FARMERS' INSTRUCTION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 182, 19 December 1912, Page 4

FARMERS' INSTRUCTION.

In an excellent report presented to Parliament by tin: Secretary for Agriculture special reference is made to tlie instruction of those who occupy the land, with a view to the hotter development of the internal resources of the Dominion. The Secretary points out that probably the future prosperity of our population depends more directly on the right 'solution being found for the problem of how best to instruct our present and future farmers, than upon any other question whatever. The work that has hitherto been done in New Zealand in the direction of instruction has been of a fairly wide nature. Starting in the primary schools nature study and gardening, where practicable, are taught; in some of the high schools elementary agricultural instruction is given, and some technical schools include milk-testing, farriery, wool-classing and allied subjects in tlieir syllabus. Then comes the complete course of theoretical and practical training''at Lincoln College. These comprise the sum total of the education given to the farmers of the future. Then there is the section devoted to educating the farmer to-day, including practical but necessarily spasmodic instruction by travelling Departmental officers, experiments or demonstrations with field crops and fruit trees; experimental farms conducted by the Department, and the training given at Ruakura to a dozen or so young men. The Secretary for Agriculture contends that while to a casual reader such a record may., seem very creditable, to a little country like New Zealand it really appears very insufficient to those who understand the importance of the part agriculture plays in the life of this Dominion. New-Zealand is essentially a country of small farmqrs. and if her destinies arc wisely guarded she will tend to become increasingly so. It is, therefore, of the highest importance that efficiency in all branches of farming should be steadily fostered by the State. The Secretary for Agriculture is so impressed by the necessity for advance in this, direction that .he has prepared an elaborate report on the suggested establishment of twenty Government farms for demonstration, stud-breeding, expert ments and instruction of learners.