FARM SCHOOL.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18417, 25 June 1925, Page 3

FARM SCHOOL.

♦ , SUCCESSFUL OPENING AT LEESTON. The second stage of the travelling Farm School, conducted by the Department of Agriculture, was entered upon yesterday, when the lecturers arrived at Leeston. During the morning about fifty farmers garnered in t«ie Ellesmere A. and i'. Association's room, where the school is being conducted. The numbers were- augmented during the aay, and it is expected that many more farmers will be able to attend' to-day. The market at Addington yesterday affected the attendance to some extent, while in a good many ca&es the few days of fine weather have so improved conditions that wheat sowing and preparations for sowing are again being proceeded with. Mr A. H. Cockayne, director of the Fields Division, Department of Agriculture, said that a very full programme had been mapped out for the two days, and it Avas his desire to make the utmost use of. the time, available. The travelling school had been decided upon instead of conducting a school for a whole week in one particular place, and so far the results had been very satisfactory. He had been asked to' apologise for the absence of the Hon. Sir Heaton Rhodes, Minister of Defence and member for the district, who had expressed his regret at not being able to be present to open the school. Sir Heaton, who was very strongly in sympathy with the work of the Department, had conveyed his best wishes for complete success. Mr Cockayne expressed' his thanks for the valuable help given by the Ellesmere A. and P. Association and Farmers' Union to the making of local arrangements .They had done yeoman service. Mr J. Cunningham, chairman of the Ellesmere County Council, who had been asked to open the school, said it gave him a great deal of pleasure to comply with the request, and he sincerely' hoped that the school would be in every way as successful as the promoters 'expected. The Government was recognising more clearly the importance of doing everytTiing I possible to foster the primary industries, and to encourage farmers to adopt scientific methods. Farmers themselves were also recognising to a greater extent than ever tho necessity for systematizing their ideas. They were much more ready to listen to lectures nowadays. The day when our secondary industries would equal in j importance the primary industries 1 seemed a long way off. He strongly recommended farmers to put in as much time at the school during the two days as they could, and to induce.other farmers to come along. It was also very important that farm hands should be given an opportunity to attend, for many of them would be the farmers of to-morrow. Not only in the conduct of their business as farmers was a wider and more complete knowledge of science as applied to farming necessary; such knowledge broadened their outlook and enabled them to live fuller and more useful lives. Mr Cunningham welcomed the lecturers, and conveyed his best wishes for success. Mr F. E. Ward, Instructor in Agriculture, then proceeded with his lecture on ''Crop Growing and Manuring." He gave a most illuminating talk, and with the assistance of many fine lantern slides, placed before the farmers present, evidence, by photographs of crops, and instructive tables, of the results obtained by the use of various manures. The lecturer covered a. wide range in the time at his disposal, dealing with grain growing, rape, turnips, potatoes, etc. The lecture proved most interesting.

Mr A. H. Cockayne followed with a lecture on "The Structure and Development of Wool," which also proved highly interesting. Two further lectures were given during tlm afWnnnn and another at, niol>i<