Practical Science.

Levin Daily Chronicle, 19 October 1918, Page 3

Practical Science.

The Science Class working under the Workers' Educational Association in Levin has been applying itself lately i to practical aspects of agriculture and i a good deal of interest lhas been taken ! in this part of the class's studies. On Tuesday evening considerable discus-' I fiion arose as to the best way of laying out a small farm of, say, 25 acres. To open the subject, the class was asiked to submit plans to scale showing all subdivisions, shelter hedges, and, position of buildings, of a inodeli dairy farm of from 20 to- 30 aerus. It was to be assumed that "tliie land was all flat and ploughafolc, had no creeks running through it, was approximately square in shape, and had one Mad frontage oil the northern boundary. Most of tlhe plans followed clci-ely on the same lines—a half-chain roadway running down the centre to give access to all paddocks, 6 or 8 in number and of about four acres each. The house and orchard wore placed in the corner formed by tlhe boundary road and the central road. Fiii'ther in, about the middle of the farm, were the farm buildings. One plan showed an ingenious 'arrangement of a central paddock into which nil other paddocks opened and at one end of whitfli stood the farm buildr . ings. As a remit the farm roadway was much shorter and the watering of stock was simplified to some extent. In ®ll plans ample provision was made for calves, pigs, and poultry, iais well as for milking shed and bairns.

On the question of fonoes opinion was divided between wire fences and live hedges. The wire fencers maintained tilmt one wouldl be compelled to begin with wire fences in any case unltil the hedges grew, while the live-hedgers asked "Why not the old ditch and bank fence, planted witlh tlhorn or what you like, especially with poislts at 2s 6d and wire away up out of eight ?" ' This brought up the cost of fencing on the farm with wire fences, and it worked! out to something like £300. The class tutor suggested going in for intensive farming—putting the cost of fences into extra buildlings and stabling the cows all the year round. This meant more croping and, more expert manuring as well as some solution of the labour problem.

Two questions were left for the class to work on during the week and to provide discussion this coming Tuesday evening—the crops and the buildings. Pllans of buiildiings are to be submitted and criticised, and if time 'allows, crops and. tlh'e "feeding of cattle will be discussed." All interested in the subject are cordially, invited to attend and take part in the discussion. The class meets in the Science Room of the District ■High School at 7.30 p.m. on Tuesday night.