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w . s y e rcumscctt * > . . > Grafton Short Course Literary Society ~ President â€" Douglas Johnston ~ . Viceâ€"President â€" Isobel Carruthers . : ' s ; Secretary â€" Jack Kernaghan . Editor â€" Bill Robinson Assist. Editor â€" Edna‘ McMinn . EDITORIAL: > . * Agriculture â€" B. Robinson ' It is needless to say that of all industries agriculture is the + most important. For after all who could get along without the farmer? Even if,. at times, he .may be called.an."old,.hay. seed". by some individâ€" . yals, neverthcless, thosé same. individuals would probably starve if it were not for that old "hay seed." > ‘ Although agriculture is the most important of other industries « ih that they are all depenrdent on it, agriculture in this age, at _ least is far from being the most popular vocation to follow, or the ~ _ one" that returns anything like the highest financial rewards for the time and effort spent. This condition is not very enticing for the . modern youth of toâ€"day. As a result many forsake the farm and pursue ’ some other profession, or obtain positions in the city which, to . them, is much better. Among those young pgople who.do stick to the farm it will probably be found that they are sons and daughters of prosperous farmers or farmers who are having a measure of success. . Of course‘ there are those who stick tbo the farm even if the going is ~ â€" ‘hard because they like it and. resolve to make a go of it and with f this resolve they will likely do so. Then.there may be thoge who are foreed to stay on the farm because they could not very well do anything else. . The question is how is agriculture going to be made more attractive and more interesting to encourage the younger generation to stay on the farm and to offer them something worth while for their efforts? ° If agriculture is the most important of other indusgâ€" tries, surely it commands‘a better position and outlook than at the présent time. How can it be raised to a higher level? Are attempts towards improvement being made? Yos, many steps are being taken to better agriculture. Our government, through the department of Agriculture has always been interested in helping the farmer, more probably, than the average farmer realizes. Thore are many ways ‘in which the Department of Agriculture is seeking to improve agriculâ€" ~â€" ture, and one very good example of this we know and have experioncted ourselves. This is by Short Courses. How do they improve? The arswer toâ€"this seems very obvious. Hasm‘t this course impressod on‘ us the necessity of improvement in our system of farming by pursuing more efficient .and effective ways; and haven‘t we been * _ taught these ways practically as well as scientifically? And have ‘we not indirectly been taught the necessity of better education and developing ourselves and in so doing we will improve our profession? Bo ther, improvement in ourselves must proceed improvement in our ' calling. One way for improveftent is undoubtedly by a better education. . ‘Surely the farmer of toâ€"day needs to be educated to make even a . living qn»thé land. .A high school education is very valuable to . the nmédern farmer.in many ways. . It teaches him physics .and chemistry, â€" thus giving hin a knoWledge of the prineipleg. 0f .scién6d which he can * use to great advantage in undarétandingf%he,soil and its requirements. < 00 By this knowledge, tboo, he will know the feed value of. the crops he grows and will know how to feed his stock the proper rations to suit > the particular case. This is only one of the ways that his high school education will aid, and as has already been moentioned, there ~ are many other way$ in which it will prove of real value. However, if a bhigh school education has not been obtainéd it doesn‘t méan â€" that a knowledge of science canmnot be had. For instance, the young farmer may learn sufficiently about science from the local public school teacher to understand its principles. Or, he may learn this information from a simplified form in a book. . Once he understands the rules, he can extend his knowledge by furthef reading. In fact, there is a wealth of knowledge he can obtain in almost any direction by . reading. .Reading the daily paper is very profitable. â€" Coâ€"operation and orgAnization will aid much in improving .. _sgriculture. Surely the farmers can help themselves by geotting together . + f .