THE KING COUNTY CHRONICLE. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1906. SCIENTIFIC AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION.

King Country Chronicle, Volume I, Issue 7, 7 December 1906, Page 2

THE KING COUNTY CHRONICLE. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1906. SCIENTIFIC AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION.

The Minister for Lands in replying to a Waikato deputation urging the establishment of the proposed Government Dairy School at Ruakura said, that one of the great difficulties was the selection of a site, as there was to be only one school. The establishment of a school meant the engaging of specialists, more particularly a bacteriologist, and the setting up of a very expensive equipment; the best managers and assistants procurable for the instructors in the butter and cheese departments, and very complete scientific machinery. It had been decided that the site should be in a central position in the colony and within close call of Wellington. The Minister also stated that it was intended to extend the scope of the Ruakura farm, and provision would at once be made for taking farmers' sons as cadets and giving them a thoroughly up-to-date agricultural education in all branches. The cadets would receive free board and lodging and a small payment as wages. It was expected that the necessary arrangements for taking cadets at the farm wodld be completed in six or eight months and the places should be readily filled. This is undoubtedly a scheme to be commended, but the Minister has apparently only made provision for two others of a like nature to serve the whole colony. The claims of many other districts could, no doubt, be urged as suitable for similar schools, and perhaps the present work is only the beginning of a general movement towards the agricultural education of a community, to which it is of the greatest possible importance. Technical schools, for the thorough industrial and commercial education of the townspeople are already in existence in practically every town in the colony, and surely to a country, the prosperity of which depends so greatly upon its agricultural and pastoral industries, the establishment of schools for the education of those, who will keep these important industries in the front of progress, is worthy of at least as much attention. Why not distribute such schools on a less elaborate scale throughout the different districts. By attention to system they could be made virtually self-supporting, or even profitable, and those who wished could graduate from them to the higher classes in the central schools. It would be a simple matter to set aside areas in the King Country for this purpose, and if Mr McNab's endowment proposals are passed, why not include this very necessary branch in his scheme. The idea that the highest education should be as free to all as the air we breathe is steadily gaining ground, and the higher the standard to which our farmers are educated the greater will be the prospertity of the country, and the better able will it be to cope with its ever increasing competitors in the world markets.