204 SECTIONAL ADDRESSES. 



below that of the best. I cannot but believe that even in the present 

 difficult and harassing economic situation their position would be better 

 were their standards somewhat higher, and their aim to increase rather 

 than decrease their output. 



The improvement in farming technique has been sought by the methods 

 described by Mr. Dale, which consist in affording in all parts of the country 

 access to three types of education, provided by means of University 

 departments and Colleges, by Farm Institutes, and by local classes and 

 lectures. Each of these types has a separate function in the whole scheme 

 and, while the part played by local classes and by the Farm Institutes 

 seems clear enough, the policy of the Colleges and the Universities is often 

 rather vague and indefinite. If it is possible to make a criticism against 

 these bodies in the last years it is this, that, while they one and all would, 

 I imagine, claim that their function was to train their students in the 

 technique of the agricultural business, so that as managers and occupiers 

 of land, land agents, teachers, experts or officials they could raise the 

 standard and status of the industry, they appear to think that the different 

 educational requirements of these various classes can be obtained under 

 the same general scheme of instruction. There are, of course, great 

 difficulties in the way of any one of these institutes definitely adopting a 

 course designed to give the maximum benefit to any one of those classes 

 which I have enumerated, but I think that in some cases at any rate the 

 beaten track has been preferred, and the old methods have been considered 

 good enough to suit conditions that have largely altered. I am convinced 

 that only by taking careful stock of the whole situation, and by being 

 perfectly clear about the result aimed at, can the money which is to-day 

 expended upon agricultural education have the desired effect. 



It was pointed out by Mr. Dale in the paper already referred to that, 

 if the case of wage-earners be excluded, the facilities in Universities, 

 Colleges, and Farm Institutes were equal to the demands made, but that 

 if these demands were as great as they should be, then the existing 

 institutions would be overwhelmed. According to Mr. Dale's figures, the 

 Colleges are only two-thirds full, and of this number only one-third are 

 the sons and daughters of farmers. Something is wrong here, and until 

 this is put right, excellent as is the work done by these institutions, it 

 has not the effect upon the industry in this country which its excellence 

 deserves. No doubt a fairly large proportion of these students learning 

 agriculture will have some influence upon the industry in the future, 

 but it is within my own knowledge that there are a considerable number of 

 agricultural students in a University such as Oxford whose connection 

 with agriculture subsequent to their leaving the University is very slight. 

 I do not propose to traverse here already well-trodden ground in attempting 

 to explain why there is not a greater demand for technical training in 

 times of stress like the present. I believe that, while many factors 

 contribute, it is mainly an economic question, and that the ordinary tenant- 

 farmer is to-day in a position in which he can ill afford to spend money, 

 even were he sufficiently farseeing to realise the ultimate benefit that 

 would result. Such then is the main direction in which it appears to 

 me that improvement in higher education is requi'red, and this improvement 

 must be achieved by a greater vision and clearer purpose on the part of 



