The Daily News THURSDAY, 5. AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 164, 5 August 1909, Page 2

The Daily News THURSDAY, 5. AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION.

Of the hundred and one conferences that ■annually take place in the dominion none is more important than the A. and P. Association's conference, which is now sitting in Wellington. Trie president, in tlie course of his opening address, dealt fully and ably with the question of agricultural education, and made out a strong case for the training of men in agricultural research—men who would give lectures and instruction and issue books, pamphlets and papers for the information of the man who really needs it, namely, the man engaged in agricultural work. He pointed out that the dominion has no Chair of Agriculture in any of our universities, and proceeded to ask: "Is it not extraordinary when you think of the immense value to our dominion of this industry (i need not uuote you the amount of our pi>

from the land we are able to cxjwi -, after feeding and clothing the people) that we ar e so belated, We have Uliairs or Schools of Medicine, Art, and every conceivable thing, but not for agriculture. This conference in I'JO3 urged the Government to include more nature study and elementary agriculture in the schools' curriculum, and from that beginning the whole of later instruction spraug in tonne, ion with country pursuits. Nearly every one of the school boards have now an instructor who does nothing else but devute his energies to that branch of the board's work. The other day a meeting at Timaru of rc.presi 11 ta lives of local bodies strongly recommended the appointment or an tigrieul-l tural instructor, even if .CSOO has te] be paid for him. School gardens are to be seen nearly everywhere in tiie dominion, audi noticed that the agricultural instructor vis.. d a school lately ill the Wellington province with a view of advising how the. B ciiool pounds could be beautified."

It is true that agriculture cannot be taught in a class-room, and there must be a combination of practical outdoor experiment and research work besides .lectures, but that seems to present no insuperable difficulties. As Mr. Wilson pointed out : "If there was a Chair in Christchurch, it is only a short distance to Lincoln College, where demonstrations and experiments might he easily carried out in conjunction with the authorities there. If in Wellington, there is laud at Tientliain, or there is the experimental farm at Levin, wiiich 1 could easily spare sull'ieient area for exI perimental purposes conducted by the professor of agriculture. If in Dnnedin or Auckland, arrangements could be made to get land, 1 am sure, without difficulty,- either by gift, or, if nothing was thus available, by renting a portio > of a farm. How are we otherwise going to teach our young men the principles of agriculture? How are yon go ing to equip the teachers to go oui into the country and interest the pupils in nature study and the crops and agri culture they se ( . around them! Even those who go into the cities to tench are the better of this knowledge, for cities are as much interested as the farmers in crops, for their livelihood depends on them. How are you going to train men to manage your experimental farms? The managers of thes 1 farms are, li believe, good men, but any training they have they have given themselves. If our co-operative experi ments are to he extended, as I think they ought to lie, how are you going to get trained men to eo.iuuei mem? We have even had to import nil the directors at Lincoln College—there have been I four to my knowledge.''

.Mr. Wilson went on to *hinv that the Victorian Oovcrnnicnt had given Hi Veterinary School an endowment worth £:)2.0III), and an annual grant, of £4200 to the institution anil research. He then suggested a acheine of scholarships, to give us hvu Xew Kculawlers with a degree after live years' I raining at a maximum cost to the dominion of £750 per annum. The scholarships would be £75 per milium (tenable for live years), to be awarded annually until the total miinucr of Ciivcrnmenl scholars was ten.. Among the conditions which might lie imposed were the following: —(1) Kach scholar to insure life with the (iovernment Insurance Department, for 14.00, the premium to be deducted from the annual payment of £7"). The policy to remain the property of the GovcvnWDit till*termination of agreement. (2) Kach scholar on graduating to serve in a State Department for a period of tluvc or four year*, at a sUili<l salary (£2OO per annum), or refund the amount received. (Granting the minimum salary paid lo others to be ,010 per annum, the whole sum would thus be recouped in four years. Should, of course, the n-hular die, the policy would more. Ilia : nitty [lie disbursement.) (S) A monetary g-.iiira.ulcc ''.v Iwo responsible citi /.ens that tile scholar will pursue the course. The cost would he as follows:-

Ist year, two scholars, £150; 2nd year, four siholars, £300; ;ird year, six scholars, £450; 4th year, eight scholars, £01)0; sth year, ten scholars, £750; lith year, etc., ten scholars, £750. There fore, for an annual expenditure of £750, We would be ill a position of securing two colonial graduates of veterinary science every year for State work, and, further, that expenditure would be ultimately recovered. He iioped the conference would take steps to put such a projiosij before the Government. This the conference .agreed to do, and it is to be hoped the Government and the Univer.dty Senate will be prcyjiiled upon to take up the proposal and give cfl'eet lo it without delay. Mr. Wilson is de serving of the thanks of the community for having drawn attention to a matter that is fraught with so much benefit |,o our producing interests.