MASSEY COLLEGE

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 134, 3 December 1929, Page 12

MASSEY COLLEGE

RAPID PROGRESS

HISTORICAL SURVEY

TO-MORROW'S CEREMONY

The ceremony of laying the founda-tion-stone of the new Massey Agricultural College at Palmerston North will be performed to-morrow morning by His Excellency the Governor-General (Sir Charles Fergusson). It is but two years since Massey College was founded, but in the time rapid progress has been made, and increasing use of the institution is being made by the farming community.

Following many years'1 of battling by a scattered band of firm believers in agricultural education and research, matters began to take a practical turn with the generous gifts of Sir John Logan Campbell and Sir Walter Buchanan for the foundation of Chairs of Agriculture at Auckland and Victoria University Colleges respectively. Professor Peren was appointed to the Chair at Wellington in 1924, and Professor Riddet to Auckland in 1925, and for the next two or three years both institutions struggled to establish independent schools. Lack of adequate finance, however, made the task almost an impossible one, and early in 1926 committees set up by the two University Colleges met to discuss the advisability of the amalgamation of their agricultural efforts. Their decision was a unanimous recommendation that staff and funds be pooled in an endeavour to establish one efficient school. On the 22nd February, 1926, a joint deputation waited on the Prime Minister when the proposal was laid before him.-' The latter gave his hearty approval and promised financial assistance. After very careful consideration by the representatives of the two colleges and of the Government the property of the late Mr. J. Batchelor,' Fitzherbert, Palmerstou North, was selected as the most suitable and purchased by the Government on the 9th December, 1926. On the 11th September, 1926, the college was . established by the passing of the New Zealand Agricultural College Act. On the 29th July an amending Act, The Massey Agricultural College Act, was passed, and the college finally established under its present title and constitution. On the Ist February, 1927, the College Council met for the first time, and on the Ist July, 1927, the council took possession of the property at Palmerston North, and began forthwith to organise it for teaching and research in agriculture. BUILDING DESCRIBED.

The Batchelor homestead, which is . being used as temporary headquarters, presents a vastly changed appearance, ; the interior being changed into' lecture ■ rooms, studies, offices, etc. In . the ', rear of the original house two tempor- ' ary buildings have been erected to accommodate the laboratory work. The ' M.Hardy property, the magnificent gift ] of the people of Palmerston North, has ' undergone tremendous changes. The ' paddocks in the rear have been laid ' 'off as college grounds, the whole having ' been planned from, the point of view if sites for the additional buildings which will bo required to accommodate the work as it grows in the years to come. Certain of the sites are already occupied. The original M'Hardy house ■ has been cut in two and one portion moved back to the site allocated to the principal's residence and the other portion to. that. of the administration building, in which capacity it will funo - tion. The refectory building whit ; h contains a big dining hall, student.'s common rooms, and kitchen, and 'servants' quarters, is under construct ion, and from all appearances should 'be a very fine building when completed . •' On the site of the late M'Hardy ho roe is being erected what is termed thy main building, and it is the foundationstone of this building that is tc, be laid to-morrow morning. It wilj contain the various lecture rooms, laboratories, and studies, etc., necessary to house the- ever-increasing body cf students and the large amount of important research which the college is carrying out in conjunction with tiiti Department of Scientific and Indus*/, ial Research. This building, which in. the main will be three stories in height, has a most commanding site, and -w ill look very fine as the "headstone" of tho various buildings. The wri,c which has been already done gives one a very good idea of what the frjished product will be like, and it is' quite obvious that the colleges possesses the finest site of any of the university colleges in tho Dominion. Th/j citizens of Palmerston North are to be congratulated on their foresight and generosity in securing it for the yjurposes of the college. WOEK OF THE COLLEGE.

The portion of the farm lying along the Manawutu Eiver has been subdivided and fleveloped as an up-to-date dairy farm. centring around the milking shed and factory, which are located in a commanding position. This area with its buildings and the dairy research laboratories constitute' the Dairy Ijeseareh Institute which, with a highly-trained staff, is making every effort to solve some of the more important of the problems confronting the dairy- industry. The heavy clay land on the terrace and fronting on the main Sha.nnon road has undergone considerable improvement, its conversion from rushes and poor, worn out pasture to yew grass of a high-carrying capacity Taeing a matter' of considerable comI ment by those passing along the road. This area constitutes fhe centre of the college sheep farm, a"nd a large number of the sheep being carried are involved in the research work on wool, which is another important branch of the college's research activities. Flax research has been under way for the past 18 months, and the material growing in the nursery and in the trial areas promises valuable results. A number of experiments of the top-dressing of pastures are being carried out, also a systematic testing of the numerous types of dogstail grass which have been found to exist. On an area set aside for the purpose the Plant Research Station of the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research is carrying out work on fungous diseases of plants and on the elimination of unprofitable strains of pasture grasses. In view of the numerous applications for instruction received a poultry section has recently been established. This is not yet in full operation, but it should play an important part in the poultry industry in the course of time.

SOUND INVESTMENT.

During 1928 the first year of the life of the college the students enrolled totalled 81. This year the figure had risen to 175, and it is anticipated that next year it will exceed 200. The staff, both teaching and research, numbers 13 or 17, if one includes the staff of tho Dairy Research Institute. When one considers the comparatively short time since tho property was taken over without a single implement or head of stock, and the size and numerous activities of the present organisation, one can only compliment the council of the coliege and the staff on the results of their labours. Under the able leadership of the Hon. Sir George Fowlds, who, for many years has been t>nq of the strongest advocates of ag-

ricultural education, the council which is composed of representatives of the University Colleges of Victoria and Auckland, the Government, and the farming community has accomplished the laying of a very wisely-planned foundation, and is to be highly eongra tulated. There is no doubt whatever that an institution of this sort has been very badly needed in theVorth Island for very many years, and given wise guidance and close attention to the true needs of the industry, it is certain that tho Massey Agricultural College will prove of great assistance not only to tho rising generation, but also to the present, and a very sound nation"! investment.