The Times. Published on Tuesday and Friday Afternoons. Motto: Public service. FRIDAY, AUGUST 6, 1920. MODEL FARM SCHOOL.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 9, Issue 555, 6 August 1920, Page 2

The Times. Published on Tuesday and Friday Afternoons. Motto: Public service. FRIDAY, AUGUST 6, 1920. MODEL FARM SCHOOL.

The subject of a letter in today's "Times," namely a proposed model farm school in conjunction with the new Franklin Technical High School now being built, has great potentialities, and the secretary of the local school committee has acted with commendable promptitude and foresight in moving in the matter. From the contents of the letter and our knowledge of local conditions we should say that the proposal is a quite feasible one, and we would like to see it followed up with energy and enthusiasm and Anally brought to fruition. The conditions required are all here in Franklin. The land now held by the Education Board for the Technical High School, and other adjacent property which could be acquired without much difficulty is all that is needed. The aim of the educational authorities is merely to provide plots for demonstration purposes, and therefore a large area of land is not required. And no exception can be taken to the soil or the climate. The Minister for Education writes of the desirability of students having access to neighbouring farms for observational purposes; seeing that there is probably a greater proportion of agricultural land and intensive farming in Pukekohe than in any other borough in New Zealand this condition can be amply fulfilled. The Minister also refers to the desirability of lectures being given by experts from the Department of Agriculture and also of the students visiting Government experimenta! farms. As Pukekohe is on the Main Trunk line and all trains make it a stopping place, there will be good opportunities of giving effect to these suggestions also.

About the actual need or desirability of the establishment of farm schools in general we presume there is no need. Every farmer knows that the utmost must be got out of hnd fo v which present prwe-j are paid, and that the only way to secure the maximum is to farm scientifically, hence the »;oed for training our youths in agricultural science. The foregoing applies to the individuals and fwhiera in general, but it also has a wider application: on the volume of production depends our national welfare, because if cur exports are reduced the buying capacity and the standard of living of the nation as a whole is correspondingly lowered. The model farm school is one of the best propositions in education that has come into the of practical politics lately; their establishment in various centres throughout the Dominion will '-prove one more guarantee of national prosperity.