BOYS' AGRICULTURAL CLUBS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 269, 9 August 1919, Page 8

BOYS' AGRICULTURAL CLUBS

WHAT FARMERS THINK ENDORSED BY PROMIKEUT AGRICULTURISTS (From Our Special Correspondent.) Palmerston North, August 8. The recent article in This Dominion relative to.the proposal to establish boysagricultural clubs throughout the Dominion has aroused considerable interJ ;'est among tho farming community, and 'has been very favourably received. A Dominion representative interviewed a number of Manawatu farmers of standing the. week on tho subject, and gathered — that any concerted effort to bring tho scheme to fruition would be met with a hearty response on tho part of the j great bulk of the fanning community. :; Among the gentlemen interviewed were the president of the Board of Agriculture (Sir James Wilson) and Mr. Hugh Akers, president of tho. Manawatu and 'West Coast A. and P. Society, both of whom were very favourably disposed towards tho project. The significant note sounded by all formers approached on the matter was that tho - era of high prices and closer settlement made it absolutely imperative that some big and comprehensive scheme designed to foster and encourage intensified farming 6hould bo put into operation in the Dominion with as little delay as possible. In this connection tho kidvantago of ■- starting with boys-sons of farmersfrom the ground up, combining the prac- ' tical with the scientific, was stressed by all those interviewed. ■

Sir James Wilson's Views. Sir James Wilson, president of the Board of Agriculture, said he had read tho article in The Dominion on the proposal with great interest, and was greatly impressed with its possibilities. Its importance as a stop in. tho direction of ushering in an era of intense cultivation could not bra over-estimated. It was a matter which should readily-com-mend itself to A. and P. associations and kindred bodies. In adding that he would like to see such societies actively interest themselves in the proposal, Sir James Wilson pointed out that some of the A. and P. associations' were already doing something in the direction of fostering competition among school children. It was on a limited scale, but the results had been verv encouraging. Judged from this, he considered that splendid result'" would be nchieved through tho development of the scheme outlined in The Dominion, i Touching on another .point. Sir James Wilson mentioned that recently he had received a number of articles published in America which fully bore out tho remarks in The Dominion's article relative to thn successful competition inaugurated among boys in that country. The American scheme unfolded,great possibilities, and- he hoped before long something would be done in the direction of experimenting in a similar direction in the Dominion.

Sir' James Wilson went on to pay Hint he was confident.that miy movement along the lines suggested would - meet with un enthusiastic and intelligent response on the part of hoys in farming districts. He instanced his own experience in this connection, stating that he had promoted a competition for boys at 'Marton, th« prize being awarded to the lad who made the most successful job at gathering hi? own seed, planting it, and raising a tree therefrom, flreat interest was taken in the competition. In the same way he thought A. and P. associations should consider the question of giving prizes for nnimols raised by bays on farms. They bad already given prizes for work done at schools, and in consequence mm* very interesting cxb'bits bad been stag<vl nt shows. It would be an excellent idea to organise in 1:bo direction of aiving prizes to farmers' sons for slock which the boys themselves reared and kent by them at homo. There they , would have the benefit of their parents' encouragement and advice.

Farming Vacant City Lots. -"- As -regards the suggestion of the agricultural competitions. Sir James Wilson thought that competitions for tho growing of potatoes might easily be inaugurated' at once. It was quite a feasible proposition, apart from its economic Yalue. The question of promoting competitions among our future farmers in connection with the raising and.fattening of stock was a much more difficult matter, and would require considerable study and thought, and the hoys would hnvo to be educated up to it. Nevertheless he cordially approved of any efforts to achieve the desired end.

Referring again to the' growing of potatoes, Sir James Wilson said that he Was particularly impressed with the possibilities of utilising vacant town and even city lots for tho purpose. In this way much vacant land could bo turned to good, account, and in some measure might ease the cost of living in our crowded communities. Ho himself had J»en interested in this matter some time ago privately.' He had imported a new variety of potato; "Arran Chief," and ho had given some of the seed to a resident of -Wellington city. This enterprising • citizen actually grew the potatoes in the heart of the city, and 3iad informed him (Sir James Wilson) that the potatoes were very nearly blight proof. If .this man could grow potatoes 60 successfully right in tho confined limits ,«f a city there was no reason why othc-s : more:'favourably situated could not do likewise. Concluding, Sir James Wilson said that ho was so favourably impressed with the possibilities of potato oulture that he was going- to endeavour to "got the Agricultural Department to give export lectures with a view to fostering their increased cultivation.

Commended by A. and P. President, i,T fle , 6ea l °f approval was also set' on . the schemo by Mr. Hugh Akers, president of the Manawatu and West Coast A. and P. Society. In the course of an inter- .. viow, .Mr. Akers pointed to tho increased prices of land and the closer settlement that was going on as ample justification for farming on moro intensified linos. Intensified farming called for moro j scientific organiation and education in ( agricultural matters generally than at present obtained in tho Dominion, andin this connection ho thought the boys' '--farming scheme, as outlined in The Do-'

MiMCUr, was most commendable. While, he had not had tho opportunity of studying all the details of the scheme ho had no hesitation whatever in warmly endorsing the principle laid down. In particular ho was impressed with tho wonderful developments in North America', in fostering agriculture among tho rising generation by competitions in stockraising and root culture, carried out under tho auspices of hoys' clubs supervised and subsidised by the various counties, working in conjunction Apparently with the Agricultural Department. As president of tho leading A. and P. association in the ' North Island ho was fully prepared to have that hody go exhaustively into the scheme willi a view to united action on the part of all tho societies in the Dominion. Mr. Akers was firmly of tho.opinion that whatever action was taken should bo the fruit of only (he concerted deliberations of tho whole of the associations. One general scheme should bo adopted for (he whole of Now Zealand. He was not in favour of the different societies hatching individual schemes. This being the case, he considered that the representa-tives-of all tho A. and P. societies should meet in conference and hring down recommendations to (ho Government on the subject. At tho.same time Mr. Akers pointed out that tho scheme must of necessity bo largely fiananced by tho Orovernment. liven as things were at the present time, many of tho A. and P. societies were looking to tho Government for increased assistance, not for distribution in prize money, but in order to successfully .carry out other of their functions. Another Authority's Opinion, _ Another gentleman interested in farming, when asked his opinion as to the feasibility of the scheme, said Unit its' introduction should, ill] a long-fell want, as at the present time there was very little to attract tho rising generation to take up tho etudy of. agriculture. Attempts had been made to introduce agricultural classes into the ourriculum of both the primary and secondary schools,

but as a rnlo the work was of too experimental a nature to be attractive to the pupils, while the results were far from satisfactory. Something of the kind was required to induce tho young people to take an interest in the pursuit at their own homes, and tho proposal would go a long way towards filling this want. What was wanted was practical demonstration with an incentive to study, which would he given, by tho competitive nature of tho scheme, while tho opportunities givon to make a littlo pocketmoney from their exertions would bo a further incentive to boys to take an intelligent interest in tho' work. An Interesting Suggestion. He suggested, however, that tho idea of growing potatoes, although very well as a sideline was not. the most important brunch of agriculture, although doubtless more money could bo mode out of tho tubers on a small plot than out of any other root crop. His idea was that tho lads should .lip encouraged _ to grow root and leguminous crops which could be used as feed for slock, and which the parents should agreo to purchase from the growers at fair market values. This would widen tho visioa of the would-be farmers, and they would gain experience in the growth and handling of such food plant? as would he. useful to them in later lifo. At tho same- time arrangement's should ho made for their instruction in tho food values of the various roots, -and this would add further interest to tho curriculum, and would bo of great 1 v.so to the growers when they went in for tho business at a later stage. The scheme should he heartily supported hy Hie A. and P. associations and bv the Government, as it would tend to tho growing up of a much more intelligent class of farmer than had been the case hitherto.

VIEWS OF WAIRARAPA FARMERS'UNION PRESIDENT SCHEME SHOULD BE BOOSTED IN THE TOWNS. By Telegraph.—Special Correspondent. Masterton, August 8. The articlo which appeared in The Dominion of August 2 on the proposed schema to inaugurate boys' figricnltnr.il clubs in New Zealand has caused a good deal of interest among farmers in these parts. Competitions on similar lines havo from time to time come up for,discussion at meetings of farmers' organisations, but beyond (experiments in school gardens tho idea has never materialised m its entirety. . About five years ago Mr. J. L. Marshall, then provincial president of the New Zealand Farmers' Union, detailed a scheme similar to that proposed by Mr. Stuart Wilson to a meeting held in Masterton. Apart from the opinion being expressed that the schemo was a good one, nothing further appears to have been done in the matter.

■ A Dominion representative interviewed Mr. Hugh Morrison, president of the local branch of the Farmers' Union, who expressed, himself thus: "It if/ a very good schemo indeed." Ho thought that boys who took an interest in agriculture, while they, wore quite young, of necessity used their brains as veil as their hands; their enthusiasm would undoubtedly give impetus to the efforts of the parents. It -was morn essential to boost tho schemo in tho towns than it was in tho country whero boys often took to farming, though they were more fitted to be mechanics. On tho other hand, in tho town a boy became a mechanic of necessity, though, his. true vocation was. farming. He had been faced with tho fact that ho had to earn his living; he had known nothing of farming, never having had tho opportunity to learn; and so ho became », mechanic. If the reserves around W«l----lington and other towns could be utilised in the interests of the scheme proposed by Mr. W. Stuart Wilson, then the town boy misfit would have an opportunity to follow his natural bent. Later on ho Would complete his training on an experimental farm, first having learned tho ground work while tending the small plots. Many farmers had learned moro about the texturo and actual requirements of the soil while they were looking after their own house garden than while cultivating hwge sreas of land. To mako the scheme a success, two main factors would be necessary. The first would bo a keen, enthusiastic officer who would superintend the boys' work and keep tho competitive spirit alive among them; 1;lie second would be the classification of tho various types of land to bo worked on. It would porhaps be necessary to make three or even four classifications of soil. It would not bo fair to ask one boy, working clay soil, to compete against another boy, perhaps in the same district, forking naturally rich ground. In the country, too, tho scheme- would bo beneficial to boys who wero Nature's farmers, but in the towns the greatest benefit would, bo felt, as tho misfits would be sorted out. Tha tendency of tho present day was for the population to drift towards the centres, and that must bo stopped. In conclusion, Mr. Morrison said that any such scheme as tho proposed hoys' clubs would have, ho was confident, the whole-hearted support of tho Fanners' Union.