EXTRACTS FROM A LECTURE ON AGRICULTURE.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume 1, Issue 11, 24 May 1849, Page 3

EXTRACTS FROM A LECTURE ON AGRICULTURE.

By \V. Hart, lisouiiie.

The relative position of the farmer possesses a deep interest to individuals and the community. Like every other position, that of the farmer has its dark side as well as its bright one, and to decide upon its comparative advantages we must enquire. What i-i the object of man's existence, and how shall he attain the end of his being? To these questions, history and revelation, the world arouud and the spirit within us answer, that the object of man's existence is happiness ; and the condition of that happiness is the diligent and proper exercise ol his allcciions und his faculties. If this be the case, docs the situation of the New Zealand fanner offer a fair opportunity of ensuring this happiness ? To be happy is the object of life, and all that the world can give towards it is health and competence. It has been said thai " Health of body is above all riches, and a strong body above infinite wealth;" but health is often undervalued by its possessors, or only apptcciatud when lost. Health of body and competence of estate are all the requisites for organic happiness that tlie world can bestow; and to say that agricultural pursuits arc eminently calculated to ensure these, is only to reiterate the language of past ages, and to repeat the testimony of our own. If you' have such pursuits, the hnzaid increases as the profits augments —the amount of the premium is always proportioned to the greatness of the risk. Hut health and the conveniences of life are not all that a man requires to make him happy. He desires to be useful, he wishes to be esteemed —and what profession can boast of a higher claim to utility than that of the farmer? Hut being useful and profitable to others is not the only advantages of a farmer's life ; he who has forethought may be profitable to himself. In the most busy agricultural life there arc hours that can be devoted to intellectual improvement; and I confess, in my ideal of a farmer, much more is included than the regular systematic performance of the routine nf ploughing and sowing, reaping and gathering into barns. 1 cannot satisfy my imagination with the hard-working man who, after toiling through the day, has no thought at its close, but to satisfy his animal nature and to sleep. The man who cannot find some timo for the cultivation of his intellect is in a wrong position, and does not improve as he might the situation in which he is placed. This it is that spiritualizes his labour, and raises him above the brute that labours for him. I do not expect him to be learned on subjects for which lie has no occasion, but if he enjoys the priceless boon of health, let him know something of that most wonderful instrument, his own body ; and if that *' harp of a thousand strings''should fail, he may with some intelligence repair the evil. Let him know something of the physiology of the vegetable world, and every blade of grass and ear of coin will speak to him of the benevolence and skill of the Great Contriver. Let him not enjoy the sunshine without some knowledge of the Laws of Light, or see his field drinking in the dew without understanding its adaptation to the [ purposes of nutrition. It is in the power of every man to reserve some portion of his time for these pursuits ; and lie will find that every addition to his stock of knowledge will make his walks the pleasanter, the flowers the sweeter, and everything more full of interest and meaning. But there is even something superior to intellectual pleasures; and can a sphere be better adapted to a progress in the moral qualities than the one he occupies? Every situation in life must be a scene of tiial ; yet difierent slates have different temptations. Agricultural life has few temptations no risks ure ran in its pursuit —no deception is used in its progress—no concealment is required for its success. 'Tis open, manly, straightforward—it depends on no one's favor, it rests on no one's promise, excepting His who has said, that '• while the world tnduretti, seed time and harvest, summer and winter, shall nut cease;" and while free from tempinljon, such life gives ample scope (or the tx-

i reise of all lliose duths that elevate man "hi'e benefiing liis rare. Il is not required of many men in a generation to ilo some great Miing lor themselves or for their country—it sthc Utile every day duties anil habits that mark the character. The opportunities of exercising the elevated virtues are ever present to the independent farmer. Like the Patriarchs of old, he stands nt the head or his lamilv ; hke them he should rule lih househole! 'after him—instructing, consoling, supposing. For the former, nature in New Zealand h*s (lone mi-eh, very much ; hut nevertheless it is by no menns dcsirnhle tlr.it agricultural pursuits should continue in tlieir "old paths and nccuMomed pursuits." Throughout the whole of Kurope agricultural schoois or colleges nre being established. England preseniß nt this time a more brilliant example than an/age or < ntintry lias before witnessed of the applicatiun, I will not say of science alone, fur that would not comprehend the idea which 1 wish to express, but the application of mind to agriculture. The practice of agriculture and the philosophy of agriculture are nutters of tiniversil interest; and until that is the case in New Zealand, we never can be u prosperous people. In Europe men of nil grades and conditions nre labouring in this great cause, and are asking for the how, the why, and the wherefore. Why arc wc not doing so? Why nre we, with greater natural advantages thnu any of the most favoured portions of Europe, upaihetic ? In Europe, the brightest intellects are directing thfir talents to agricultural inquiries j and the -humblest, in their humble but not inefficient way, aie seconding their elFbrts. So many minds concentrating their rays upon the same point, they must be sure to illuminate it with extraordinary brilliancy. Why do we stand idly by, when weshould be up and doing ? There is sufficient talent amongst us, why should every man be occupied with personal aggrandisemenr, and do nothing for the advancement of his adopted land ? Have we, by being transplanted from our f.itherIsmul, lost all the fue and energy that was won to characu rise us ? Agriculture is now getting to he recognised as the commanding interest of every country j and so it must ever be, as lying at the foundation of all others. Few peisons are apprised of their obligations to agriculture, and it is difficult to estimate the extent of these obligations. Every man's daily bread, his meat, his clothing, his shelter, his luxuries, all conic from the earth ; the foundation, or, as the l ; iench would say, the material of all commerce is agriculture, and its moral influences aie innumerable and most powerful. To carry this out, we want a school, or schools, established here, where lectures might be given on the science and practice of agriculture. Such schools would be eminently useful. Here, where we have so large an aboriginal population, it would be of the highest importance, not only to the prosperily of Now Zealand, hut to the well being of the native population themselves, that they should be so instructed. The enquiry then arises, could not such a course ol instruction be followed oiit in the establishments already in existence for tho advancement of the aboiiginal population ? They nre a shrewd and intelligent race, acquire with great facility anything that is new, what reason is there that they might not be instructed, as well as Europeans, iu chemistry, geology, and botany? They would thus become valuable labourers. If ;hat be desirable, and who can doubt it, it is necessary that our shoulders should be put to the wheel —we should Bet, not talk only. The ignorance of true theories mid improved processes of agriculture which prevail, not only in new countries, but also old ones, cm only be radically removed by the establishment of agricultural schools and colleges, nnd this proposition has received the universal assent of inle'liiienl men. The question of the necessity of these instituiions is settled throughout the civilized world; our duty here is now manifestly 10 adopt tho best plan with our limited resources, and to put it into execution a* early as circumstances will permit. It is quite necessary we should study the difficulties, changes, and failures of like projects ere we ran expect to avoid their fate. I propose, therefore, to sketch a few interesting particulars of the most prominent of these institutions. They may he most conveniently treated under two heads—those which to an academical course unite the theory and practice of agriculture, and those which teach agriculture only. The schools of the first class are based upon ihc iutsiilution at llofwyl, in Switzerland, under the direction of its noble founder, RI. de I'Vllenbcrg. It consists of three schools—-litt-rarv, agricultural, and intermediate ; in addition, lectures to teachers arc given annually. It will not be necessary for me to enter nto the particulars of the first, namely, the literary, as my object H with agriculture only.

The object of the agricultural school is lo nfl'ord thu opportunely of acciuirng a practical fdiniiinriiy with the must iii'p'oved farming processes*. And here I would remaik that Mich a school, well conducted, would be adtniriiblv for the instruction of the

native race. For instance, the Government I presume, would not object to give a grant of hind for such an object j for it would be for public purposes. The natives might be admitted for a lengthened period; by bo doing their manual labour would repay the expense of their maintenance anil education, so as to leave the institution without pecuniary obligilion on that head, and a small grant only would be necessary to give it a start—and then for instance, it would not be long before we should thus acquire a numb r of excellent ploughmen, seedsmen, mowers, reapers, &c, S:c., who might be allowed to plough for the neighbouring farmers, and they would thus •••ring a revenue sufficient for all the purposes of the institution. Leaving ibis digression, ■Hid returning to the institution of llofwjl, much of which would serve as a model. It is stated that the pupils ia summer are occupied in labour from eighl to twelve hours per day, and in instruction for two hours. In winter the amount of labour is less, and of study mure. During the time of harvest and nay-making the instruction is omitted altogether. In winter, the hours not devoted to the care of catile, threshing, and other farm labour, ire employe 1 in the agricultural machine shop in making baskets, straw mats, in selecting seeds, and in breaking stone for repaying roads. The pupils are also encouraged to labour on their own account, each having i small poriion of land for the culture of vegetables and flowers, the profits of which are their own. Will any man siy that if we had the desire we could not carry out all this? And would not the benefit be incalculable? What belter course could the ingenuity of man devise for the civi'ization of the native race ? V> I {To be continued.)