SCHOOL FOR FARMERS.

Otaki Mail, 20 February 1922, Page 4

SCHOOL FOR FARMERS.

> v ARRANGEMENTS AT CENTRAL t DEVELOPMENT FARM. ' CLASSES TO BE HELD IN COMING 1 AUTUMN. ‘A inquiries by a “Mail” representative on Saturday revealed the intetest--1 mg fact tliat arrangements are well m ' nund ior the agricultural classes for [ farmers that are to he held at the 3 Central Development Farm at Weraroa this autumn. The point has now s oeen reached that the names of at 1 least forty farmers willing to attend the school are required in order tliat .1 1 the catering can he arranged for. fhe c only expense to Iho students will he i the small cost of their daily meals ~ during the lour days the classes wilt o he in session. ” This district is doubly fortunate ui its proximity to the Farm, and in the , institution having a Manager so much ’ in sympathy with agricultural educai.iou as Mr W, J". McCulloch. Prior to “ his advent to tire Farm.it was largely r an undiscovered country to the map> ’• city of tiie fanners on this Coast. His 1 policy of making the institution easily 1 accessible to the men on the fund has c made it a very -mportuni. factor m t agricultural progress, and tliat. it is s appreciated is shown by the large ato lendances and keen interest taken m .1 tiie many Field Days held during the :1 autumn and winter, it is tell, howv - ever, tliat useful as these occasional I visits are, the.time lias come to take s a step forward. The most interesting questions are probably those tliat come ' lu mind after the visitors have left the ’ Farm, but which, tiie opportunity beII ing past, remain unanswered or are 11 forgotten before next visit. During a l!; stay of several days at the Farm there would be ample time for fully exploiing avenues of inquiry tliat are merely t opened up on a Field Day. Ihe advantages of being able to thresh out [l l difficulties with the assistance of exi- peris in theory and practice will app peal to agriculturists who are trying Sto apply sdeiil jfic knowledge to then methods of production and the re.l I spouse to Hie opportunity shortly to he y i presented is therefore expected to be 0 ; a veiy full one. _ 1 jhese agriciiiUirai classes iiad their • origin some years ago at tiie P.uakma j stale Farm. The Auckland Education • | Rofi-d arranged for numbers of ns teachers to ftftpml a course of instiuc- '* j tiou by its own auu the state experts 15 * m agricultural subjects. As hie dii» ter.es, t uud value of the gatherings became known mid appreciated neigii- '* nouriug farmers eageiJy sought -he tr opportunity of being present, T“ e t f ar iie of the classes spread and nieii cl e ven came from the South island to -• l advantage ol ihe instruction. - Something ;>u these lines will be att templed at Wenuc-a fljough it will l.e . purely an Agri« ultural Departmental t affair. , The Central Development Farm ts hetter equipped than most State Farms for instructional purposes. It lias extensive accommodation, put tip lor the soldier students, and adequate sup- ' ulies of bedding and furnishings. AH that the members of these classes will f need to provide, is tiie meals, and with • a minimum of forty members, the tom- • missariat should not lie tin expensive f' j t g„i, ami could be attended to ecol t nojitieully by a ca.terei. In conversation with Mr McCulioch, 1 the press representative. ,;-vys mr formed that a definite schedule would ’ 1 he drawn up of the course of instruction which woo id occupy four days-, r The Farm and the State experts wornd . ’■ he at the disposal of the students, and . lie also hoped to secure the pres- , cure of outside authorities, such, for • instance, as tiie Jersey Breeders' Association's official, demonstrator, .and a Fri«'iau authority. The season chosen ' .was tiie aiitK.n in. when there .would he '“a relaxation.M farm work, and lami- ' ers would be.-t be .able to spare the • ti„3 facilities that are to be. affoid- > e>t will, we feel atpe, commend thern--1 selves m a district such a- I}-"?. e,n ' 1 bra-dog as it does so many young and ‘ progressive farmers. There.is. l>ow- • ever, a larger view that should not b. ; obscured by the immediate _afld *•*- ■ * terial benefits, u U this: That the i*»t • i way to strengthen the demand lot a j) permanent agricultural college is ’<• . demonstrate the need that exists lot I such an institution. The support «.c----.-„rded these classes will be an index to that'ueM and the classes thernse.ves mould te bus v sLvPpm? stone to the 1 establishment at Weraroa w , i'ege for which the Government na~ already received a very handsome w- . I