STUDY OF AGRICULTURE

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 399, 6 July 1928, Page 9

STUDY OF AGRICULTURE

BRANCH OF TECHNICAL SCHOOL THIRTY-FIVE ACRES WANTED About 35 acres of land at Otahuhu is needed for a branch of the Technical College, and to giva good provision for agricultural work. The Agricultural Advisory Committed of the Seddon Memorial Technical Col* lege Board of Managers came to this decision yesterday after agricultural education had been discussed. % The Department of Education had. recently been approached to make provision for the practical work of the agricultural course, and had asked for an expression of opinion by the board as to the advisability of setting up & branch technical school in the neighbourhood of Otahuhu. to which would be added a strong agriculture courses The Board of Managers supported the scheme. It was decided to reply to the department that an area of 25 acres for agricultural work, either attached to or adjoining an area of about 10 acres for school and grounds would be necessary if the work were to be done properly. The work to be done on the area should include purebred poultry and bees, horticulture work, orchard work, including the testing and propagation of semi-tropical plants, experimental cropping and manuring work and seed raising. QUESTION OF FINANCE The question of the running costs of the agriculture area was raised by the principal, Mr. G. J. Park, and by many speakers. It was pointed out that experimental area could hardly be considered self-supporting. The principal stated that the most which could be expected from the department would be the grant sufficient to purchase the land and erect the necessary buildings. together witH reasonable grants, for the purchase of equipment. The Education Department would also pay the cost of teachers’ salaries, and 30 per cent, of these for incidental expense®. It was also stated that the-Board of Managers of the Technical College would probably'subsidise the agricultural work in the school to a limit of about £3OO per annum, and it was thought with the general recognition of the great importance of agricultural education that considerable additional support might be expected from Auckland citizens. The pr ncipal of the Pukekohe Technical College made representations that one agricultural institution at Pukekohe was sufficient for the pupils of Auckland and the district south of Auckland. The committee resolved that th£ letter be received and that no further action be taken. Donations were received from the Farmers’ Union (New Zealand). Auckland Grain. Seed and Manure Merchants’ Association and the Auckland Provincial Fruitgrowers’ Council. Ltd., for the purpose of assisting to finance the agricultural clubs formed among the pupils of the school.