FARMERS & THEIR NEEDS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1776, 14 June 1913, Page 14

FARMERS & THEIR NEEDS.

REVIEW BY MR. J. G. WILSON. AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION AND ITS POSSIBILITIES. A COMPREHENSIVE SURVEY. / . In r— Co a request for ori article %X rf S G ofV/ has folded the Mowing intere3tiig P and compressive review.

TO give a full account of "what j aro the farmers' , at the present time," as jou , suggest, would probably tako 1 lip far greater space than you have ] to spare, and far longer time .than I can < devote to the subject, important though , it is. ~ ,' , I The subject is, moreover, complicated • very much by the fact that the word farmer embraces such a wide scope. There aro agricultural farmers, dairy farmers, 1 sheep farmers, nill-country farmers; far- • iners who devote their energies to fatten. , lambs, others who depend upon bullocks} ; bush farmers, poultry, and fruit farmers, i Again, some farmers are on the fringe j of eottlement, and their want/ and re- ' quirements are quite different from those in the settled districts. Tho man in the ' MTfenzie Country has not the same de-., sires'as the farmer on the outskirts of Timaru, for instance.. But they, havo all one thing-in-common: they want to bo let alone. The' recont strikes and stoppages to tho farmer's business has caused such uneasiness, and the demand for good laboar is so pressing, that after successive warnings, many farmers have determined to stop improving their farms, and others to change their methods, and so reliove themselves of anxiety and possible loss, though their later methods , may. not bo so profitablo if they could with any,certainty bo carried, out. We cannot expect the best men in the farming lino to come to us. They bio too valuable at home, and our ways are so much rougher and hastier than those they "are'accustomed to that they take time to change into our ways. The test of our skilled agricultural labourers have, I am glad to say, mostly got farms of their own, and they mako tho very best and most successful, farmers as a rule. •Those who havo not' got that length e.ie probably hoping- to accomplish it some' day, and the'.'places of those who have . ;ono out of the/'labour market have. not. been filled. Thus farmers have to bo content with men of less experience and. practice. Theso can only be got either by practice or education. Not the education usually given, even in a country •■Bchool.'but education to fit the lads to becomo first-class agriculturists. To reach that point through practice,'of course, involves steady work for, a: few years, when they aro young. If there was a steady flow of farmers' sons coming en there would .bo no need of importation. Happily, however,' most .farmers' sons get a ipiece of land of their' own by hook 'or by crobkV.OThere is nothing, then, but to import;labonr. As I have said, jt is not a common ■ -thing: to. to' able to • get a trained.;agriculturist. -rßut there uto In>. numerable boys at homo who, if proper selection is mado and supervision undertaken, would make excellent farm hands, and would, if thrifty be able after several years to enter the list of farmers. Tho worst thing that could happen, however, to farm hands, would be that tho' Arbitration Court gavo them an awar.d. • It would stifrle ambition, curtail production, reduce tho. labour employed, and bo disastrous to the country,'.; Agricultural Farmers. Ever since the Parmors'-Union'has been hi existence,' the endeavour of tho leaders .las been to .further agricultural.- education.- They have received' much encouragement "• from : the., various., education boards, and agricultural -instructors, have been appointed in'most districts. The agricultural classes,.however,'have certainly r.ot received the encouragement from the farmers, which the'opportunities provided would havo led U9 to expect. Vocational education ■ has become much more generally recognised. Wo are still much behind the world in agricultural, education. This is all the more extraordinary because most of our income is dependent upon agriculture in its various forms. , Over 80 per cent, of our exports (and this after feeding the nation) Iconsist of agricultural produce in its various forms. All other classes of education seemi, to have received attention but this, the most important of all. Medicine has.its school. { lawyers are taught at our' . colleges. Bcienco is provided for. Minors have their school of mines. Engineers hare splendid opportunities in all their branches. Plumbers even can, amongst many other trades, receive a certificate. Our technical schools enable those in most trades to receive assistance. Teachers can be fought any branch of their profession with greater opportunities than that of agricultural science.' 1 Chemists have classes at tho various colleges and technical schools.

Yet w© liavo only one institution (and it ia a splendid one) which devotes its sole attention to agriculture, and that not assisted by the State, but was established •by the splendid foresight of tho founders and leaders of the early Canterbury days. Otago. which provided so liberally in other ways for cducation,' failed' to' seo tlio .'advantage of endowing agriculture. True, in the early days agricultural education was not given much attention. The agricultural chair in the Scottish capital,_ after'w;hich Duncdin was named, was not in existence, and farmers depended moro on the practical training afforded on the farm than on any collego tuition. Farriers wero common in tho Old Country, but veterinary surgeons wero unknown until that . ...great old man, Professor Dick, in Edin-•T.-DUrghr amidst apathy and 6cant encouragement. • .persisted until ho triumphed. Thero r 'was' no "means of, even learning - animal anatomy or studying animal diseases except in the field. It is no won- » dor then that tho Scotch who settled in Otago thought more on the old lines ot I learning than the new. Many of tho , early • Canterbury settlers wero English ; University men, and hence probably the - reason of their foresight in educational Z matters. ' ; It is possible, I believe, now to take a degree in agriculture in tho Canterbury University, but it is only a subsidiary subject. True, after much talk tho Gov- ' erriment has a number of cadets on one of'their experiment farms, but the ways ' "of all Governments aro as slow as the " mills of tho Gods, but.now .we have,accommodation for a fow tho applications •• • are greator than thore is room for. . ■ let mo rapidly sketch the progress of ' agriculture in New Zealand. When it ' was fli'3t settled, agriculture in the sense '• of growing crops was scarcely thought of, :: and -'sheep' and. cattle wero the first con- ' sideration. Tho country was taken up in large areas where tho natural herba"o gave opportunity to feed stock. Can- " terbury, with its vast plains and easily ; ploughed n land, soon grew a httlo grain, •• and Otago, in perhaps a lesser degree, - f''lowed suit. In Nelson and Marlbqr- * oii"h tho area for cultivation was limit- - erf In Wellington tho colonising work ' was much retarded by Native troubles, ; and the land was unsuitable for grain ■ crowing in tho immediate neighbourhood ' of the centro. Tarnnaki wns a small settlement, hemmed in by Natives. Auck--1 land, too, was limited by a like career, i 'Poverty Bay had Native troubles, and in Hawko's Bay tho climate and the . i arKC nrcas devoted to stock limited any at grain growing. Canterbury and Otago naturally took

tice of farming Rapidly increased, and naturally the farmers thcro became practical meli. Implement .miners sprang up to supply their wants. Smoe ot the farms in Canterbury and Otago were a delight'to the eye, and no doubt pronttible. Despite the diffculty of harvesting (for all the sheaves had to be tied by hand), a considerable quantity of grain'was grown in tho southEarly Days in the North. In the north it was quite different. As late as 1875 or 187G Mr. James Bull, in Rangitikci, where he resided, used to buy all his '. oats in Canterbury, have them shipped to Wanganui, and carted out 30 miles from that port. They cost himover''ls., and he made a sporting offer to the farmers of the district to give tnem 4s. for as many oats as they liked to grow and advance them the seed, the oatß to be delivered in both cases at his granary. - A few took advantage of his offer; meanwhile oats .fell, and to Ms credit Mr. Bull took them all into hsi granary at 45., though he could, have bought in the outside market at 3b. The configuration! of the country, tho larger rainfall, the amount of bush, and even on the open land i the luxuriant growth of fern, toe-toe, flax, and scrub made it expensive and slow work to break tho land in. This, with the Native trouble, delayed our advance. Mr- M Andrew £von suggested the south should separate from ns as only a drag upon their chariot. A- small quantity of wheat was grown which did not even supply tho local wants. •When the Anglican Mission was started at Otaki, under Mr. Hadfield. (the late the lead in farming matters. The prac-

Bishop Hadfield), everything was done by them to encourage tho Maoris to farm, they were shown the way by sample, grain was provided for them, mills wero erected ,and soon the Maoris did grow 'a ( considerable quantity of wheat. Porota- • wliio, where Eangihaeata hyed, and winch had been a hot-bed of rebellion and discon- ! tent, became a peaceful farm. Mr Don- ; aid iTrazer tolls me he bought wheat from the Natives in considerable quantities, to be sent to Wellington, in 1855. Ihe flat upon which it was grown is called lo Mahoe, and is on the river below Rata. The war, however, soon disturbed the Native mind, and even if they did not take part in it, they becamo useless as farmers, and they again depended Jipon their potato patch (cultivated by the wahmes) for a living. So that the effort was spasmodic and ceased. Some of the flour mills became saw mills and the rest rotted away. Grain growing in the north did not become general until the 'eighties, when the wiro reaper and binder made it possible to harvest tho grain without so much hard labour. There were, however, very few trained. farmers. Occasionally a man happened to come to a district with more experience than the others, and helped tho methods forward. It will bo seen, however, that tho farmers generally were deficient in agricultural training, and our progress was slow. When we did basin to grow wheat we got disappointing crops until it was found, by the occusional analysis and by experiment, thnt tho addition of phosphates was necessary to ensuiro a good crop. Our climate is a"ainst haymnking. and wo had no experience in the growth of turnip; and rap;. We did learn a little, but the process was slow, and the time of the older generation was more taken up in breaking m the land and getting it into grass. As the new generation grew up they quickly learnt to work horses and take part in farm'work to help their parents. Meanwhile a new impetus was given to Canterbury and Otauo, but especially the former. Men like Thomas Brydone and John Grigg quickly saw the immense ad-vantage.-of the freezing process, and took immediate steps to start works m their respective districts. They found, too, that lambs were easly fattened and paid best, and a big trade was the result. Canterbury lambs becamo a trado namo renowned for its excellence. Land rose in value in consequence of this trade, but it was not till long afterwards that we in tho North Island wero ablo to take advantage of such a profitable method: not till James Gear and then Sir Walter Buchanan and those associated with him forced our hands. There was no profit in farming in those days: it was mostly work mid disappointment, and therefore none had any spare capital to invest, and it was not casv to get the farmers to take any monetarv interest in freezing companies. J heir habits are slow, and tho number of rebut s they got from Motlin Nature nuturally makea tern cauthious. and they aro not

adept at throwing a sprat to catch a mackerel. They prefer to wait and see. What Science has Done. To sum all this up, what I wish to emphasise is that oven tho younger generation wlio have grown up and taken our places, although they aro in advance of our earlier methods, have yet no opportunity of any vocational training except on the farm. They havo becomo practical farmers, and know when and now to plough, sow, and reap. But with land at present prices, we must have something more. The practical men havo rather a contempt for science. Too often they say, "When I was a boy wo had as good tanning ns ever I have seen of your scientific fanning." True, no doubt if they eomo from tho Home Country, for farmers there brought up on land for generations have learnt by rule of thumb what each hold is suitable for, and havo had skilled labour to assist. 1 do not wish it to bo thought that I belittle, the practical man s position in our agricultural world. Practice comes before science. Scienco is no good without practice, though practice an at any rate grow crops indifferently without scionce. But I wondor if tho practical man ever thinks when lie is farming Ins land what he owes to science, and I include in this everyone who has helped to advance agriculture, from tho blacksmith who made our ploughs and harrows by hand, to tho man who invented the threshing machine; to Appleby, who gave ns tbo knotter, which mado it possible to tio out sheaves mechanically with twine; to tho chemist, the traveller, , and tho plant breeder. So it is a pretty wide world. Loak how our •■implements are improved. I imagine our double-furrow ploughs aro the Wo their kind in the world. At any rate they aro tho best I haveseon. Those who aro eld enough to remember the hand-tying ot sheaves know how little advance could be made; but tho reaper and binder _ has shown us that we need scarcely despair of stooking and stacking by machinery yet it wo are driven to it. . StiU we can never become a great grain-growing country, for Australia is going to grow srainmuch cheaper than ever wo can hope to, because of the warm climate and the case of harvesting by machinery which will reap and bag the grain in one process. The reaper and binder gave a great impetus to New Zealand, only second to the freezing process If there was no freezing process we should possibly be grow.ng about 12 million sheep, and have a. population of about half our present number (scanty as it is). ' • Does the milker who makes his £10 a cow over pause to think he can do so onlv by the advance of science, and laws of nature which have, been harnessed by engineers for ourowrt TTurpose? By means of burning coal we make cold sufficient to preserve our produce and land them in a market on the other side of the world. Does he think of tho man who enabled him to separate the oream from the mill, or test the percentage of cream? Does ho

consider th© genius of the chemist who i first showed us the uso of bones, and : when the supply failed showed us how to j substitute phosphate rock, and of the geologist who showed us where to turn ltr Has the grass-seed grower given a thought : to the men who wore able to provide machinery to clean their, grass-seed, which Mr. Cockayne has said is ahead of the world. The explorer and traveller have done their share in bringing us new plants, since the day Si? Walter Raleigh brought the potato to England. The planf breeder has perfected those in general use. Theso are only a few of the thousand i and one things science has done for us. If it has not taught us much in the mechanical working of our soil, it has been of invaluable help to us in other ways, and, ia fact, made New Zealand what it is. Some Educational Needs. After theso lengthy remarks, which 1 am afraid may have wearied your readers, and coming to the requirements to properly educate the peonlo in connection with the land, we must have a proper system begin at tho primary school, and more and more' attention must be given to nature study. Every child in New Zealand, whatever its future occupation is to be, should be taught to love nature; those who live in the cities would then seek to get into the open air instead of crowding into picture galleries. The higher classes in our schools should have some very elementary chemistry, and have in their schoolgardens demonstrations of how plants grow and how to tend them and grow good crops. The High School should extend theso lessons, and have some practical husbandry for the boys who wish to take rural classes. There should then ho High Schools in tho various centres, in the midst of agricultural districts, Buch places as Hamilton, Wanganui, one in Hawke's Bay, Palnierston North, a couple in Taranaki, ono each in Nelson and Marlborough, two in Canterbury, two in Otago, and one in Southland. There would be practical work done in connection with it. There would then require to bo one Agricultural College at least in each island, whore a practical courso could bo gone through as a preliminary. If the student wished to go further, ho should be able to take a degree at the university, where would bo provided a. Chair of Agri- ■ culture. Most likely the latter portion of i the agricultural education would largely i be confined to teachers who wished to > specialise Vi agricultural jmbjects. Tho ■ main needs are thus brieffy:— 1. Primary Schools.—Nature study. 2. Primary Schools.—High-class elementarv chemistry and science. :'i. High Schools—Chemistry and science. 4. Agricultural High Schools—The study of agriculture in its higher branches with practice; shearing classes, wool class, and carpentry. . r ). Agricultural College—Where the practice of advanced agriculture would be taught, and a year's training necessary before attendins cjaeaos at the university.

G. Chair of Agriculture.—To [five degrees after two yearn study. I havo not touched upon forestry, but this, too, is OBScntial, for wo shall have to dovoto timq and monoy to replanting our wasto lands. Training tho Adult Fnrmor, I havo doalt with tho education of our youth, but thoro is another and vital point which must not bo forgotten—tho training of tho fanner himself. Ho is apt lo got into a groove, day after day at tho anno work. Ho won't enmo to classes; ho must bo visited; his form walked over, and mnllors discussed. Tho advanced otudents of tho univormly could do this work. It is oflon no clono in America. Frequently tho fanner reeelvo* him with a sort nf kind pity for dm youngster who can't (each him anything for nil his "college learning," but if tho young man is worth hia rait ho will wain show—not bv patronising tho fnrmerii. but by merely discussing matlors—that, thorn uro 6omo things beyond local linnwlcil|(«. Then thoro uro thoso invnlnablo 00-n|i' orativo oxporimonlH. They norvo III" double purposo of research in pei'lmpu a rough way, nnd (ho teaching nf dm fa p. mor more" careful mot hods. They nmilnl. him to lenm to road the result* nf oilier oxporiments, to beconio mom ninlliodiiiiil, and, as they are under llio iiminrvl'ilim of an export, the ri'.iiilt.'» are talmlnlnil and published for the information or oil, There should bo central fnrmii, tiuoh <in thnt at Marlon, to make general expeilmonts, and to retain tho wed of nnw plants nnd grains. A seed-grower* iiwhielation would keep tho farmer* well up in any hew variol.v used in any of their processes, though 1 cannot clnbnnttn dial, point for want of space. 1 hesitate lo offer on opinion on enperimontal farms. Those I havo wen have been mast itnerosting, havo Wn well conducted, and a treat lo nan from a farming point of viow. I'mniorn, however, do not benellt by them no nmoh an they ought, simply because tlwy don't visit them. Mr. M'Connoll, at lluoktirn, tells mo he has n great many visitorsbut that is especially easy of access. 'J ho farms in tho Wellington nrovlnco irni situated on the main lino, but are difficult to visit for those living north of Palmerston North; in tho onso of Were,roa: or, south of Wanganui, in Ihe of Moumahaki. There should be. excursion trains run for farmers to gain moio advantago from tho lesson taught. The Bush Farmor. I nnvo no space to further deal with dairy farming or fruit fanning, which in going to assume largo dimensions in tho near future, but must pa>s on to tho other class of farmers, viz., the bush farmer. His wants are largely communication. It would be absurd to talk to a man newly gone into the bush about education; ho would possibly be living in a tent in the bush twenty miles from a road or a rail-

way. He is there to fall his bush, to get it into grass, to build a cottage for hiinsalf and family (if he has one) to fence his grass in after he has got it. 11 jr,u talked to hltn about education he would say: "When am I going to get a roadr That no one could tell him: but he coulu repeat the question until he got it. Can it be wondered at? Have your readers ever plunged day after day along a bush track-by constant wear the horse could ouly put his feet in the- holes filled with mud and water, and wearily splash along, covering himself and rider with a mass of mudd? Imagine having to take all the stores in this way over miles of such a road. Is it not! enougli to dishearten the bravest? Science can no more teach how roads are to be made without niouoy than the Egyptian could 'make bricks without straw. The money must be found, and must be spent. By and by, when dairying has been started, and he is milking cows, he will want to bo taught how to treat his land properly, so as to ensure that it be kept in good heart. He will have to top-dress his paddocks, to grow winter feed for his cows, and provide something for them in a dry summer. Then you can talk to him about education and experiment. He can bo taught to weigh his milk and improve his herd, what is the best form of milking-shed, the proper supply of water, tho veterinary surgeou will visit him and adviso hiin about cleanliness and the health of hi 9 cows. His pigs will require to bo properly housed, or they will fall sick. How ho must havo his skim-milk sterilised to bo free from tuborculosis, and many other things that ho ought to do and usually does not. • Tho sheop farmer who only runs his sheep in the back-country, and does not attempt to fatten except what ho gets off by good luck, has usually gone through some sort of training. He has been taught how to care for tho flock, and learns soon by experience tho carrying capacity of his farm. He can get to Bhows and sco the bost of the particular breed he is interested in. If he breeds cattle he gets amongst tho talk of those stud breeders always found in groups at l show time, but this branch of husbandry I ought to be taught at our scliols. Donv onstration should be given by experts of the particular breed of animal under discussion, and visits to, or better still, camp 3 on such farms as Mr. Short's and careful examination of the stock with judging competitions. Stud breeders are born, not made, and not much can bo taught them. Occasionally men such as Mr. Mathews, in Komneys, or Mr. I'erry. in Lincolns, will Rive us their views on their particular breed; but it is the individual knowledge and experience, which connot bo imparted, that constitute the successful stud-bvec.lor. Then there is the great question of grasses and their treatment. Over 90 per oeut of New Zealand is dependent upon the grass and groS3 alone to feed the 6took, Yet we do not pay sufficient at-

tention to this part of our profession. Wo are certainly in advance of what I remember of tho farmer at Homo. As a lad I was 011 a furm in Perthshire (Laigli-w-ood). Tho farmer was a most successful man, had hill farms running 10,000 blackfaces, and an arablo farm on tlio lower country of 700 acres. 1 was anxious to find out about tho grasses, but I, found about tho only one ho knew wos cocksfoot. so 1 had to defer my introduction to tho subject. 1 havo run on too much already, but must mention a veterinary school. Twenty yearn ago tho A. and I'. Conference passed it resolution asking that a veterinary school should bo established. I needn t elaboi'ulo tlio necessity for it. There is nono now. li'our years ago tlio A. and |', (,'onfeionco suggested a scheme, costing about .OTflO n year, whereby wo could havo provided a course for our students pur milium. Ml'- I'o'wlds said ho did not improvo of it became ho was proposing to provldo for such a school in Dunedin. Nothing, us far as J know, has been done yet.

Tho preS'i can do nmc.li to help us to 11 proper educational system for i'liniiiTii. 1 don't think they do ns much o'i Kiev ought to. I haw often wondered why ill" pi'CH'i was mi silent on tho subj„ri „r a Clmir of Agriculture, nnd nover could liud tho reason. Surely wo havo a ih/ht lo oxpeel. lit any rate those papers ivlileh ileal principally with agriculture, oh.mid load the way. Tt was left to Sir .lolm Campbell lo lead the way, but inunilliM.nl, in Ilia legacy v.as, it is not enough to found a Chair. It will renuiro lo bo rnippleiueiiled. Tliero is 110 province no liiucli In need of ono as Auckland localise of Hie great advanen in settlement thero. Much luw yot to bo found out about tho proper treatinent ol tho land therowhicn funnel'll have not I lie time or opportunity of aseerlafiiirig. There is tho bush diseiiw to further investigate, too. Dr. Healtci and Mr. Aston have dono much to prolm It <o tho bottom and aro on a fair why (« 'diow an economic fineness, I do not tliinlr .£IOO,OOO spent on our agricultural education system would bo to much to establish tho Chair and tho Agricultural High Schols, oyer and alovo the ordinary expenditure of tho AgriouUurnl Department. I firmly believe It would bo a good investment.

1 conclude by thanking you for tho opportunity of pulling tlieso things before tlm public. It con be seen, J. hope, from wlmt 1 hiwi said what a big subject it i* (o lisle a simple question, "What aro I In* greatest needs of the farmers at the present tiino! 1 " I ha™ only touched limn the fringo. I left no space to speak of tho linard of Agriculture, but that is. portion!), II political question, and safe to nay that it should be small, yet _ renresfliitativo of the fanning community. 1 will leave it at that. Nor have I touched upon tho ever-present land question, so. that you see thero is much yet to bo said in answer to your query. But "that in another story."

CARE OF FARM IMPLEMENTS. $ Farmers must have up-to-date implements and machines to cultivate the land and gather the crops. They have to pay big prices for the best appliances, for which they are well repaid by the efficient work performed.. The life of machinery is mainly determined by the intelligence with which it is handled in the field, and the enro bestowed upon it when laid aside for the season. Notwithstanding this fact many farmers leave a great quantity of costly machinery exposed to the elements during the year. The annual loss through neglect in this direction must amount to a very considerable sum, saying nothing of the more serious aspect of delays in the harvest field, etc., through breakdowns that might have been avoided had duo care been taken beforehand to protect the working parts from exposure. The loss of a day or two at reaping time when i the grain is ripo through troubles with a binder may jnst mean the difference between a good and a bad yield.

A place for everything ami everything in its place is a good old rule, and is specially applicable to farm implements and gear. A roomy and convenient implement shed is a good investment always, The use of worn-out implements is again false economy. It does not pay to potter about with worn-out and indifferent sooond-hand farm tools. orc tiine is often wasted tinkering with old ploughs, binders, and the like than would nay for new implements, several times over. Ihe quality of tho work Is also a consideration. If a ploughman wastes a half-hour every day fixing his plough or geur the delay means equal to two acres less ploughed ground in a weeks work. Ihc samo principle applies to all farm machinery that will not do satisfactory work, i It is a sound economical proposition for every farmer to give tho working parts i of nil machines a thorough overhaul onco a year. The best time to do this is at tho end of each harvesting season, preferably before the plant is put in tho implument shed. If pressure of other work prevents this being done at that time, It is most advisable that a noto be taken of nny weak and worn-out parts, and orders sent, for duplications required to put the machine in order for the nest year's work. lUisty ploughs, inferior swingle-trees, neglected chains, and harness all help to delay work at tho busy time, and very often disturb tlio harmonious working of the staff. It is alla matter of system and management, n combination Unit always pays iu the end. It is folso economy to leave valuable machinery to warp and rust iu the gun and rain or to have tools and tackle scattered all over tho farm where they can never lie found just exactly when they are wanted most. There arc many wet and broken davs during the year when profitable occiipation can be found cleaning up and effecting home-uiado repairs, t