RURAL EDUCATION

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2970, 6 January 1917, Page 9

RURAL EDUCATION

WHAT THE FARMER NEEDS PAPER BY SIR JAMES WILSON An interesting paper on Rural Education was read at a public meeting convened by tlio New Zealand Educational Institute, and held in the Town Hall last evening, the author being" Sir James G. Wilson, chairman or the Board of Agriculture. Sir James Wilson referred first of all to the importance of agricultural industries: to New Zealand, to which industries wo must look for tho pioduction of. wealth to pay our way. But in order to do this we must use scientific methods, and the greatest need of tho day was that of well-trained teachers and lecturors on agricultural science. Although the farming industry was so very much more important to the country than any other technical or professional pursuits, very little was being done under our education system to train farmors in scientific- agriculture. Education for Farmers. "I am free to admit," he said, "that much of the absence of vocational education for the farmer has teen Ins pun fault; he has not demanded is. The truth is that tho farmer has something of a contempt for book-learning. His education, as 'a rule, has consisted of the ordinary school of the district, and it is only of late years that any higter education was at his disposal in the country. Ho has learnt tho mechanical part' of, fanning on the; land itself; when to plough, sow, and reap. He does those things because others do thoni, and which most of them do well, and he follows tho rule of the district as to crops. ■ Sometimes one farmer will strike out a line of his own, and provo it to be a profitable one for his class of land; others follow suit, for it is by demonstration that the farmer works. The mysteries of the land he is working has not mucli interest to him, yet he unconsciously takes advantage of every new truth which science and practice, proves profitable, or the inventor supplies him with. I regret to say that unless he is canvassed by an ocergetio teacher, often he is not sufficiently interested in progress as to insist upon his son taking advantage of agrimltuarl classes. There are instances, however, whero the instructor has completely got bis confidence, and is rewarded by a whole-hearted respouso. Demonstrations by Agricultural j ■ , ■ Department, A great deal has been done by the 'Agricultural Department by demonstrations and co-operative experiments of various kinds, to toach the farmer, and . this seems to have left the feeling,that it is to the Agricultural Department that he looks for tho Agricultural College. The Agricultural Department is the natural exponent for experiments and demonstrations; but tho teaching fitaff should be under the Education , Department, and affiliated to tho university. It is unnatural that tho farmer should turn to the Agricultural •Department at tho shows whero that 'Department has an oxcellont exhibit; he meets its officers and discusses matters with them. Tho "Agricultural Journal " (an excellent publication) circulates freely amongst farmers -and disseminates tho views of tho officers. The_ dairy exports have largely assisted in the present conditions of out dairj trade. So that the farmer naturally turns to the officers when he is in trouble in farming matters. RBsoarch Necessary. Research isthe mainspring of modern education, - and. has. a very, important bearing on agriculture. His essential to progress."The expansion of New Zealand farming is co-incident upon the freezing process and the Babcock test.The veterinarians have enabled tho farmer to cope with epidemics which threatened their herds and flocks. I need, not multiply instances of what ' research has done. A real and successful piece of research work was carried out by Dr. Reakes and Mr. Aston, ! the Agriculaural Chemist, in relation to bush siokness, but there have been [ few opportunities in New Zealand to the trained scientist for research. It is very pleasing, therefore, to note that ' the trained men in the Agricultural Department are to be given a chance iu ; this .respect by residing ' at Weraroa, where, instead of working in'an office, they will be able to conduct investigations and probe tho problems whioh are always occurring in agriculture. A bacteriologist connected' with tho dairying industry can be kept busy. The biologist will find plenty to do in connection with blight; club-root alono would find him an occupation for life. ■ The plant breeder, the. agriculturist, and, above all, the director will, 1 am

J sure, find constant useful employment. 1 will refer also to this later when 1 pick up the threads. To Pay Our Dobt. It is to produotion which we mus: look to pay the enormous debt which the war will leave, and to do this we tf should not lose a day. It was the * people's schools established' by Bishop Grundtvig in Denmark, that enabled that country to recover from tho blow , delivered by Bismarck, in 1884, which " resulted in the seizure of Schlosvij-Hol-J " stein. If we do not take immediate '" steps towards agricultural education e we shall be all the longer in recovering r from the effects of tho war. If we are a wise we will at once Bet to work to , pfovido means for the proper study of , agricultural matters, for teaching of ; agriculture to those who are engaged in production, and for the teaching of " domestic economy for tho girls (for t;ie ' health and prosperity of the nation is I largely bound up in this). To succeed in this we must provide a proper training for the teacher. How are wo to " get this? 3 Chair of Agricultura. ' We have no Chair of Agriculture at s any of our Universities. This has 1 been pointed' out many times, but the " necessity is greater to-day than over before. To my mind, until .wo have a •Chair or Chairs of Agricult tiu-e, we shall never, have a - proper system of training teachi ers. The chemist—who I suppose may i be looked upon as tho base of agricul- ; tnral teaching—we havo already at tho i Universities. Tho Agricultural De- : partment havo trained men iu several [ branches, and if wo aro to begin a ■ School of Agriculture in a small way i wo must havo their co-operation as lecI turers in their special line. When ; these officers are located at Weraroa i it would bo an easy matter for students in Wellington to run up to tho farm for the day. I have had doubts . on two points in connection with the Chair of Agriculture—First: Whether we should establish one at once, or wait until students had worked up from the lower grades ready to take the classes preparatory to their degree. At first I thought we should establish the chair.' and tho students _ would come; lator I thought perhaps it would be better to wait; but now after further consideration I think if thero wero a chair the students would come. I am told that when Professor Wood first started at Cambridge they had scarcely a dozen students. Surely we could make a start with that number. The second doubt I had was whether Wellington was a suitable place ■ to start. Tho problem was, I thought, solved by Sir John Logan Campbell leaving money to endow a chair" in Auckland. The money, I understand, is not yet available. Since that is the case, Wellington, if tho officers of tho Agricultural Department aro willing to assist, seems to bo tho best centre to have the chair. Possibly tho wholo cost would not bo moro than £2000 a year, and with the help of scholarships, surely we might expect a number of young men to take the course so as to qualify as teachers in agricultural science. If the demand is sufficiently loud and persistent there is no doubt that tho authorities would grant this,, but wo must be "of one accord." If so wo shall, I ?51nk, havo', made ono step forward towards successful post-war rural education. For High School Pupils. The co-operation of tho. Education and Agricultural Departments must go much further. Connected with every High School there should be a fow acres of land for experimental pur 7 poses, and the experiments could .well be worked by tho Agricultural Department. At Ashburton this is being, done. I am not acquainted with the details of the work undertaken by the high schools, district high schools, and technical sohools; though I fear there may be some overlapping. But I understand that high schools are under a board of- governors, who, I presume, aro residents of the district. _ This, in my opinion, is a distinct gain, for it ensures local interest, • which is too often absent. The Board of Governors at Ashburton had a reserve \ in tho neighbourhood of the town, and the Board of Agriculture was able to make suggestions which brought the Department of Agriculture to the assistance of a scheme of experimental plots for the High School pupils, and the balancoof the land.is devoted to demonstration work. I notice that a science master has been appointed to the High School, and ho has also been offered the position of 'director of this small experimental station. Working in finch a way, I have great hopes that wo shall havo excellent results. Travelling Instructors for Schools. "In 1904 I was deputed to give evidence before the Education Committee of the House, - by the Farmers' Union, on,rural education. I then urged that agricultural instructors should bo appointed who would move amongst

t. teachers and help them in their natnn I study workj and do what they couh in agricultural instruction. I was no very sympathetically received, but for tunately- somo of the , members wen also members of education boards, aix 5 . 5 two boards almost at onco appointed " such an instructor; others followed 0 and • they - havo . done most cxcellen 10 work; they havo paved the way foi '5 an advance. In my evidonce I sail , that such appointments would help th< i v work forward until tho teachers ar< J 1 trained; but I emphasised tho p'oinl that if we waited for that event (i.e. ,0 the training) we should probably b< n ton years- before wo would havo tin S proper training establishments foi 0 teachers in rural education. That was twelve years ago. These instructor! '; have, in many cases, conducted canip; 1 on stud farms where demonstrations or a . stock have been given, or havo hac shearing, classes, where lads were e taught to shear, to skirt and rol' 5 fleeces, to press them, to kill their owr mutton, and learn how to preserve the '" skin, and cook the meat. The boys 0 have thoroughly enjoyed tho outing, as well as the instruction. "Chemistry is a necessary study foi j. men who have to go on the land in anj capacity. No farmer, young or old, should bo without somo knowledge oi r it._ It is essential that he should have this knowledge in connection with the 1 purchase of manures, and to be able " to take an intelligent interest in the various experiments constantly being made for his benefit and recognise their ' importance. . Every lad, whatever his " vocation is to be, is tho better for this knowledge; but he who is to go on the , land should specialise in it, and have the opportunity of doing so at the ) High Schools. [ Primary Instruction. t In primary schools it is impossible . to attempt to teach agriculture, but a 3 distinct trend can_ be given _ to the 5 child's mind, even in tho oarlier standj ards, and intelligent instruction in tho ■ school garden • will not only be bene- . ficial in health, but it assists tho other , work by making a break in the indoor j teaching. Children enjoy working in the garden, and only a few are eager for their lessons indoors. I need not : remind you that in the training of a j child's mind more can be done in the , garden than from books. Although I say agriculture cannot bo taught in schools, tho principles of agriculture can bo taught in tho school garden, and in after life can ho applied to the \ farm. I have already alluded to tree-grow-ing in connection with theso gardens. Trees are as easily grown as cabbages. There are many reserves and waste places.which it would bo a delight for tho children, to plant and tend. Take Wellington, for instance. If each big school wore given a piece of tho Town Btlt to plant, what a joy it would bo to tho children. Thoy can collect the seeds of, many trees themselves: Euoalypti, pinus insignis, C. Maorocarpa, oaks, and others; sow them in boxes, prick them'out into trays, prepare the. ground for planting, and then Arbor Day would bo something real. Imagine how the children would via with each other as to tho growth of them trees. When they grow up thoy could point to "my tree," or trees, and they would in their after-life have an affoction and knowledge of treos which otherwise in towns would be an impossibility. It requires very little special knowledge, which is easily learnt, and I offer tho suggestion to the various schoolmasters here present, that' thoy should take this tree-planting up. Agricultural College. Thero can be no doubt but -that an Agricultural College would bo a groathelp in rural eduoation. It is a waste of time for a farmer to havo to gain knowledge after he has begun to farm with which ho should be equipped when he starts. . It would also bo a great advantage iater .in , training teachers and specialists in tho various branches of farming. When Professor Creelman, tho Director of tho Ontario Agricultural College, Canada, waß here in 1914, after being at tho British Association meeting, the Board of Agriculture asked his opinion as to what he thought was required in tho way of an Agricultural College in New Zealand, the condition of farming life in New ] Zealand being much moro alike in Canade to our own than that of older countries: wo thought his advice would he valuable. He said: "I strongly advise ono well-equipped and stronglymanned institution for the whole Dominion. Moro than one college means jealousies, comparative weakness, duplication of work, and pulling of funds, «to.,' He bases this view on the following grounds: "Successful agricultural Colleges do not undertake to teach boys "how to farm; but rather take young men (18 years and upwards) who have had praotical farm experience, and teach them the true principles of modern agriculture, and the best-known methods. In this way locality matters very little indeed." He goes on and gives: "A list of officers that I would advise starting, with something of their duties, though these might have to be materially changed to suityour conditions:— Field Husbandry.—Grasses, grains, roots, forage plants, plant breeding. Animal Husbandry.—Sheep, cattle, swine, horses, poultry. Biology.—lnsects, fungous diseases and weeds, perhaps bees. Chemistry and Physics.—Soils, fertiliser foods, drainage, land surveying, mechanical soil conditions. Horticulture.—Fruits, vegetables, hedges, wind-breaks, forestry. Dairy Husbandry.—Making of butter and cheese experimentally from tho college herd, also conducting short courses in dairying. It will thus bo seen that to provide for tho farm, buildings, dwellinghouses, hostels, etc., a very largo sum would bo required, which is not likely to be spared for somo years. If we provided a means as is suggested by Mr. Hogben and Mr. Brown, and in the foregoing of training toachers, wo should bo training our own men to fill tho positions of teachers when wo could provide a properly eauippod Agricultural Collego. If. then, wo had research going on by tho trained men of the Agricultural Dopartmont as is proposed at Weroroa, demonstration in various districts to show tho result of this researoh, and by and by a well-manned Agricultural Collego, wo should be well equipped in agricultural instruction, and a sound system would evolve as timo went on, and wo might find extension in various" directions was needed. Farm Schools. . The .training of cadots such as we havo attempted here is thus alluded to by Mr. Hogben: "There are learners ' or students at Weraroa, Mouinahaki and Ruakura (about thirty in all)'. Theso learners are of varying ability ' and attainments, the minimum re- ■ quirement for entrance being a certifi- , cate of proficiency. This does not seem to bo high enough to secure that the ' learners are sufficiently well prepared ' to benefit by the opportunities offered. ] No special instruction is provided in , tho principles of agriculture. They take part'in the work of the farm, J and thereby acquire some useful know- : ledge of what may be called tho mech- ' anical part of tho trade of farming; ! incidentally they may pick up a littlo ! knowledge hy seeing some of tho ~r.- ' periments that aro being carried on; but I hardly think that their previous j scientific knowlcdgo is sufficient to benefit appreciably by this." J There may be room for a few on our ' experimental farms, but there is tlio ' same difficulty in supervision in mini- 1 bers as there is in the school pardon ' vork in largo city schools: but tho ' work on those farms is not sufficient I Eo keaD the lads Brcwerls! emDfosGrkJ/

i• — : i and thore is no provision made for , teaching them. Tho colleges in Australia are "Farm [ Schools," and aro said to do good work whero the agricultural nigh I schools havo been unpopular. The i French get over the difficulty by licons- ! ing a certain number of the best farr mors to take pupils for tho agricultural work, and if the result of having proper teachers in rural education (as I hope it would) creates a desiro to havo lads go to somo farm school, thore should 1 ho somo provision made for them. Tho Tlma Is Now. I niako many apologies for having dealt so inadequately with tho greatest and most pressing need in education that wo havo in New Zealand. Mr. Hogben has stated that with ptopor rural education we could increase tho produotion from tho land by 40 per cent. I think ho is under tho mark. Given intelligent laws, and proper teaching, in a few years tho farmer, if properly encouraged, will hy largely increasing the wealth of the Dominion, do as much for New Zealand as the farmers of France did after the war of 1870. It may bo said that they aro the people that walked in darkness; but I think (at least I havo attempted to show) that they have seen a great light. To you, the representatives of the teaching profession, tho present is a groat opportunity for service. Let all take up this subject of rural education as much as lies in their power, and they will have played a most important part in post-war education. \