The Board of Agriculture. 115 



last classes are not sufficiently aware of the influence 

 they might bring to bear in pushing forward the agri- 

 cultural changes called for by the times, or perhaps that 

 any changes at all are requisite. But the present 

 " what we know we know, and what we don't know 

 we don't want to know " attitude of these classes would 

 be gradually changed were experimental farms placed 

 within easy reach of a railway. One for the East and 

 another for the West of Scotland would suffice to begin 

 with, and the number required for England and Wales 

 would not be large. I say nothing of Ireland, as that 

 part of the Empire is safely in the hands of Sir Horace 

 Plunkett. In this connection I may take the oppor- 

 tunity of thanking the Board of Agriculture for its 

 action, though some might call it want of action, 

 with reference to Clifton-on-Bowmont, in declining to 

 take the part that I suggested with reference to the 

 farm. This was that the Board should print a leaflet 

 on the work of the farm, and send one to each County 

 Oouncil in order to make it known that the farm was 

 open to visitors. The Department declined with thanks, 

 on the ground that to do so would be to identify itself 

 with a system — the system being as old as agriculture, 

 though the method of carrying it out is on fresh lines. 

 Judging by the number of visitors who have arrived 

 without any aid from the Department, and who have, of 

 course, taken up much of the time of my steward in 

 showing them round the farm, it is evident that had the 

 Department adopted my suggestion we should . have 

 been simply overpowered with visitors and correspond- 

 ence, and I therefore take this opportunity, from a 

 personal point of view, of thanking the Department, 

 though it is not quite so clear that I have any grounds 

 for doing so on behalf of the farming world. I may here 

 add that I offered the Department, well knowing of what 

 use my book would be in the Colonies, twelve copies, 

 to be sent to the various Colonies, but they positively 

 declined to move in the matter, which I partly mention 



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