AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1079, 18 March 1911, Page 8

AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION.

. AND OTHER RURAL MATTERS. Speaking at the Fanners'.. Union picnic ai, Levin 'on Wednesday,, the Dominion president of the union (Mr. J. It. U llson) said that tlio future prosperity of tho country and of the farming industry depended upon taldii"- advantage of all that scienco placed in their way. What that union should •My-to do—indeed; what it was trvin« to, <lo—was to encouragc technical.'education in New Zealand, so as to show the children the vast importance of taking advantage of the science that ohey had at their hands to-day. Their •light against'tha competition of the world was becoming nioro and moro strenuous every day, and in their efforts ■or making use of all tho scientific appliances they had they must, bo greatly encouraged .by the. example of Denmark. That country, with a poor climate, had raised itself to be one of the most wealthy in the world. That had been achieved through their schools and With the assistance of science. It was an extraordinary thing that though the country practically depended upon agriculture and farming, thev had not a smglo Chair in New Zealand. AVliat y. as m anted was to have the schoolmaster trained as much as possible in connection with scientific farming, and the endeavour of tho union had been to bring that before tho attention of the people. To some extent they had mado a beginning - in Lincoln College, and they' had promise of a Chair at Christchurch. Another thing that was wanted was a veterinary college. Australia had spent £-10,000 on such an institution, and yet-when-it was suggested that.Aew Zealand should have its neople trained there at' a cost of only £70 a year each, the Minister said that lie ■could not see his way to do it.