AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 33, 13 June 1913, Page 7

AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION.

PROGRESS IN TARANAKI

AN INTERESTING ADDRESS

In view of the general interest in the Winter Show being held in New Plymouth, it may prove of interest to give a brief resume of the provision made by the Taranaki Education. Board for carrying on instruction in agriculture and dairy work in this district.

Instruction in agriculture and dairy work has been regularly undertaken in connection with rural classes of the District High School, Stratford, for the last eight or nine years. For the first time in New Zealand, special classes in dairy work were organised and carried out' in this school at the end of 1905. These were held daily for a fortnight and were attended by pupils from the surrounding schools. A fair class of hoys came even from Eltham in the Wanganui Education District. These classes were conducted by Miss Breen, the Government Dairy Expert. The first agricultural work was undertaken in' the same season 19051906. Varioits experiments as recommended by the Agricultural Department in the growing of crops for the winter feeding of stock were carried out on a Jairly elaborate scale. At the end of the season the crops were weighed and the results tabulated. Reports of this experiment were circulated throughout the district.

The difficuly from the outset was that the staff allowed..by the regulations could not well cope with the extra work imposed, and, in 1909, overtures were made to the Education Department suggesting that day technical clashes should he established at Stratford.

The programme of work in agriculture and dairy work submitted for the department’s-, approval included among other things, soils, plant life, tillage operations, manures, rotation of crops, seeds, grasses, weeds, live stock, foods,and feeding, milk, cream,' butter, cheese adulteration of milk, and its .detection. The department did not agree to the suggestion, but shortly afterwards issued an Order-in-Council notifying that a capitation of £5 10s would be paid for pupils taking a definite course of rural work. The grant enabled the board to secure the services of an additional teacher,for the rural classes at the Stratford District High School. From the beginning tlie value of the rural course of work was realised and its popularity has. stpadily increased.,

In 1910, fifty pupils todk advantage of this cotirse j in 1 19-11, ’ 65, and in 1912; 1 75. 'At -‘the present time there are in regular attendance no less' 1 than 81 pupils drawn from all parts of'the district: ! ’■ To show dtoW highly this instruction is appreciated by the parents it might be meritiohcd' tfiat thd‘ 'dumber fittending the rural course is considerably larger than that attending the ordinary ; High- r-iSehdWh course.

The following rough' programme will give an indication of the scope of the work covered Farm carpentry, ironwork,- ebdkiMw-j drcdsmAkihg, 'agriculture, dairy work, chemistry, physical measthhetneifts, surveying, bottany 'drawing,, add animdl 'physiology. iLast year the laboratory work, in igri culture waA’chiefly confined to the analysis of soils • and manures, and the knowledge so gained was applied to the manuring of "the soil' in the experimental plots. In the greenhouse recently erected, early plants, tomatoes, cabbages, and cauliflowers, were grown, and when these were removed tomatoes for the season’s crop were planted out. ■ Unfortunately blight soon made its appearance among them, and the experience gained by the boys in dealing with the pest must be of great ..value to them. Pruning, spraying, etc., were all done by the boys. Experiments were continued on the growing of lucerne, with special reference to the value of soil inoculation both by transference of eoil from an inoculated plot and by green manuring with clover. Fairly extensive experiments have recently been started on the comparative values of various manures applied to the growing of carrots, swedes, mangolds, and potatoes, and the results of those wilt be available next year. Orchard work war introduced during,the year. In the early spring, 18 fruit trees were purchased, and Mr R. M‘Kinney Morison gave a demonstration on the planting and pruning of fruit trees.- Since then the boys have received lessops on spraying and have themselves sprayed the young trees. Grape vines have been purchased, and planted out, and it is intended next year to place these vines in the green-house and commerce the study of viticulture. Next year’s scheme will also provide for a course of instruction in the budding, grafting, pruning and spraying of fruit trees. lAi’i expert’s services will be utilised in dealing with all orchard work. Bee-keeping will also be taken as a subject. In connection with agriculture it is interesting to note that arrangements have been made v hereby an officer of the Agricultural Department will be available at times to give instruction to the students |of secondary schools, in which agriculture is taught. The ideals of the Education ahd Agricultural Departments, however, differ somewhat—their outlook on agriculture is from different standpoints—and it remains to be seen how far the course of work recommended by the expert is suitable for adoption in school classes. Dairy science classes have been carried on throughout the year. It is the first time this important subject has been placed among those optional for the Civil Service Junior Examination, and 118 pupils selected it. as one of their i subjects. I The students of tho second year

gave, at the Stratford A. and P. Show, a demonstration in the methods of estimating the butter-fat content of milk and the amount of raois-

ture in butter. Next vear it is the

intention to give instruction in the use of the Gerber Tester, and it is hoped that results will he obtained to enable comparisons to be made between this method and that of the Babcock. As in the past, all pupils who have been two years in the St rattl’d District High School sat for examination in Decern her either for Senior Free Places or for the Civil Service Junior Examination; boys and girls took in common as subjects for examination dairy science arid elementary physical measurements. The boys took also agriculture and the girls botany.

In connection with the dairy work it is inteded to give demonstrations on the use of the thermometer to determine the freezing point of milk

and thereby obtain the percentage of extraneous water. The question ofdetecting added water to milk is now of great moment to factory managers. The case recently tried in the Supreme Court in connection with the Riverdalo Factory proved that the lactometer cannot be depended on for this purpose. In addition to the rural classes conducted at the District High Sehqpl, Stratford, the board has for several years past made provision for instruction in agriculture, and dairy, .work in many of the schools scattered' throughout the . district. Last year forty-ppe .schools took up In eaclj of the school, gardens, a,, plot is usually set aside for experimental work, and each- child is required to have a plan of the ground and keep a, record of .the gardening operations showing, the various manures used and the weights of the crops, etc. In addition -a course of, ( in sanction is, given' iii elementary beaming oil tile work, done., Twenty-fiye schools liave covered a comprehensive course m dairywork. Most pf, t|iq .sch'oom 'taking up this subject are row we'l'l-eqnipped with the apparatus fori carrying tin the necessary .experimental ’work, and. the pupils have* had practical instruction in the chemical ind physical properties'’ of milk and n milk' testing by means of the Babcock tester. A special agriculture und dairy work instructor visited the jehools several times during the course 1 of the year.