BOYS' AGRICULTURAL CLUBS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 132, 28 February 1920, Page 7

BOYS' AGRICULTURAL CLUBS

ENERGETIC ACTION NEEDED HOW TO INCREASE PRODUCTION • "The significance, of a fallin'p.roiluc:, tion,. .as-revealed by figures ' thai hiiva been .published recently, ought' not In l'i» missed-by,tho people of .New", Zealand.''' said-Mr. W. Stuart Wilson to a Dominion' reporter, yestcwlay.. "The Government Statistician-has called'-attention to. a reduction of nearly 800,000 in tho' .'!«:k«, Our principal exports show n 'decline!in quantity; disguised by tho high nriecs now Tilling. Tho vield- ner, jiwei.o't oar chief-crops,'hos tended tofall during.liip last ten years, as tho following official figures indicate:— .•■'.;. ....'!■

■'-. : / .-.--' Pota- \". Wheat. Oaf?.' Barley.. .tow. Bshls. Bshls. Bshls. Ton?. ttOS-flO--- ,11.7.1- KM -.19.67 fi.K 1003-10. 28.00 37.00 .11.00,.. COO IOIQ-il ■ ........ -25.73..... 33,41-- 27.0J • 4.87 1911-K ,13.00 48.71 '.19.55 '„ -,5.1.1 1912-13 -...... 27.28 ,15.13-30.75 0.20 1-!)13-U :..„..- 31.37! 10.75 .17.05 3914-15' ...... 2S.W .'10.77' -32.53' -.0.00 1015-16 -.»...•■ 21.59 -35.93 ■ 27.15 -.1.3;! J9IO-17 23.22. 30.20 -, 25.60 5.11 1917-18; ..,:.".'.- 24.23 - 31.61 , 50..15-'. 4.38 The figures' show • seasonal .fluctuations, as might-be-expected,- but they -also'.show a downward tendency.-. They have grave significance for this country: . ■

Farmers of the Future. • "My -purpose in drawing attention; to these'figures is to emphasise again the importance of tho scheme ;I put forward ,eome time ago, for -'the establishm.-'iit m boys' agricultural clubs.' The' scheme ha» been explainecVverv fully.-It has received the warm approval-of'many of our most prominent' citizens. It offers a practical means of increasing production by encouraging the young'people, the farmers ■ of the future,-to'study.and practice the . best and most modern methods of /raising stock and" crops. ■ There is nothing experimental about the Scheme, for it is being "operated with 'marked success in the TMed States. 'Any reader'of- the American newspapers and magazines 'will ■fcave seen! what' prominence is given to'' the work, of agrionltnr.il clubs,' which are'said-to have 'mora th'hri doubled • prod-notion per acre- by providing object lessons" in intensive' culture, ffhe,.central'idea,: as","-'l -have", explained on other is't'o'engage the young people'•in" competitions under ekilled supervision. Each' lad -may be given 'a section of land to till, a calf to rear- a pier to fatten, or some poultry to tend. The exact, form of the eoiniiern4as can'be varied indefinitely.' Thft ■ boy is told by experts how to set about i his task, and then his' results "are compared with those of all ! tlie other boys ! when the time comes for awarding'the nrizes. It is a simple scheme, but the forces of emulation and the stores of knowledse that it sets-loose have proved ' to.- be of incalculable benefit to a community. I have pointed but that'the as is the case in America, can be district, provincial, and national In scope. " ; ' ■'. Warm' Support. "May I ; quote .briefly from' what some of our prominent meD have said, about the' 'scheme? Sir "James Wilson, president'of the Board of Agriculture, said he had read-of ths proposal,with great interest, and was 'greatly, impressed with its, possibilities. Its importance as a step in the. direction;of -ushering in an era of intense cultivation could not ta overestimated.. . . ..He .considered that splendid results would be achievedthrou'eh the development of tho scheme.'' The Minister of Lands (the Hon. I). H. .Guthne). strongly, approved of the scheme. 'It is. a method of, getting scientific knowledge, into the minds of the -.farmers of the future,' he (said, 'and' of!providing' the fanners .'of ;..to-dny 'with practical demonstrations of the' meaiis by which their land can be made to yield greatly increased returns. The scheme is well worthv of the fullest co.n-siflp'-ation and support.'

. "The late Minister of Education (ihe .Hon. J. A. ITanan).fnid:.'TliP suggestion is nafc experimental at all. It is simolv the .application to New ■ Zealand of n, scheme that has Droved highly successful in the United States. More than three million American bovs and cirls are enrolled inthe agricnlfn'rnl clubs.■ and the ■number'is growing.: Tilesunervising authorities believe that the total will Teach five million'. All. these' young ne'onle are retting" knowledge. a ", u l ■ " inspiration •that will-be of life-long service to arid to; their country. I-fhUv realise the imnortancc'of the.'prooosal 'to il'troduce the aerioulhi.-al-c'nV sr^tem''ihtn this country." Tlr.-Reakes (Directs of the Agricultural I)enarrrnpnt), Mr. Hugh 'A leers' President of the Mihewat" A.'and V. Association).- Miv Hugh' Morrison /president of.the Mosferton brAiicTi 'of 'the Farmers' Union), and many other 'authorities'' have supnb'rted the 'scheme. A 'deputation of Otago members' of P.irliament pressed the'proposal on' the ■nr/t°ntion of tlie 'Minister of A<rr'"ulti:re ■ /Hon.' W. Ncwivorihy) some months. j«o. and he said'i''.it the mdvement had V". sympathy. •' He nromised the*-'it would the attention of himself and-the offi"»rs of his Department .'

"The schema is now in operation. r>» e email seal". in, Otago "nn'd in'Bidler countv. ir- has been taken-'nfi' bv the Southland '■ League and the CantcHiurv ■progress League. P" I: tlie North IsShd i« lagging behind. My own idea, is tha.t the' scheme oiHit' to be '. organised through the Agricultural' T)ena.rtme"t. ■with 1 local committees to otteuil'to lb" dpbil.=: An pffortis reoMirp'l V >ret it .stnftwl. . Rut nohofly ivho ha?''lmplied into 'fli.it mattpi- will-/loubt that flip r»." ward of that effort.will be very great."