MODERN FARMING.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 896, 16 August 1910, Page 7

MODERN FARMING.

ESSENTIALS OF SUCCESS. IMPORTANT SPEECH BY THE GOVERNOR. EDUCATION AND CO-OPERATION. (By Tcleera-ph.— Press Association,) Auckland, August 15. In opening the Winter Exhibition this afternoon the Governor (I/>rd Islington) said that as au agricultural man himself he realised what a great deal the agricultural and pastoral industry had meant to the past; prosperity, and how much it most raeaii to the future progress of the Dominion. Too much importance could 'not be attached to the great value of up-, tp-date and scientific appliances in the great business of agriculture, which not only affected a saving in time and the cost of production, but also immensely improved: the quality of the ar-. tides miinufacl.ured. In the Old Country it had been found somewhat difficult in the' past to impress upon , formers the importance of applying science and machinery to the natural conditions of the earth, which, had appeared to them for a long time Iα tic lh« only . essential qualities of production, but ho -was glad to see that the Now Zealand farmers were alive to the importance of t this essential clement. The two leading essentials of successful and profitable modern farming were, firstly organisation, and secondly educaHon. He had carefully read tho. last annual report of the New Zealand Department of Agriculture, and' ho did not remember having previously read a report of so useful and practical a character. It contained admirable statistical information, 1 and also a critical description of what was goin;: on in the various districts at Home

Co-operative Organisation.. •' In the past the absence of organisation had boon one of the principal disabilities of fanners. JTor years he had advocated a system of co-operative organisation in rogard to the dairying industry in the- district from which he had come, aud it had now been brought about. They had already realised the importance of co-operation in dairying matters in New Zealand, and in regard to their butter that went Home he was glad to be able to suy that it was second to none there. (Hear, hoar.) Tho moment that a farmer allied himself with his neighbour by working under tho cooperative system one of the greatest of his difficulties was removed, as he was then enabled to sell his produce, not at a cut-throat but at .an advantageous price at ■ .regular times throughout the yoair. Tho old fallacy that in order to be successful one . must try to get tho better of his neighbour was by degrees being ex-' ploded even at Home, and he was pleased to that in New Zealand it had already been exploded.- (Hear, hear.). Tho success of one man need not depend upon the failure of his neighbour. The co-operative system should bo applied not merely to the salo of the farmers'■ produce, but also in the purchase on a wholesale basis of his stock and equipment This principle had already been adopted with success in. some parts of England, Ireland, and Denmark. He had known', farmers to obtain discounts ranging from 15 to_ 40 per cent, on their manures .and feeding stuffs purchased in this way. The old principlo of selling on tho wholesale basis \ and buying on a retail basis was gradually being discarded. -Jf a - farmer • sold his produce at wholesale rates lie should at lease make his purchase in accordance, with the same system. (Applause.) Education. In regard to the second essential,' education, Lord Islington said that that was being supplied in Now Zealand by the skilled instructors whd wore appointed".!)? 1 the Government. The farmers were thereby enabled to' produce their' crops under the most scientific' conditions. He had been much impressed by the table in tho Government court showing the importance of maintaining \good strains of milking cows.; This table■ which - should be taken to heart by every farmer showed tho enormous disparity between inferior and superior cows;, and that it was more profitable to give 'a little more for a superior cow than to , , go oh with an inferior beast. A few. yew-s ago their neighbours in Australia had invited them to allow themselves to be. absorbed , in the. Commonwealth. They had elected, and ho thought ■ wisely, to ' retain their own individuality and to carve out their own destiny. (Hear, hear.) They had>U the natural conditions essential „ to . success, upon their side. They had the power to Increase, their export trade, not only to tho Home market, but also to all the States of the Empire. He hoped that in years to. come they would establish a good export trade. with Canada. ■ -'Push Your Trade.". "Use every effort you can/'' added Lord Islington in .conclusion, "and push your trade for all you are worth. Push it in large and increasing volume—your mutton, your lamb, your wool, vour butter arid cheese and vegetables. You. will, I hope, in a few ■ye , irs also have 'a largo export trade in fruit. If you do this I confidently predict that New Zealand, although' her stata're may be small com pared' to that' of the- sister States, of tho Empire, and although jou may be situated in .'a tennte . corner,of the world, will none the less be able to take her" place with distinction. amongst, tho great States of the Empire." REMARKS BY THE HON. G. FOWLDS. WHAT THE'GOVERNMENT IS . . DOING. . .: ~ . The Minister for Education (the Hon. G. Fowlds) said that.the Agricultural Department during the past years . had : spent ,£1,319,295. or an average of .£131,000 a year. This had been largely expended on ; work of an experimental' and educative character for the benefit of the farmers. During last year, despite- the.fact' that-it was a year of retrenchment, the expenditure had reached ,£146,914, and during the time that he had been Minister for Education he had been doing his best to impress upon the people the advantages of rural education. / He was glad to notice that'more interest,was now being taken in the subject than previously. During the year 1909 the number of classes , recognised' for capitation had been 559,; aud classes in the more advanced stages vrero being held •by the education.boards, but the system had not been so; largely taken advantage of as it' ought to have l)cen, and with the single exception of wool-classing, which had been very successful, the efforts of the education boards to provide technical training for , the isons of farmers after leaving school ha.d not been, satisfactory. Ha hoped thai"; there- would be an improvement, in tlris respect in future. ■ A , Word of Warning. An outcry'had lately been going up for tho establishment of agricultural colleges, and in this connection lie desired to utter a word of warning. It would bo quite possible 'for the country to spend a large sum of inoney on agricultural colleges and get 'very little in return, and he believed tlialt for many years to como it would pay i\iuch better to carry tho agricultural education into the country districts than to. carry the. residents; of the country into the centres. to . receive their education. The work of the higher colleges must be mainly the providing of skilled instructors-rhe used the term in its widest sense—fo instruct those engaged in agricultural pursuits. The Government was now giving a special capitation of ss. lOd. a hvad to pupils, of the district high schools \ who. took up a full agricultural, course. \He was glad that most of tile education boards were now taking steps to give effect to the Department's recommendations. Several recentlyformed high schools weirc endeavouring to make agriculture a feature of their secondary education, and in tho now school at Hamilton they were expecting to specialise in the'some-'.direction.." (Applause.)