§ Mr. Hurdasked the Minister of Agriculture what is the purpose of the magazine "Ploughshare" which his Department issues to men from the Forces; why he considers that the several weekly farm papers do not meet their needs; and what is the annual cost of this publication.
Mr. T. WilliamsThis monthly magazine, or not more than eight pages and simply produced, caters for the special needs of ex-Service agricultural trainees 53W by giving them a basic understanding of farming processes and techniques and of country ways and rural problems, with the object of helping them to fit themselves into the agricultural community. This little magazine has served these purposes well and has usefully supplemented for these trainees the weekly farm papers which are primarily produced for those already engaged in farming. The cost of publication in 1948–49 was about £500.