THE FARMERS' FRIEND.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 223, 20 September 1928, Page 8

THE FARMERS' FRIEND.

SCIENCE AND RESEARCH.

THE MODERN TREND.

MASSEY COLLEGE WORK

CITY MEN ADDRESSED.

"One of the greatest calamities that could happen in this Dominion would be the development of an idea that there is antagonism or a lack of sympathy on the part of city men in regard to matters affecting the man on the land."

With these words, Sir George Fowlds prefaced an interesting discourse upon agricultural education, delivered to-day to members of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce. Following on the statement, Sir George earnestly exhorted members of the chamber that they should not merely take an interest in matters affecting the farmer, but they should demonstrate in a practical fashion so as to convince the farmer that they were really anxious for his well being. Dealing with his subject proper, the speaker said that one of the best ways in which agriculture could be best promoted was by scientific research, and the diffusion throughout the farming community of the latest discoveries of science as applied to production from the land.

History of the Movement,

"For more than 25 years," said Sir George, "I have taken an interest in the development of agricultural education. I

took a hand in liberalising the regulations so as to make provision for the teaching of agriculture in our primary and secondary schools. In recent years I have devoted a great deal of time to the development of scientific agricultural education on university standards. Ahead of the Times. "One of the first things I did when taking over the portfolio of Education in tlio New Zealand Government was to go to Lincoln College with the then Director of Education, to endeavour to persuade the board of governors that the institution should be developed on the basis of university standards. At that time, however, the great bulk of the falmers thought of agricultural education in the terms of what they called "practical work," and no progress was made in the higher branches of agricultural education or of research, excepting the research carried on by the officers of the Agricultural Department, working, naturally, under very difficult circuhistances." 1 The next stage in the movement outlined by the speaker was in 1924. After a very close study of the organisation of agricultural education in Canada and the United States and consideration of the elements of failure that had followed the early work of colleges in those countries, lie came to the conclusion that the only hope of a forward move I in New Zealand was to get a combination of the interests and activities of the Auckland University College with that of Victoria College in Wellington. An outcome of that movement was what he believed was one of the greatest advances ever made in New Zealand. The Massey t College. They now had the Massev College, situated in a most convenient and central situation at Palnierston North, quickly accessible either from Invercarjiiil or North Auckland, and with opj>ortunities of experiments with a variety of soils that experts from other countries had considered to be remarkable if not unique. They had already got together a very highly qualified staff of scientists, who were specialists in their different branches of agricultural sci-

ence, and there were two or three more due to arrive gfiortly from Great Britain wb6 were not only specialists, but had been given two to three months of intensive study in the best development institutions in Great Britain and on the Continent. There would therefore be a full staff available for the first term in the New Year. What Has Been Done. The response of students had been very much greater than had been expected, and during the winter months there were more than they could handle quite satisfactorily, but these deficiencies would be removed before next year. At one time there were as many as 85 students. They were mainly taking the short term courses. One of these was for dairy farm managers. It was a course of three years, including 12 weeks of intensive training each year, At the end of the time the majority should be able to get the college diploma. There was another dairy farmers' course that were being well attended, and would, he felt sure, reflect considerable bene,t amongst dairymen throughout the Dominion.

There were courses in other departments of farming work, and it was possible for students to take their first year of scientific work at the university nearest their home, and then come to Palmerston North to complete their training. The number of degree students who were coming forward would, he believed, be sufficient to provide in a few years' time for all the specialists' positions in the Education Department and the Agricultural Department, and he believed there would be a demand springing up for them in the various industries that were closely associated with farming.

Summarising, the speaker said the objects at Massey College were:—First, research; second, the training of experts in research progress; and third, the diffusion throughout the farming community of the application and association of scientific knowledge to farming pursuits.