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Llangollen Advertiser Denbighshire Merionethshire and North Wales Journal

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AIDS TO AGRICULTURISTS.

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AIDS TO AGRICULTURISTS. WE heartily welcome the announcement that a series of agricultural lectures are to bs held in Llangollen, particulars of which have been duly advertised. It would be difficult indeed to over- estimate the importance of this step, and we fully agree with remarks mads at the meeting of the Joiat Committee 011 Higher Education that any assistance that that body can give, financial or otherwise, should be given without hesitation. We are bearing a good deal in these days as to the benefits derivable, or supposed to be deriv- able, from a, change in the fiscal policy of the country—a change that will result in the creation of a series of hostile tariffs against foreign imports with a view to protecting the British manufacturer and the British farmer from the effects of what is termed unfair com- petition." We have little faith, however, in what any Government, be it Liberal or Con- servative, can do for the farmer. To a certain extent, as the lecturer from the University College, who visited the town twelve ninths ago pointed out, the British agriculturist has, in the past, been a shuttlecock between rival political parties. There has been any amount of bids for his vote and, when an agricultural con- stituency has been contested, promises have been made that, in the very nature of things, could never be kept. The outcome of all this has been precisely what any sane man might expect it to be-absolutely nothing in the way ef effective legislation. Now we have one of the most plausible politicians who ever mounted a plat- form, coming forward with a new variation of an old cry. "Protection! has taken the place of "three acres and a cow "—or may it not be that Protection is to give every working man three acres and a cow ?—and the farmer and the manu- facturer are asked to vote straight for the party of big promises. Let there be no mistake on the point. The question is not one of the big or the little loaf, considerations of benefitting this or that class in the community—the question and the consideration are how to catch the votes of the majority of the electors: how to frame a policy that will prove the most effective baife to the constituencies ?'' It is not one party that is weighing the pros and cons of this problem to- day; both parties are carefully turning it over, and both may be relied npon, so soon as Parlia- ment is dissolved, to come before the electorate with the usual budget of promises of what they intend to give in return for support at the poila. What the agriculturalist has to consider is whether, in view of his past experience, he is justified in placing much reliance upon these promises that is, placing reliance tbereon to the extent of slackening his endeavour to work out his own salvation along what, is unquestion- ably the line of least resistance. Is it not the duty of the farmer to seriously consider the extent to which it ia possible for him to be benefitted by political means? We think that it is; a.nd, further, we are confident that, when he has carefully thought the matter out, he is sure to realise that no Government, no combination of parties, and nothing that any outside agency can achieve, is likely to prove anything like so potent an agency for good as efforts he may make himself, and what agriculturists may themselves achieve, by judicious combination, with a view to fostering their own interests. In no direction, we are confident, can they do this more effectively than by taking to heart the truth which other industries are taking to heart, viz., the necessity for increased knowledge which can only be obtained as a result of technical and scientific teaching regarding the industry to which they are allied. In this direction lectures of the character of those to be delivered in Llangollen serve an excellent purpose; but beyond this we trust that the increased interest in the study of argiculture that may thereby be stimulated may lead to keen competition for Agricultural Scholarships offered by the Education Authorities and that the number of these Scholarships may be increased. In this matter of Scholarships we fully recognise the wisdom of remarks made by Dr. Macnamara, M.P., in a recent article in the Pall Mall Gazelle in the course of which he states:—"There are thousands of scholarship winners in city and country to-day who have reason to curse the day they won their scholar- ships. For the great bulk of the children of the artisans we want scholarships that shall produce high-grade mechanical, electrical, en- gineering, and business workers. We have too many scholarship-trained clerks already." To some people who place what may be termed a fancy value" upon Scholarship schemes as they exist to-day, and who are sometimes at a loss to account for the lax appreciation shown in regard thereto as evidenced by the comparatively small -number of those who compete for the honours, this may be information but it is valuable information neverthless. ''Knowledge; and still more knowledge is the clamant need of the hour. We readily admit that the most thorough and certainly the most practical school in which the farmer can possibly obtain it is upon his own farm; but we would point out it is not wise to contend that the old "rule of thumb" is all sufficient and to disparage the efforts of those who seek to supplement practical by scientific knowledge that may be applied with the best effects in this eountry as it has been in many other countries offering far less advantageous natural fields for profitable farming than are to be found in Great Britain. The farming, like every other class in the community, must march with the times. Not the slightest good purpose is to be served to-day by contending that, because our forbears did very well by adopting this or' that practise, we should adhere to it when science has demon- strated most conclusively that better and more profitable courses may be followed. To assume an attitude of aloofness to teaching calculated to have the most beneficial results, simply because it is modern and advocates procedure the older generation of farmers may regard as "new fangled," is the height of folly. Excellent out- lets for trade, the most skilful efforts to open up new markets for commerce, can have no possible good result unless we have in the country men who are prepared to do their utmost to meet the demand so created. This can never be done by rigidly adhering to old forms and antiquated pro- cedure that whilst they may not have proved altogether failures in the past have by no means been conspicuously successful when measured by the standard of latter day-requirement. It is to impart instruction in subjects upon which it is of the first importance that farmers should be in- formed that the University CollegeJarranges fo-* 1 1. these lectures to be delivered, and it will be very regrettable indeed if full advantage is not takers of the facilities thus provided.

LOCAL AND DISTRICT.

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