The Chronicle. PUBLISHED DAILY. TUESDAY, JUNE 13, 1911. TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND POULTRY RAISING.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 13 June 1911, Page 2

The Chronicle. PUBLISHED DAILY. TUESDAY, JUNE 13, 1911. TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND POULTRY RAISING.

Technical schools, if administered with i\ true business eye, adapt themselves to the special noedis of tlio district in which tlio-y .have their establishment. Thus we see Palmerston North Technical School, and those of a. few other places, making woolelassing a part of their syllabus, whereas in the larger cities special prominence is given to engineering, electricity, wood carving, and various other trades ami professions that are most followed in the larger aggregations of population. Lately wo have seen a class for poultry culture established at Hawwa ; and by 'reports from that tow,n we learn that a highly satisfactory measure of success has attended the new venture from its inception. In this connection it strikes us that a similar class should lie established in Levin. This di.s11"ict undoubtedly possesses the imiast suitable climate and soil of aiiiy »\i.nfc of New Zealand tor successful pursuit of poultry raising as a means to a livelihood. Is t'hero any other part of New Zealand where the grass grows in mid/winter? Along this coast it grows green all the year, and every yem\ That is another way of saying that the winter temperature >Ikm'o is so equable that it veritably waxes the hens into 'laying at a time when the 'liens of less favoured localities are resting. Three parts of the soil of Levin, and district is ligjiit, with stones mixed amongst it—another ideal condition from a poultry farmer's viewpoint. This characteristic of our soil also makes for success with our fruit culture, and the contention can be put forward -with perfect- confidence that climate and soil, backed by the shortness of the train journey to the Wellington marts, make Horowhen.ua County supreme in situation for either of these industries. if Hawera finds it advantageous to establish a class (at it technical school), for poultry culture, surely Levin's responsible officers will be justified by results if they take a similar step! Today's lads are to-morrow's men; and if the lads of our community gain a preliminary training .in regard to this important industry (.important belli as a principal or a sideline industry), the future good to the place- and its people assuredly will j l>6 great. The Hawera course extends to the giving o f practical j ■. 1 .omo: strations on the incubators, i'.!i.d incidentally the pupils acquire iii Mcli vanillic knowledge of the s:tia!l details of poultry tending u-liich bulk so large in .the. greater sum of ultimate success. Possibly the subject of fruit growing may be embraced in the Technical School's currieulnnin at some later date. This aspect of .the case is one that might be voted for future discussion by the Horowhonua Fruitgrowers , Association; but for the present, it seems to us, a Poultry Jnstmiotion Class has best claim. Certainly it must be conceded that the combination of fruit .growing with poultry raising would go a, very great way towards enabling a denser settlement of the county to be made without diminution in the average earnings of the various landed proprietors.