1058 



Notes. 



[FEB., 



Committee on the Sub-Committee which would doubtless be 

 set up by the Agricultural Committee to deal with agricultural 

 education. 



The Minister emphasised the importance of securing the 

 best men for the work and of fixing salaries commensurate 

 with the services required of them, since, however urgent the 

 need for economy, inefficiency is dear at any price. He stated 

 that forty-two counties had already appointed Agricultural 

 Organisers, and he hoped that the delay in the remaining 

 counties was due solely to the difficulty of finding the very 

 best men for the posts. 



In addition to the Organiser and the Horticultural Superin- 

 tendent in such counties as possess a considerable development 

 of horticulture, the appointment of specialist instructors in 

 dairying and poultry-keeping is recommended, and perhaps a 

 still larger staff will be needed, but the Ministry does not 

 propose to hamper the Councils and will leave local conditions 

 to decide local requirements. Farmers requiring advice should 

 apply in the first instance to their County Agricultural 

 Organiser, who will turn if necessary to the advisers attached 

 to the provincial Agricultural College. If the College staff 

 cannot deal with the question, it will be referred to the Ministry, 

 which will call in such expert opinion as may be necessary. 

 Farm Institutes, defined in general terms as agricultural 

 schools, providing courses in agriculture for the sons of 

 farmers, together with summer and other special courses for 

 women and others, are regarded as of great importance to 

 counties, but in view of the building difficulties Councils will 

 be well advised to lease rather than to buy land for such 

 Institutes and to adapt existing buildings rather than seek to 

 erect new ones. The chief object of the Ministry is to give a 

 general stimulus to educational eft'ort and to ensure that the 

 educational work is carried on in close touch with the other 

 activities of the County Agricultural Committees, such as 

 land settlement and the improvement of cultivation. 



^ H< H: H« 



In the middle of January a Conference of Agricultural 

 Organisers and Principals of Agricultural Colleges and Research 

 Institutions was held at the Ministry of 

 The Improvement of Agriculture to consider the Ministry's 

 Criass Land. , , , . i j 



scheme for the improvement of grass land. 



Sir Daniel Hall, K.C.B., F.R.S., in an opening address, outlined 

 proposals and explained how enormously the produce of grass 

 land would be increased by the aid of a Httle knowledge and 



