FIRST FARMER' SCHOOL

Otaki Mail, 3 May 1922, Page 4

FIRST FARMER' SCHOOL

AN AUSPICIOUS OPENING. LARGE ATTENDANCE FROM' WIDE .TERRITORY. TJie Erst Farmers 1 School held at tfi<» Central Development Farm was auspiciously inaugurated on luonuay , evening. Eighty-one applications for a place in me school were granted, and about twenty more, including three lroin ladies, had to be. refused swing to the accommodation being luliy occupied. seventy-three siudents had registered on Monday night, and some of those prevented at the iast moment from attending had sent substitutes along. The visitors come lroui from Gisborne, Taranaki, yVairarapa, Feitding, Manawatu, Baekakariki, and even from Tauiiiarunui. An iniormat welcome was accorded them on Monday evening at the Fanil, where there was a notable gathering of State experts in agriculture. The eifeet ui

Monday’s gathering was to ' create a very genial atmosphere and to put the students and instructors in immediate sympathy with each other, so mat the weeks studies should go forward smoothly and profitably. Amongst uiose present was the Direcior-ueneruJ of Agriculture, Dr. c. F. Reakes, tite Superintendent of Agricultural Farms, Mr j. L. Bruce, Mr Clifton, a retired omcer of the Department, the Mayor ui Levin, Mr Mathesou, anu Mr W. 11. Field, M.P. Mr W. J. McCulloch, as Manager pi the Farm, extended a hearty welcome to the members of the school, it was a proud day for him when so many accepted the opportunity of attending the first school held at Weraroa. He was sure they would have a good week and would take away plenty of practical knowledge. They cer-

tainly had plenty of experts to impart jjhat knowledge. He trusted they wo- | uld be comfortable in their quarters land ■would spend a pleasant time. Dr C.' 3. Reakes, Director-General ol Agriculture, as head of the Department, supplemented Mr McCulloch’s [ welcome. He sincerely hoped that the week w'ould be valuable to everyone present. He was sure, at any rate that liis colleagues would be able to get some flints from; the farmers for his experience of agriculture was that nhere was always sqjniethiiig to learn. The man who make success of it was he who was able. 1o apply to bis own farm the wisdom of others.. New Zealand as a country was directly dependent for its financial prosperity on the great agricultural industries. They had only to notice what proportion of * our exports were the product of those j industries to realise how big a part j agriculture played in our welfare i Dr. Reakes emphasised the need for developing farming on scientific lines and the school was a step in that, diI s recti on. "I don’t want you to think that we are going to stuff a lot of abstruse science into you," he continued. “We are going to give you so- [ lid practical facts that you can apply to everyday needs. If everyone con--1 cerned tries to make tlie best use of /his time, the greatest amount of good 7will be got out of it." The Departmental officers intended to do all in \their power to make the school a suc--1 cess (Applause). Dr Reakes. said '.he

yijnister for Agriculture had asked j him" to express his regret that he was unable to be present, and Sir .lames Wilson’,■ President of the Board of I Agriculture, had hoped to he present I but was jtnabte to attend. Both gen--1 llenten sent then* good wishes ior the school’s success. (Applause). ! The Mayor of Levin, Mr D. W. MaI theson, was the next speaker, and on behalf of the Borough and district, extended a hearty welcome to the visitors, and expressed pleasure at see--1 ing so many local farmers present. I Levin took a great, interest in the Farm and was proud of the fan dial the first school in these parts was being lield here. He was pleased that the farmers were recognising the importance of improved methods and were backing Mr McCulloch and the De- : partment by atending in such nnmj tiers. So far as the Manager of the iarid the Departmental Instructors’ hands, the Mayor was sure the school would have a valuable week. He cotl- ! gratulated the Department on viie ini--1 Dative taken at Weraroa. Farmers -this coast were continually crying out that they were not getting enough j attention from the Department. The ; trouble was that the farmers in this ‘district had not asked the Department i for enough. It was a Departmental I expert who had made that-.point clear * 1 some time ago and the Mayor was quite "satisfied that if they asked for help the Department, would give as much as it possibly- could. The school Farm was concenrert lie wished to say that tiie feeling throughout the district towards him was one of very - high esteem. He had made a- good J name for himself and his Department 'applause) and in Mr McCulloch - (■would certainly have a beneficial eff<l ecr -and the meeting together of so -’many farmers from different centres 1 would also do good. He trusted they j would all have a pleasant, time and j Levin as. a town would he pleased to ido anything in its power to assist j them. (Applause). ! Mr F. Clifton, of Auckland, .a for-. ( mer officer of the Stock Division, .congratulated the Director-General at me j • gathering present and expressed his | teiight at the privilege of being pre-i * sent"himself, as one to whom it had j j come to make a beginning of agricuiJ rural instruction. They 7 could -noi in , ’those days have gathered together as j j they had done that night. There was j a time when the.farmers of New Zea-!

land were engaged in bartering their j farms. They dirt not look upon 'hein ’ as homes. That time was happily j passing away. It hart resulted in the * price of our farming lands being for- ■ cert up to a higher point than in most ' other parts of the world. He spoke of | the disadvantage that, placed New I Zealand at in competition with coun- > tries nearer the markets, and empha-

sised the fact that the Dominion’s great wealth lay in her kindly skies. The climate was probably as great an asset as the energy-of .the lu finer anr the productivity of the iand. Mr Clifton then spoke of the necessity for studying the dairy cow and tne importance of selection and leading and gave some interesting reminiscences of American fanners. “TRY A LITTLE OIL CAKE.’’ Mr .1. L. Uruee, buperuneiiueiH ci Experimental Farms, uus the next speaker and expressed ins great pleasure at neing present, ne uwtsi upon tiie need iur leedmg dairy cows. When they saw an anunuance ui re m in ihe spring farmers were apt iu mi get tiiai it was not so long since Hit cows were rambling around lue paudocks looking lor something lo eat. He had recently had experience of a place where there were 22 cows anu they were not giving sufficient mint lor requirements. He cud not wish to speak Jjoastluiiy,' hut by selection tie uad reuuceu me herd to eignt cows, and in June, as tlie result oi iueumg, die eight cows were giving more mux than the former hem oi 22. “Yuu think you are doing alright because your cows are yielding well,” said Mr Bruce, “but just try a little oil catye with your best cow and see wiiat happens.” if he were attending me school he would make up ins iiunu hist wiiat lie wanted most unu go icr that. “You will be addiesseu m plain Queen’s English and no lu-iaiuim' and when it is finished you will come to the conclusion that you have never spent such a profitable week iu your lives,” concluded the speaker.

Two of the farmers briefly, replied Mr Compton (Wairarupu) thanked the speakers for their kindly remarks. He explained that Wairarapa would not be satisfied until they had a Farm t i their own and they were making a start with the boys by organising agricultural clubs. Mr L. 1. Howell (I’unipuraumu) said they were there m learn. Taking tlie farmers as a whole they were “the biggest lot of •rummies’ you would ever see in your file ’ daughter)-. He mentioned one or two amusing experiences of his own. He met one farmer whose cows were starving while he had good stocks of hay that he was saving for next winter, as he explained, so that lie would not have to. grow any !Hat year (laughter). Another man was so busy growing win* ter feed that he had no time 1o milk his cows properly in the summer. "It. takes me all my time to grow stuff to feed 'em” was this farmer's explanation. Mr Howell said there was nothing oh this earth so interesting as the dairy cow or which lie had made a special study. "But,” he added, "hO per cent of the cows are milked to-dav just for trie fun of milking •and not for what they are giving.” Mr Howell added his thanks for the warm welcome the visitors had received.