SCHOOLS AGRICULTURE

Hokitika Guardian, 9 February 1920, Page 1

SCHOOLS AGRICULTURE

WEST COAST GARDENS

(Report of Air G. E. Ridley, Assistant Agricultural Inspector).

Reporting to ihe Canterbury Education Board for tho year 1919, Air G. E. Ridley, Assistant Agricultural Instructor lor the- West Coast on tho school gardens says: The outstanding school is Ngaliere (Miss D. Dixon and earlier Alias Owens, retired) where a steep bare hill with a weed blocked watercourse, has been converted into one of the most pleasing small landscape features a train traveller secs from Greymouth to Totara Flat. Both inside and outside work are well planned and connected and notes show decided individual impressions. I would not bo justified however, in making this school a standard as both present teachers have to put in 10 hours between their trains and many of the features benefit thereby. Having no more nor,less than most ■schools could have, l’aroa (Aliss Griffiths) is the model garden. One advantage it may have is that it is the teacher’s first interest and she has a definite idea of what she wants b<cisolf. The arrangement is such that “what we might do differently next time,” is seen at a glance, the outcome of which is seen in definiteness of children’s ideas and plans. The snugness of the garden unfortunately' moans it is hidden from view of the passer by but around the playground and an excellent school building, have been planted shrubs, and flowering plants, cattle repellant arums against the road fence. . ,

South ISpit, Hokitika, (Miss E. Dixon) and Alianra (Aliss Hargreaves) deserve no less commendation.

South Spit garden lias been made on a piece of hungry, wind blown beach sand. The results are startling and have been achieved by assiduous collection and [conservation of humifying elements. Expression by children was most difficult to obtain until in argument n,s to which were the real factors of their difficulties and success, when they gave most original and emphatic opinions. I am indebted to this school for some acclimatised seed and prospect of more. The remainder of the schools are in alphabetical order. Arahura Road (Aliss -Henderson),— have a nice little garden secured and a, good show of flowers in the playground. There are distinct differences in the growth of plants, under different joondition-s but childrens reasons for same are too stereotyped to be oiigi--131,,0 Spur (Aliss Costello)—Children and teacher deserve commendation for their initiative. They have a splendid show of vegetables in the open playground for which I provided them with hurdling netting pending Committee being able to fence. The observation

work is good. Camerons, (Airs Smitlievs)—Arc waiting on Committee to dear gorse and blackberry and plough a site. I found tho children on a wave of Nature Study enthusiasm. The- garden tools are being used to build castles in tho sand.

Cobden (Air Barrett)—Have given me more information from their experiment records than any other school. I have already noted the condition of their garden tools which arc still “all bright.” For want of space tlieir garden is the Teacher’s kitchen patch, but the new school grounds provide a good site. On well limed soil here superphosphate gave a- yield in potatoes of 12 tons per acre as against check plots also well limed, of 6 and 7 tons.

Goldsboro ugh (Miss .Tones) are very earnest gardeners. They on two successive seasons have carried soil in buckets iiroro round the hillside to make up gardens on patches of native bottom 'day ■ and sluice tailings. This season’s work is insecure from stock and last years is in School House ground which has been let to a tenant. Pending decision as to which will bo secured to them they have sown their seeds in old sluice pipes, which are out of reach' of stock.

Hari Hari, Inter-Wanganui, (Miss Gleeson relieving)—had a garden on private property which was sold and they have now none. Meantime teach. er and children are watching and tak-

ing a hand in operations of neighbouring farmer experimentalist, Mr J. Mc‘Lean, who is concentrating on Lu-

cerne. Humphreys (Miss Ritchie) —Had a handy shaped and sized garden which has not been worked this season, but as the new teacher has come with a. garden reputation, I hope .to see goo work here. Jacksons (Miss Loamy)— Have no place secure from stock and althoug i keen have in meantime abandoned their flower plots. Scarcity of labour for fencing has been committee’s bar. Koiterangi (Miss Hallinan)— Had been running a large garden on their own, and the teacher was so-ord mating tlieir rather divergent plans. I have not seen tlio outcome, which, if measured by the enthusiasm, would bo

good. Tsokatnhi Lower (Miss McKinnon), is a well established garden, but owing to some mishap with requisition were liot supplied with seed till late m 1 10 season. Record work in notes a,K specimens is very good, .partic-inais o an experiment in which use of ammonia (fowl manure), while making tic tx pected abnormal tops on potatoes, also resulted in a bumper crop, wore very interesting and point to a theory that although West Coast crops arc not lacking in leaf development, an extra encouragement of it would mean better yields. It was at this school that I had my attention first drawn to what is apparently a sap disease which is blasting the Weeping Willows right throughout the Coast.

Kokatalii, Upper (Airs Kelly).—Have a neat garden worked by a number of small children who tell me the drains won’t run the right way, and the ground will run together and choke the plants. The Committee were rectifying the drains. I regret not having been able to make a second visit to see how they imanaged, and also because they 'are testing the neigbhourging farmers’ arguments about lime and super., combined and separately. Kumara Junction (no permanent teacher). —Neglected, but healthy nature of foliage on that portion of ground which had been garden, showed that the previous work had improved th pakilii condition. Pukekura.—Had gone to a lot of work draining a sodden slope, but thebig children have all left and and the plot, is waiting till present ones grow. Ross (Mr Winchester, and now Air Boyle).—Has really an experiment farm section if it could be maintained. Half is profitably occupied carrying a crop of onts, while surrounding the whole is a good, strip of a very good selection of trees, shrubs, and flowering plants. Flower seeds did not germinate well, but blanks are being filled from homes. Arrangeriient of the experiment section is on a definite plan, limiting practices being base of present - trials, and they show interesting dis- , tinetivc evidences on the different fodder crops sown. It will be necessary to occupy much of the ground with grasses and plants needing less constant work.

Stafford (Mrs Thomson).—Visited on. a ,wet winter’s day, looked cold, sour,and weedy; there was a rusty spado lying about. The children had nothing, to say or ask, and teacher seemed, apologetic. On my summer visit the fence seemed to have straightened itself somewhat; the whole looked warm and clean and was bright with flowers;. tools were clean find -stowed ; almost every child had a definite proposition and teacher evidently thought that I was so well impressed as to solicit my niff in clearing her glebe of blackberries. I had to catch a train. ’This school has a well braided plot of lifisccd. Wainihinilii, Rangiriri (Miss Fahey). —ls wholly tho product and care of an isolated teacher and children, who have their plot as a front garden to the school, with a rose bush to the window sill. They are hard put to keep off the cattle. Expecting to' find them shy I was pleased to fiiul them quite at home in speaking of the work and of observations which they had made. , Waitaha (Aliss White).—Had a well arranged and secured garden but for tbc gates. I have not seen tlic garden since spring for which 1 am sorry, as interest of teacher was genuine and I don’t -think she was getting much satisfaction up to that date. Wataroa (Mr Lucas or Lock art). -Are not gardening pending decision as to future site of school. There was no school tho day was down as far as the river. Of the District High Schools, the Hokitika Secondary Class work under Air Niven is the best feature. His plot trials are almost exhaustive in their range, too much so I am afraid for bis satisfaction in conclusions as a scientific expermcntnlist. But many direct effects have been noted; some theories propounded and squashed or supported by laboratory parallels. A large area lias been worked, portion of which lias been freshly broken, the whole surface drained, and one plot tile drained with old bricks. The plots and their paths have been kept free from weeds, and the tools kept all bright. . , . His is tho best I have seen of dairy science as a school laboratory subject. The laboratory is a good one and is kept as it should be. \ The Hokitika Primary Class have reclaimed a piece of wet blackberry -.round and have just sown their plots. ° In these Standards V and VI, as m some classes at Grey, I am hoping to see better development of observation inference and expression work.