The Daily News. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 13. EDUCATING THE FARMER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81846, 13 September 1906, Page 2

The Daily News. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 13. EDUCATING THE FARMER.

Rl'K.u. education is just as ncces sary, if nut mure .10, in a country almost wh/.ly supported by rural in dusnii's as tirhnic-al education is in the remainder of the population di awing its livelihood from the othe; avenues of labour. Whilst lor years persistent and successful efforts have been made all over the colony to es tablish technical schools, continua tion classes, and the like, for tin benefit of town children for the mvst part, little c'r nothing has been done till jusc lately to provide for the children of the rural districts, who ultimately must make their living off the land. 'l'ho day is coming, and is not far off, when a knowledge ol agriculture in its widest sense and scientific application will be essen tial to every man on the soil.

* * * * Ur to now,, the farmer has for tin greater part done without science. Perhaps he has gone into the bush and won for himself a home. Good markets have brought him good profits. His grass—if he be a Taranaki dairy farmer—has been plentiful enough-to sustain his herd. He has not taken the trouble—perhaps he has not even thought of it —to return to the ground any of the elements that have been abstracted. Even if he has thought of it, there are other considerations of greater moment to hint at the time than turning his attention to the impoverished ground. Butter and cheese are at big prices. He must take advantage of these exceptional prices, and the ground—well, it can be enriched another season. II is cows want cubing. Twenty five p el - cent, of them perhaps do not pay to milk. He has not got a Babcock. and not tesi the animals separately to see whether (he cows thai are giving the most milk produce butterfat sufficient to pay for their keep. Disease of some kmd happens along. Call in the Government vet. But there are quite a number too far gone and do not come into profit for the season.

This state of things, however, is going to alter; in fact, is altering. Land is becoming dearer, the rates are going up, competition on the Home markets must in time affect the price <;f dairy produce. And so to make ends meet and to earn money for himself, he will have to u farm.' : and to farm properly, he will need to woik on scientific lines and p:s ses.-. an intimate knowledge of things appertaining to his work.

It is gratifying to see that the necessity of rura' education is being recognised by thinking farmers. At the Farmers' Ljnion Conference 'n Wellington 'ast week the president, Mr J. G. Wilson, remaiked on the substantial advance that had been made in this respect, and said that it was very satisfactory to the Union to see that as a result of its arousing public opinien on the subj'-ct rural education in the schools had been at last recognised as a special subject requiring special men to direct it. Af ter suggesting that the instructors should visit other countries so that they could compare the methods elsewhere and adopt what seemed to bi suitable to our own requirements, he urged the necessity for an Agriiul tural C"l'ege for the North Island, the multiplication of experimental farms in every province, and the adequate instruction of stock inspectors. The conference subsequently adopted resolutions on some of these points.

The Minister of Agriculture, win. attended the conference, confirmed Lie promise of the Financial State nient that the Government will csta bllsh "a complete experimental sta tiim and school of instruction in which the scicntilic lessons of othei countries will be ana'ysed and inves tigated under New Zea and condition; ol lo„<I. climate, and -oil, and the necessary modifications obtained and applied 10 the pioiluclion of bode; and chu-siv' This school and sta tion would be in the .North Island, said Mr Mc.Vib, and neither "person a! inlluence nor anything ese bio suitability would weigh with him in the selection of a site." It wasai'soexplained by Mr McNab thai it wculd be impossible to mu.tiply stations ol this sort, owing to the high'y sp-cial-isctl n-attire of tho equipment and research required. Ou the subject of stock inspectors he was in entire agreement with the conference, slat iug that a scheme was in preparation of which Mr Giliulh would have Charge, 10 ensure their having soni> kiiou.cdge 01 veterinary work. Tin eUabiisiiinent ol a complete experi mental station and scnool of instruction add Ine tcaclung of rural sub? jecis in counliy schools will go a long way lowaids equipping the farpier of the miuii'diatc l'uiure will, knowledge uf the 'most important and useful kmd, and enable him to farm 10 tne best advantage. it is certain lie is not doing so now.

A DECISION of considerable interest iu tiu> mercantile world has just been given by the Judicial Committee ot the Privy Council. It is in curjneetion with the fraudulent alteration i-t cheques, the duty of a customer to take precautions against forgery, and the Jiabi'ity of the banker. The "Law Times'' reports it as follows: — "Whatever the duly of a customer towards his banker may be with reference to the drawing of cheques, the mere fact that a cheque is drawn with spaces left such that a forger could uiilise them for the purposes of forgery, is not by itself any violation ol that duty; and the fact that a cheque i= so drawn, and a fugery is commit ted by the insertion of additional wurds and figures in the spaces so 'eft, is not evidence of negligence on tile part of the draw r to go to a jury ; and if the backer pays such altered cheque in good faith, and with ordinary care and attention, he is not entitled to debit the account of the customer with niftfe than the amount for which !!i" cheque was originally drawn". Tin- judgment of the High C ■/tn tof Australia was affirmed. Tindecision means that a Bank has in pay out itself in the case of a fraudulent deque, and cannot charge the acioiini to a client for the amount of any fraud committed. The principle i.i up,by seems to be amiss in this judgment.