeteriology, botany, cereal hasbandrj', 

 (■hemi.stry. dairying, entomology, horticulture, poultry 

 hii'-'bandry, veterinaiy science, and miscellaneous. In 

 all there' wei-e well over five hundred problem.s in- 

 cluded in the report. 



In the ahsence of Dr. Swaine, the report was pre- 

 •sented' to the Convention by Dr. W. P. Thompson 

 of tihe University of Saskatc^iiewan, who emphasized 

 the importance of not publishing the report until 

 the consent of those who had sent in lists had been 

 obtained. Ultimately the list, after furtlier revision 

 has been made, will be published. In the meantime, 

 t^iose wiho do not wish to have their li.sts published 

 should notify Dr. Swaine, and any who have not 

 already submitted li.sts but who have such li.sts avail- 

 able should send them in so tliat they may appear in 

 the published report. 



In most cases — in fact in all cases if necessary — 

 it will probably 'be found desirable to publish the 

 names of t/iose who are carrying on investigation 

 work at the present time in connection with any of 

 the listed problems. If possible, the published list 

 should ahso indicate which problems are already being 

 investigated, and which require investigation. 



The Nominating Committee of the Convention re- 

 commended that the Committee on Research for tlie 

 coming year be as follows: Dr. J.M. Swaine (Chair- 

 man), W.P. Thomp.son, A.T. Charron, J.W. Crow, 

 J.F. Snell, M. Champlin, H. Barton and E.S. Hop- 

 kins. The five first named constituted the committee 

 last year, and the three last were added to represent 

 the divisions of soils, crops and live stock for tHie 

 coming year. 



A resolution brought in at the clo.se of t^e Conven- 

 tion read as follows: 



"Resolved that the present Committee on Research 

 be maintained with power to add to their number in 

 order to complete the compilation, revision and classi- 

 fication of tbe list of research problems and invest- 

 igations' of jtarticnlar importance to Canadian agi'i- 

 culture. submitted at thi.s Convention, the classified 

 list w^hen completed to be published in t^e official 

 organ of the Society." 



B 



ureau 



of R 



The decision of the members to form, within the 

 Canadian Society of Technical Agriculturists, a Bu- 

 reau of Records, is a very important step, and one 

 which should be received with ecpial favour by the 

 members and by Departments, Colleges and firms 

 w)iich employ men and women teclhnically trained in 

 agriculture. ' Preliminary plans will be commenced at 

 once by drawing up a questionnaire whicih, with the 

 approval of the Executive, will be sent to every 

 member of the Society. At a later date the co-opera- 

 tion of Departments and Colleges will be .sought, .as 

 well as of many commercial firms so that the Bureau 

 may function to the fuUeisft possible extent and in the 

 most useful manner. 



In inti-odneing this question before t^e recent Con- 

 vention of the C.S.T.A. in Winnipeg, President Reynolds 

 said, "It has been proposed that in the office of the Gen- 

 ei-al'Seeretary of the Society there shall be established a 

 Bureau of Records, to contain information as follows : a 

 list and index of technical agriculturists in Canada, show- 

 ing their academic standing, their technical training, their 

 professional experience, their present pasition. and the 

 type of position desired. Along with that indexed in- 

 formation, which will need to be quite exhaustive, 

 should go a classification of positions available for 

 technical agriculturists in Canada, with the qualifica- 

 tions required in each position. Available positions 

 would cover teaching, extension work (including agri- 

 cultural representatives, county agents, etc.) invest- 

 igation, administration, supervitsion (suclh as directoi-s 

 of farms, etc.) and journali-sm. 



"The service that it seems to me will be rendered 

 by such a Bureau will be first, and perhaps chiefly, 

 to those seeking emplojTnent, but service will also be 

 rendered to colleges, governments and firms which are 

 seeking men. I am convinced that si;ch a Bureau, if 

 accurately established and efficiently operated, con- 

 sisting of an exhaustive index of men and positions 



ecords 



available, will be of great service, bot^ to tihe members 

 of this Society as well as to employers of technical 

 agriculturists of all kinds. 



"We have all of us had applications from friends 

 for recommendations when they are applying for 

 positions, and either to comply with those requests or 

 to decline, is equally embarrassing. You are supposed 

 to say something to help the man to his goal, and in 

 doing that you are in danger of being insincere if 

 not, positively untruthful at times. These testimonials 

 from friends are now pretty well discredited and are 

 utsually of little or no value. 



"We want something, nevertheles.s, which will have 

 the necessary accurate infonnation with respect to 

 prospective appointments. Sudh a Bureau would be 

 of immense value to the heads of Departments and 

 Colleges, who are frequently asked to give testimonials. 



"The available information is, after aU, informa- 

 tion which is to be of service to botih parties con- 

 cerned. To place a man in a position just because 

 he wantjs it, is no permanent service to the man or 

 to the position, but to place Jiim in a position for 

 which he is qualified, and for which his testimonials 

 give evidence, should be of the greatest service to 

 tihe Society as well as to all employers. If the 

 information is gathered and indexed, granted that it 

 is in the office of t^e General Secretary, then I 

 should think the next step would be for the General 

 Secretary to notify all employens that he has the 

 information in his office witlh the authorization of 

 the Societj'. That should carry weight with all em- 

 ployers. It woTild carry weight, I am sure, with 

 colleges." 



In the discussion which followed, Deputy Minister 

 Evans of Manitoba stated that he would be very glad 

 to see such a Bureau establis^hed, if only to compile a 

 list of men and their qualificationis. Such a list 

 should include many men without academic standing, 



