AGRICULTURE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 25, 23 December 1916, Page 3

AGRICULTURE.

EDUCATION BOARD’S' SCHEMES. At the meeting of the Taranaki Education Board on Wednesday, the Board’s director of agricultural instruction, Mr R. A. S. Browne, reported as follows; SHEARING CLASSES.. During the first and second weeks in December, classes- in shearing were conducted' at Hnwera uiid at Stratford. Some three lads from Hawera, three from Eltham, and fifteen from Stratford took up Bus 'Work. At Hawera, Mr Castle instructed the lads, and at S>iuiord Mr A. Maekay very kindly put in some three days of yerv Vihie .assistance. Mr, Sergei and myself supervised Operations, taking a section of the work. The weather throughout was kindly, and a great deal of interest was shown by the lads. Owing to trouble re railway passes, the Stiatford lads did not get as much instruction as did Hawera and Eltham, but finally at the former centre soiy,e 150 sheep were shorn in the. three days December 12 to 11. A. solid Amount of improvement was noted by all watching the progress hf’ the operations. On the whole, the sheep were too big for the boys, but they tackled them heroically.

Without Mr Sergei’s assist a nee, this could not have been undortnkeiggjiMl was nmcli a lW<pgd. e <j jNext year the work will begin? a good deal earlier, and the hoys will have previous instruction in sotting up and sharpening blades, holding sheep, and dagging. I consider it would be wise on the part of the board if the services of a recogiliSed expert were retained for this work from time to time, according to the season and our requirements. With the senior lads tinquestion of instruction in machine shearing is to be tackled. Reference should be made to the keen interest ..taken in this wonkndiy visiting fanners and others, and /feo.the many kindly oilers of assistance from time to time. Sheep wire kindly placed at our disposal by Messrs Hunter and Blair, of'' Hawera, and Mr Young, of Stratford. | ( CLASSES. !| huust, come to a elosp Early, in Eelrj:nary | will be reorganised , throughout the whole district, and a great-.extension of such instruction is certain thereafter; Mangptqki j factory has voted the sum of £SO to cover instruction at Mahoe,' Manga- | toki, Jvaponga and Matapu factories i until the annual meeting, when the j question of continued donation will j be again gone into.. V ’ . FORMATION OF COMMITTEES.' j I should like the Board to go fully into the question of the establishment of the committees from public and contributing bodies, interested farmers, etc., each important centre to act as an advisory body for such work. There is nothing so powerful as local interest to .push along the. organisation of in-

struction. Particularly is this course desirable at New Plymouth, where perhaps the School Committees’ Association would assist. HORTICULTURE FOR WOMEN. I am certain of a very great development of instructional work in the New Plymouth-Wrtitaia section, especially in horticulture and orchard work instruction. A class is already assured in Stratford, Owing to climatic r-nudit Minn, New Plymouth fthuliUl he the headquarters of such instruction, and demonstration areas should be established at Waitara, Fitv.roy and possibly Westowu. As soon as classes are formed it, should be an easy matter to select guldens and orchards that-would serve to illustrate more effective methods of growing, pruning find manuring fruit trees, also up-to-date methods of growing flowers and especially ' vegetables and garden produce generally Tor home consumption and for sale. Committees to deal with such should lie composed of men interested in farming matters, and again of men and women interested more especial-, ly in horticulture and orchard work. It is an easy matter to form such committees. The Board, however, should make provision to give them official standing, either as sub-com-mittees attached to present technical committees or acting as separate bodies. EXPERT MENTAL AREAS.

Air Deem, of ,the Agricultural D(p partment, met Mr Sergei and myself re this matter, and an arrangement was come to re work at Bell Blpck for this season’s experiments. The question of arranging experii.icii' il work at suitable centres throughout the Board’s district will be gone into later on. Nothing more can he done before April, 1917, at least as regards fresh work. It is suggested that uniform ex- | pCriments . should be attempted at I centres throughout the whole, d'sj.trict, I As regards Eit/.roy section,' 1 met [The School Committee there and went pf.tjjly into the matter of future operai lions there more especially as reI cards supervision. U ORGANISING SCHOOL CHILDREN. I hi I . Next year one of the first things [-ahead of u.s will be the organisation 1 on’ a suitable basis of assistance to i farmers in field work, e.g. hay and kensilage making, shearing, and, hi j the case of the bigger lads, plougbI nig, etc. Especially in the dairy [factories will help be required, 'ilie pinch as regards labour will come in November and December, and training of the lads in preparation there-, fore should be completed by tlum so, that they can tackle work wherever desired. The question of supervision is an important one. and in this, the local committee suggested could do important work. The questions oij food, sleeping accommodation, hours' of labour and rates of pay must not he left to individuals to arrange. OTHER BRANCHES OF INSTRUCTION. Continuing, Mr Browne enclosed reports from Messrs Sergei and Ellis.

Routine in visiting primary schools was carried out by all three instructors, Mr paying attention to those schools not yet taking agriculture or dairying woik. Mr Sergei has continued instructing country school classes wherever it has been found convenient to do so m connection with his lectures to-Lvrm-The work of stock judging will lie extended with the New Year, particularly if the issue of railway passes to our lads in technical classes is placed on a satisfactory basis. SEED COLLECTION BY SCHOOL CHILDREN, It is aif important matter at the present time to turn the attention of the pupils in our country schools to the possibilities of seed collecting. Cocksfoot, prairie, timothy and crass are' the main pasture plants that could he collected from during and after the holidays. All should I,e collected by single head to avoid impurities. Especially is this m visable in the case of cocksfoot. iVairm seed is in many places ripe alreat v, and this could be collected (,uK ni the school holidays. Lpter on, cocksfoot seed will he available. A good deal could l)<* collected it the Board allowed the children lo put in at this work all, or part o one dav early in February. Ihe coed can he threshed in various wavs. One of tho piost .effective is to place the I s;<‘cd, A ll , ta S B . nn * u ‘ , T!u ? funds *l»oil(|,„gO, n tO prodtiytiyc. permanent improvements, or to patriotic purposes: The pupils and teachers should decide for what purpose the money raised is to he used. Dm Board secretary should be informed of amounts raised and for wha purpose used. Farmers will wdlmglv buy practically all seed gathered hv the children, The report was received, A committee, consisting of the Chairman, Messrs Dixon and Trimble, was appointed to confer with Mr Browne and report on agricultural ,nbt,uc ' tion generally and particularly with reference to the organisation ol labour among school children.