AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 71, 23 November 1915, Page 3

AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION.

[To The Editor Stbatfohp Post.] Sir, —After a lapse of two years and some thousands of pounds having been expended in collecting evidence by two Royal Commissions and a Parliamentary inquiry by the Education Committee of the House of Representatives, Taranaki is to retain its identity as an educational centre. The National Council of Education, to whom the matter was finally referred, has extended the Taranaki Education Board's jurisdiction to include the Counties of Hawera, Eltham, Waimate West, Ohura and Awakino. To the man in the street this may or may not be of very much consequence, but to the man on the land it is going to have a very distinct and advantageous bearing on the agricultural interests of Taranaki. Naturally with the extended area comes greater responsibility on the Education Board in seeing that phase of education, viz., agriculture shall have that attention that is imperative in the interests, not only of the farmers themselves,but of the boys who propose to adopt farming as their vocation. The Board will, with the additional Counties, have additional revenue and he enabled to specialise to a greater extent in that direction than has been possible in the past. It is not suggested that Taranaki is behind other parts of the Dominion, in fact the reverse.in this case, but it is a long way behind other countries.. Lord Kitchener has said in connection with the present war, that "we must follow a system suited to the vastly changed conditions of 1 the present day and steadfastly eliminate all obsolete traditions." This may be well said of the conditions obtaining 'in the farming industry. The price of land is gradually increasing to that , extent that more intense culture and more scientific methods are demanded to secure the best possible results from the land to meet the increased demand of the capital charges. Further, older countries like France, Denmark, Canada and the United States are iar in advance of us in agricultural instruction, and if we hope to compete commercially we must of necessity bestir ourselves and educate the youths of to-day so that they will be fitted to compete in the world's markets on the best possible terms. We are dependent on our export trade for our prosperity, nay, even for our very life as a commercial nation. If anyone doubts.the,value of agricultural education when carried directly to the home, the farmer, and to the* school, he should consider the case of France. Since that country established a practical system of agricultural education seventeen years ago, the value of the annual crop has increased by 500,000,000 dollars (£IOO,000,000). They have a very complete and extensive system of training from childhood to manhood. Surely from the point of view of commercial gain France's example is worthy of emulation. Now, while a large amount of responsibility rests with the educational authorities in providing teachers and instructors for the i theoretical, and to a certain extent, practical instruction, the Agricultural Department have a duty to perform. Local bodies such a /S the County i aaid Borough Councils, School Committees, Ai'to'd -P.' Associations and Education 'Boards 1 should co-operate' withithe object of. having a model, dairy farm established' in the Stratford district, worked on business lilies, and certainly not on the lines .ol our present experimental farms. Nothing that I know of would stimulate a greater interest in scientific farming than the establishment of such, a farm where farmers could go and'get practical advice, without expense or.inconveniehce; from experts, who are working under similar soil and climatic conditions as obtaining on their own farms. -An area could be set aside for immurial .and cropping experiments to be carried'out by the boys attending rural classes under their agricultural instructors. 'The time is not \ far distant 'when the areas of land now held will be subdivided and we have a duty iii-preparing the man of the future for his' work. If- we extend our efforts in this direction it shall certainly hav/; a great influence in the well-being of the Dominion and we shall develop a selfreliant and independent people. Let us each strive to make ; two blades grow where one previously grew.—Yours, etC * ' . '• '■> , •.'.,, R... MASTERS. .