STATUS OF FARMERS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 June 1939, Page 3

STATUS OF FARMERS

HIGH QUALIFICATIONS NEEDED. Although it is a profession on which the health, and, indeed, the survival of the human race, depends, agriculture has not held its place of honour among the less essential callings. The fault probably lies in the once widely held idea that farming was a suitable calling for the dullard of the family. This misconception has been completely shattered in recent years since the concentration of scientific research on production from the soil has revealed that successful farming is an intricate science, and requires both a high intelligence and a wide knowledge of both theory and practice in many fields. The modern farmer must possess knowledge ana qualifications far mope extensive than the average worker if he is successfully to maintain the fertility of the soil which he crops, build up the quality and production of his ' grasslands, and improve the products of his livestock. There is room in the primary industries for the best brains in the country, but they are unlikely to be attracted to this field unless the rewards and social status are commensurate with the qualifications required.