SIR ROBERT STOUT ON FARMERS AND FARMING INDUSTRY. (From the May number of the N.Z. Farmer.)

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 262, 9 May 1888, Page 4

SIR ROBERT STOUT ON FARMERS AND FARMING INDUSTRY. (From the May number of the N.Z. Farmer.)

Wi- liavo iccoivctl, but too late for extended notice, a thoughtful and interesting lotto) from Su Roboit Stout, which we puhJish below. It A\i)i bo soon, that the late Piomicr is at one with us in the \ iews ex pi essed in oui ai tides in this i-niie on the subjects of the development of our dan y 111*4 industries, and the necessity that c\is|stor liitiodueiim technical instructii n into t he <mii 1 lctdiun ot utu public -ehool.- These ai title-- weie ahe.uly in type when Sn l\iobeit's lettei canie to hand, 01 should haw made leterenee to his .Mi<_:^ r e,->tion-, about which we shall ha\e M>mei/hni{; to 111 oui next. Ill's lettei is as lollowlUnmon. Wimeiliii, 14th April, IS:--.. (The Editor ot the h.'A. Kvkmi k.) Sn;, A coi 10-pondent oi \oui- v\ i de-- me horn an Auckland di-.li let as I o tin outlook ot ! snuei ■•. in tin-. « olon^. He ponds out I he 111,1 n\ ili-ad\atit C4l'- undei \\ Inch lai m> i.s labuui '•■oine ot thest ,!ie mc ident d to oui In c democi.die institution- and w i\ -, and tin onh itnnd\ lies in education and a i>oltii kclui'4 l(i thf (hums ol the Slate. Let. I)' e\plam Tin 1 cot te^pondent ( oniplauis llial, local bodies ha\e, b\ \nlt- ot the l.d 1 pa\ 1)-, t hi pow 1 1 tin n-e 1 , 11 1 ;_ 1 innot uiuik \ <u id Iha iln -1 aie iilt 111 uu-sp( id 'I In - Mm doubt tiiK' in man} ni^-taiH - Him u hai 1- tut iemcd\ ' To !e--en the pow 1 1 of (In. 1 loi.il bodie- ' I do not t luiik ,-v I little 1- hi|ipd\ <_;iouiu;_i a bitlii tt_elin<_; le^aidniLi the Stale I l;an 0.1-tid sonn \iai- a«_;o In the old. ntiniis the Mm was iooivcd upon as an t in in\ to li>' fought V> 1 tin pu-i tMiu of lin altitude lowaui-tht Slate \u 11 t. \euipiilk d in ileilntt Spent 1 i '- wilting-. Th.>sei\ thle ol one of hi- bun hint -, " Man \ei -11the State, ' slums his position. \nd -o lon«_c as the (.owinnunt jeni. lined m the hand- ol ihe Uw, and tin ham hi-c ualimited, it w 1- iiol -in pi l-mu. thai nit n Jool 1 i on the ( i"\ < 1 mneiit a- an eneni\ In ie tnir_dit 'I hi- ha- tU Ik en < hau'_;< d ,uid the 11 ie ot v. ti.it 1- t aHi d '" Stah Nn lah-in -hou - thai, the peiidubnn ot publn i/pi'.ion 1 -> w In m 1 1 •_, 1 11 1 1 u oppo-ite (inetLmn. The need .it- the pii"-cul limh 1 h tin ih w lop ment ot what ' mi^lu c.dl a " Mati urnseieiK 1 W 1 haw 10 mio^ui-o that we ha\i diiiK^toihe 'Mate ,i- oneiou-. atlio^e 10 oui tannin-; and tl.at elual iu<j the I to\ ci pinein 1- poh.ip- tin L;i'a'i-l einne ,i^iin-l -o( icd niiin .tnd social pio'jir- \\ >i i .111 loninnt. A- tinieehuu (he rxi 1 - the unn 1 pondt n( jioint-< out \*dl ueiie.t^L, and denioii,ic\ l)o 1- 1 alili- 1m tl on im abiding toundat 1011. J do noi tln-ik a:i\ ot u - adc(|Udel\ ie( o_;nis( ■- u iiat 1- le^imcd to make the " uu\i iihihiii ot tin nit pK b\ the proph and JOl t!ie people a -net tlv---if it t|iiin.- '^icat vniui in tin [Jtoph. It needi an educated <. lei tot ale. <li\in this(> twotlunu-- and 1 populai <jii\i:iinitiit I-po--,ibl(_ but 1! tin-caie ,d)-~t '!) lln bod\ polilu 1- dead 11. i\ put ie^( unt. It \»ant the -onl --the lit* . Wluit tlun i- the ittnetlv lo\ ihr mi-lea~ nice*. ('Hoc al botbe- ' Then abobtiun ' ?vo. We need a -1 11 1 m^ol tin public I'oiw lent c. \ntl it will take .1 lon^ pi nod ot >_;inwth to allow ot the lull do\i li.pnient ot that t'X'llti'j (Ik! ma!) l:\ith not toi hun-tlt alone, but al-o im (lie eonnminit\ Dcp"iid upon il, iheii aie no shoi t 1 ut- to < \t < lit in c Y e inu-t laboin loHii, and anud^'i llu tiai kne--, betoii we can hope to -cc t hi 'jlnnniei inu >'t t he daw 11 c\en oi that belt ci il.i) whin the love ol the State will haw a eonti oiling po\\u o\ci oui ar hon». And now p.ud'iii me i'" 1 -.h a ii w worn to the fai 1111 1- ; toi I ha\ c alw .'\ -1 ci o'jm-' d that they <i>'e the backbone ot tin (olon\ And in-t, a- to the pi iet - Im then niodme. I'iiee- ha» v -leidd\ tallen horn Ifw3 And had it. not been 101 the impiow ment- m a^neultuial maeliine.) , the t.u mu - would ha\ c been unable to compt ' • withthe el 11 .'.]) l,i I ii;h lo' mans t ut"it 1n- in t lit. pi odui t ion nI '_: 1 .1111, at all ewnt - ! mas hen -I, Hi lln mosiiiunt 111 pi 1' e> bci ui-l i .1111 ahai'i tin ie an -oiiu i oh- 1 pi opli w'loim.i^n" that tin '..i.iiiim ntthat h >\t In ' 11 pi pow 1 i in 1!u 1 ■ > ' <> n > h.i\ had tiiuMi to ii> 1 \\ it h (he (U i 1 1 - -1 1>' 1 v I on-nlei ,it ion ot lh> tall in 01 n ■ w oalt! -ooii -\)f>\\ Ihe tall. 111 1 \ol -u eh an a-- iim 1! ion i ()iiote ti DM' .1 tablt pi 1 pai ed In tit \ Nnieilitil, ami p\i!li-htd m In' y'tn,-' 11] [he! )i h ( )i 1 ob 1 la-t Tin ialile -how - lh.it 1! thepiit i - t,t JOlJ 01 ( \ 11 \ 1 ( on 1 modi 1n - . .11 c t akt ti !<)i thi 1 le\ en \ eai - ibi 1 / 1 1 md j lixed a! 1 00, v\ 1 s. ill u« t toi the mllow nm \ eai - t In- ti -idt' — j us .. .. ! 1.1 'I M ! IsM .") hi 1 SI ! is-; sj i,s>| ,(, bsi ,_' I.SSj, |,'l Till l!>Pw t he) c h.i been no ill ii" .d le.t-t up I o O"lobei .-■> Inf c I 'aat dit c ihen ha bit 11 a -ii^rhi inpio\emeni •r 1 -umi li. i-, 'nit onl> al* ndi iicv upuaid lalhn ihana pei main nt mpi o\ ment. \\ he.d ha- not bei nso h>\, im mi. I :m diLil .n^\ tw.Mi{\ \iai- How then could tat nii'i -e\l ie I Io ! t a1 w ell 01 a 101 nu 1 1 \ ' I 1I 1 tin (al)le I hive i\ noted 1 - -ci 11 f nu-< ti, l( wd!l>e-i.en ill 1 1 the late ( lowi ninoiil hail imtoi ttiiialt '\ to adiiniiislci lln all.mot Hi" f(ilon\ in ihi mm v woi-l \eai-; a.id \ et , d out w1 1 • ><i li-t 111 lo oih -o lallt ti li'eloim ri--o< l.d ion-, 11 \snnld bi thoii'dit th.d (hi ie $a- -ome connettion betw t "it the lacculiw anil the stale n\ the hi'inei-. Hid l,hi 1- peihip-ol little mtei 1 -,(, now . Set in« 4 t,lu- fall inpiiee^the laimti-. mii-t I f)i Lpaie <o meet t lie new ohcnmMain 1 -. in which they ne placid The\ mil- 1 ce N j)t A ct les^ piolit unle--, t,hey cm pioduce moie cheaply. And wtiat I con-tdei ot c\cn Ljieatct impoitanco, (he\ nni-( liy othei things than mere <_jiain 01 meat piodut tion. We liavenothali de\ eloped our dan y pi odtte- [ tion. And Fanner- Club.- 01 the (low n- ! ment mi(,-ht do much io help loi waul this ' branch ot a^rioultuial mdusliy Theie ha.s )u.-t bnoii publiMied b> Ihe (lovei ninetit of the United States two \olumcs on dair>t'atminn; in lOuiopc. I suppose \\, i« generally known that in Cm ope it i^ not eonsideied beyond the Junctions ot (!o\emmenf to manitam daity -ehools and to otherwise help the .scientific dewlopment of larmiivjf. The\olumes to^hiclil icier aie Tonsuu'ir I'epoits on Cattle and Daiiy Fanning in Euiopc; and tho Tow-* ol London wrote in the highest tei ms ol the book. The volumes contain G5O pajje^ ol letter-press and 368 Uill-pa^od oolonied plates. Perhaps no such work has evei boon j)ublished. 1 would uip,e all tho Fanners' Clubs and A^n'cultuial Societies in the colony to t;ct two or more copies loi the use of their mombois. Tho day is past loi empiricism. Jffainicr.s arc to e\^t they must know the best and 1110-t appiowd methods for carryinjx on thoil wOl k. 1 1 is? in this tlicir only safety lies. As well ask a cloth weaver to rely on the hand-looms ol last century, as a farmer to lg'noie tho applications of science to n^rieultme. But

how is he to know them ? [ reply, the (iovcrnmont must assist in lii.s education ; and what, is ot the utmost importance, our yountj men and women must, by Uie cstabj lishment of technical classes in our .schools, bo trained to become .scion tide favmois. .But this will cost money ! Ot course it will. Houghing and sowing cost money ; but there comes hai vest whicli repays foi 1 the outlay ; and so it will be, it' wo turn out trained fanners-;. The colony will icap a largo icwaiil. Wo have to recognise that tanning has passed the hand loom oj its evistonoe. This is what i-- nlcant b\ the question thai, has been a^ked as to whether ninal! farms can any longer e\isl, and to v Inch I i cfei iodin my toi moi I<,{.Ui. T^is o\eis one who has an eve to si c with di> (d\cis, namely, that I'ai mini; mu-t become si-icnlil'c Tlic unsettled pioblcm ]-> -\^ i i . ilit 1 ur can have '-cicnee .md s.nnll 1 „ i.r ! think v. ce,m. it weo.iii "iioourfi'rc ( o opei.it ion among ■>{ (he I'lnieis m the gel t in'/ ot in ichiiH'i V, <Ke in .iddii-ion In .scicntiiic nieihods in ;"j,i leultui c oiii fainiM-- mu 1 -!. li>i\e moic \,u led pi oil net ion.--. They uni -I noi, i eiy on nool, >\ h(Mt., and nu.it Tin } mtisi pio t{i\[\ Ji liic -, oil-, h nil ■-. We must not mi poii pie-ei\ed iiiill\ nor prefer \cd i i v ii -j, noi hotii \, \e. \c. And it small l nnieis.no 'o c\isl u c mu>l sec ost.iblished col tfi'^e mdtbfiie- and toic^t indu^l tic . Wh.it a disquiet lul \\.i-t< is uomij on in oiu loicsl-! i tiiMTcuii undei -land how il is that the Auekla'id peopi. 1 h.ne p.nd Ultle attention to lon -t cuituie. I'heii pioMiice can ne\ei siicci s-iully coni|)elo w ll'n the South l-l.ind in f ;i.uu piodiK I ion ; but m 1 run's find tunbeilt must e\ei li .id lhe\,iii Tii.'t i\ wh\ 1 vi "od the i -tabh-linient ot ,i liuii. and l''oiisti\ S( houl it \\ ,uii;.ik:i i Iw .u it l to be l• t ieii( hed out ot im icna I hope not . A"(i iiotuithitandui" the "ion" loi letieiichmoni, I (;on^idei lliat 111 1 iv.i ( onom\ n (]iin c-v a -iii.tll but i Hit u nl Ami i< ult in, d .till! I 'ol L-* 1 " !'t j«<U tlllLllt .11 Dili I'll'UllllHlll ( h it i on Id In lp lin u .ud llk ii \ » lopniei.'. •>) dim .miicultui.il, t.uL-i and luil piodin-tioii-i ! ->uppo-.eil l- no iw tin-. A(olon\ th.it -dl- it^ l.iml .md i all- lh.it iiiiihiiin, i- noi liki 1\ to 1 1— 1 1 ii to ,iu\ •-in li t_ \ pent 111 in c .i^ I ha\ c -vU'i'je Icd \N c do iiol M" o^iuse the m.in who l.ii^t--ilium \ \)\ .in auction Nileol hi- tin nit imc ,i^ ii« < t — -«ti ii v .nit i ononuc.d in, in , .indliulnnf in in \<t .tin\t uheii Ihe ntlei ne«j,l( < t ol I I.c Lit me, u lin h i- tin; t h n.ii tei i-t u ol oin pi cm ut pohcx.m.^ I" fit Singly iiaiiu d. lbclie\< if would be m tin inu!ie>tot li.n ci onot'ix to pie-ti\( ou> l.uid- and to tid l i tin d<"\( lopnn c.l ot oin \ u led pitxlui I--bul I ioio'jmi-c ih.it i .mm in a iniiioii!\ — 1 .Me, ,\ c. . Koi I M Mo( i