THE GOVERNOR IN THE SOUTH.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 963, 2 November 1910, Page 4

THE GOVERNOR IN THE SOUTH.

VISIT TO LINCOLN "COLLEGE. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.! , Chrlstchurch, November 1. The Governor to-day visited Canterbury -Agricultural College at Lincoln. In the course of au address to students, ho remarked: that Lincoln Collego was an institution-that to a. particular degree aroused his sympathy and interest. ....

"I have Said oftentimes already," ho continued, "and I don't think it can bo repeated too often, that" agriculture is the industry in New Zealand upon which more than any, other—social, economic, and. commercial—the. welfare of this Dominion depends. \ I'.do not imply by this that I am' unmindful of other brandies' of industry.' It. requires hut. little imagination or deductive power to realise the' supreme importance of raising agriculture .to. the. highest possible standard that scientific education and research can bring it to. This can be donO, and I believe only can bo done, by establishing institutions ;from which groups, of carefullytrained students are. yearly discharged throughout the country, fully equipped and furnished with a sound and, exhaustive knowledge of the theory and practice of agriculture in its various branches. As agriculture is your staple industry, so your exports of agricultural products are your main source of national revenue, and if that revenuo is to be increased as it should, and I hope will, it can only bo assured by your presenting your products in for-, eign markets,. whether. butter, "cheese, wool, lamb, fruit, etc., of such:unquestioned excellence as to compete, successfully witli similar products . from other countries. "All this" means scientific training, and its practical application under most carefully thoughtout conditions. This can bo obtained in an institution like yours. Modern competition is'forcing |all''countries to pay much more attention to State administration and assistance in agriculture. You see it •in Canada, the United States, and South Africa. All tho most successful countries in Europe and the' Mother Country aro taking it up at last. New Zealand has . been well to the front in this respect. Your Department of Agriculture has done fine work in this direction to assist farmers and the farming industry. Tho collego could be accurately, characterised as among tho very. corner stones of New Zealand's strongth and progress." .• i .. '