DEVELOPMENT FARM

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3191, 15 September 1917, Page 10

DEVELOPMENT FARM

WORK OF AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT TRAINING YOUNG FARMERS ' The conversion of-Weraroa Exneri;jnental Farm into a central development i'arm ' for New Zealand is mentioned in tho annual report of the Secretary for Agriculture. It. is. intended to conduct nt tho farm tho principal research and experimental work of the Department, ' mainly in' connection with pasture formation, field cropping, and . sheep and dairy husbandry, for tho present at least, and to diffuse from this centre, through ■ tho other experimental farms and tho : instructional officers of the Fields Di- ! vision, to farmers throughout the Do- | minion the benefit of the results of such ; researches and experiments as aro : brought to a successful conclusion. It is ] further proposed to carry on at the Cen- ■ tral Development Farm the training of a number of young men of good general •education for instructional positions in this Department or under tho Education Boards, and for research work. Tho principal feature of this training will < consist in giving the students full op- • portunity for the working in the field or laboratory .in conjunction with-the resiilent. or visiting officers engaged in re- ! search or experimental operations. Thero | ■will also be definite.series of lectures by tho officers, and th? students will, of ■ course, be grounded in the ordinary 1 farming practices. It is expected that young men, after completing a course ' at.Weraroa and gaining a few years' actual experience in instructional work .■under suitable oversight, ljill be fitted' to take an active part in guiding aright | the agricultural development of whatever I part of the Dominion they may be lo- |

cated in. To provide a suitable staff for tho Central Development Parm the headquarters of the I'itlds Division, and tho whole of tho biology section, of the Department have been transferred to Weriu'ou. "The establishment of experimental farms' or smaller experimental areas in parts of tho Dominion not yet catered lor in this way also demands attention," states tho report. "Negotiations aro already in progress in regard to an experimental farm for the West Coast of the South Island, ami something definite in this direction is certainly called for in tho case of Otago. Concerning smaller experimental areae, to be managed by the Department iu conjunction with local committees, the Department is anxious that considerable development should take place, and negotiations with local committees have been begun in several localities. It is felt that areas ot I this class will serve a much moro usc- .' ful purpose .than the more numerous co- : operative experiments with individual I farmers that were so extensively carried ' out during: the past decade. ! "Another matter that should be pushi ed on as speedily as possible, in order ' that- the Dominion may be thoroughly I equipped for greatly extended production ' after the war, is a soil or agricultural survey of the' country. In brief, this means tho mapping of New Zealand into areas having similar characteristics from the agricultural point of.view, and when • completed in regard to any distriot it ' would enormously facilitate the couni try's development, seeing that tho Dej partment wfculd be in a position to conl duct its researches and experiments with ■ a full knowledge of how far they would i bo applicable to places other than those I at which they were carried out. I am ' glad to state that, notwithstanding the ' adverse couditions prevailing, the Department's chemist lias made a start with this work in certain districts, and every effort will be made as opportunity i offers to provide him with facilities for I continuing aud extending this .under- [ taking."