TEACHING THE FARMERS.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIII, Issue 9115, 7 April 1908, Page 7

TEACHING THE FARMERS.

THE CANADIAN METHOD. Mr J. S. Larke, the Canadian Trade Commissioner, has been describing to a Lyttelton Times’ reporter, Christchurch correspondent, a" system pursued with much success in Canaria for educating the farmers by means of farmers’ institutes. The system originated in a farmers’ club in Oshawa, Mr Larke’s own city. Canada, Mr Larke explained, had agricultural colleges, experiment farms, and departmental experts such as botanists and chemists, but the great problem was to induce the farmers to adopt the recommendations made by the experts. The general statement was that a man of limited means could not be expected to do everything that the officers, backed up by the Treasury, could do. The, original Oshawa Club asked the Government to allow its professors and experts to give addresses as often as possible without detriment to their other work, so as to stimulate discussion and to bring about contact between the practical and the theoretical. The man who had to do the work was generally out of sympathy at first with the man who told him what to do, especially in the case of a naturally conservative farmer. A caSe in point was that of one of the most useful men in the club. He was a doctor, but a very poor farmer, and although at first his advice was scorned by those who knew his practical farming, his advice on organic chemistry and his help proved extremely valuable. Generally each electoral division had an institute, and besides the addresses of the Government experts, others were given by farmers who, having followed the advice that had been given, had been successful. Those men, of course, bad a very strong influence, where a man giving merely advice and reasons might have none. The institutes met as often as they chose, and had, for instance, a series of four or six meetings each winter at different points accessible to all. They lasted perhaps two days and a night, and the lectures, which gave the full reasons for all the advice given, were followed by discussions. In that way advanced agricultural knowledge was quickly and rationally and widely disseminated, and the institute had already accomplished a great deal. The lecturers were accompanied by a teacher of.'domestic industry, who, while the farmers were meeting, gave their womenfolk instruction and demonstrations in cookery and other useful arts of housekeeping. Other members of the Association delivered addresses on making the homes more beautiful and comfortable, and especial attention was given to floriculture. Politics were absolutely barred by common consent from the institute discussions. The members sometimes concerned themselves with such economic matters as transportation and the conduct of the State farms and colleges. The idea was entirely to teach farmers to do things for themselves, not to go to the Government asking for help. Besides, party feeling ran high in Canada, and if party politics, crept in there would be no finality. The effect of the institutes was very marked. Mr Larke added that in eastern Canada, with labour very scarce, the farmers would probably have been out of existence but for the help of the system. By the adoption of new methods and machinery and proper systems of changing crops, improving the breeds of stock kept, and developing new markets, the farmers had not only been able to live, but had made themselves remarkably prosperous.