AGRICULTURE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 299, 27 May 1915, Page 7

AGRICULTURE.

SCHEMES FOR TAUANAKL EDUCATION' HOARD REPORTS. I lie Agricultural Education Director'-; (.Mr. Ser»el| monthly re])ort,, as presented to the 'I aranaki Education lioard at its meeting yesterday was as follows: TJiis month I have commenced lecturing, at the following places: (Imata, <)akura, Okato, Warea. Pungarcliu, Oanui, Opunake, Pihama, Jiell Block, Waitara Road, and Tikoraiitfi. Attendances at some places have been satisfactory, others not so. i am {find to say that the scheme for arousing interest in agriculture fur boys, other than those attending primary schools, lias been well received. .Mr. .). S. Tosland lias promised a prize, and anojlier gentleman lias given Lo lor a |.r./e. I ho]ie that we may be able to carry on useful experiments all round the mountain. At Waitara Road ■Mr. (lodinagh lias kindly placed two acres of Jaud at our disposal for experimental purposes. A<; 11 ICULTI'RAL COMPETITK>XS. The director notified that lie intended instituting agricultural competitions for hoys not more than J7 years of aye, ftiid not attending school. Swede turnip growing competition.— <>ne-i|uart( r of an acre shall be tin? area of each plot. The seed shall he supplied by t lie \i w Plymouth Technical College, I In' cultivation and fertiliser* to be supplied by competitors. Potatoo growing competition.— Oneeighth of an acre shall lie the area of each plot. Ail seed and fertilises to |„. supnlied by the competitors. Monthly reports art' to he supplied by the competitor, giving details of work, conditions prevailing, and any satisfactory circumstances. Points to'be awarl<d as follows:-■■ (ireatcst weight of crop,, •in points; greatest profit of crop. ;t0 points; best exhibit at XV w Plymouth \\ inter Show, 2(1 points; best reports, ".!(► points; total Hill points. The championship prize .shall lie a trip either lo llinersti;i! North or to Waikato Winter Show, all expenses paid, other prizes will be awarded mainlv according to tin; number of entries. FAK-MI'XS ASSIST. . I lie following' are names of fanners and Others willing to act in furlberance of the scheme for youths' agricultural competitions and experiments:- (Innita: Mc-r., C|,A!. Meveiibcrg (roll secretary); Okato; Messrs Hunter, ila.vlock, and T. Street, (roll secretary I; Warea: .Messrs .Jas. Burgess, "• U '- Chaj in. (roll secretary); Pnngarcliu: .Messrs W. A. Harrison. K Sv"""i*. and I'. .1. Campbell. Oaonui: Messrs C. .lelireys, H. McJ'hee, and A. Malcolm (roll secretary); OpunakeMessrs <l. Looney. C. Malcolm, and 1). ?. Evans (roll secretary); Pihama: Messrs •I. t'cttigrew, ,1. S. Tosland. and l'\ W. Mason (roll secretary); Hell BlockMessrs |<\ W. Cornwall, ('. Hoskin, and W. Downs (roll secretaryi; Tikorangi: Me-.!.rs A!, xandci', .1. Mine, and '.l U liilehead: Makctawa: .Messrs R. Steven* and \\. Lawrence; Pembroke lioad (Stratford): Messrs Cutllbert, 11. Harrison, ami W. Dingle, jun.

SI'IKHIL IXSTIiUt'TOR'S liEPUiJT. ilr. .1. (!. Ellis reported:—l :un pleased to report (lint J have visit,.<l nearly e\ery school in yhich agriculture airl dairy science is being' taught, and have found that (lie work is being pursued with very S ruti fv in - .results i„ nearly every mstanee. In .some schools which J visited last year, wliere the was "of of a very satisfactory eiiaraeter. mg. jwrliajis, to the inexperience- of the teacher, Jio in turn fell, tin- want of I'f'ae-tienl guidane'c, I ] m ve found niuc-i improvement, and in those Hehools where goexl work was already beim: (here is the ambition to do better and <o achieve more. As tile result oi' visits I paid or con versa t ions I had last vear, tin- following schools: Tarutangi, I'emIx'oke, Kaimiro, and lor recognition of Ihe classes, and have been furnished with tools, having prepared (he ground and eoniinone-i'd "work. In certain other districts, notably Stanley Moad. Durham, and W'ailii, tin; matter was discussed at the annual mectin.■■ Of (he householders, and resolutions ivcommcneling its inclusion in (he school work were passed. At tin' request of the Durham and Stanley Road committees, I met them and consulted as to die inauguration of the work. At Wniau the teacher and committee have arranged to take up tile work and and fence a plot. Requests have also reached me from the teachers at W'ailii mid Te Kiri, and whilst it is, perhaps too late for (here places to have recognised classes (his year, I hope to be able to report soon that the work has been ill readiness Cor departmental recognition next vear. Another iileasmg feature that I wish to hrii," und -r voir notice is that in several'schools there is a growing desire to make the school grounds more attractive. Wan-a pel hups takes {fie lead in this inove'lient. At Hell lilock,''Waitara. and Urenni smaller ell'orts have beni made, and al. .Niilhirsf, Stanley, and Dudley 'it is proposed to make improvements.' IvXI'KKI.MKXTN IN TREE CiKOWINO. Tlie Agricultural Instructor reported dial: in view of the growing scarcity for fencing, firewood, and general farm'purposes. and also as the need for shelter is becoming increasingly recognised, *Jio experiments and results obtained bv Mr. Maxwell, of Oaomii, are very valuable.' 'lhe trees.-were not pampered in any way, the land was poor, and the conditions much more unfavorable than in many places. After experimenting with a great number of varieties, Air. Maxwell found (hat the most suitable in order of merit were:—Eucalyptus Ma>'<i<'leiia (peppermint); Eucalyptus ObUuna. (stringy bark);; Eucalyptus StewarUana (Stewart gum); ' Eucalyptus heynans; Eucalyptus Siberians (Victorian ironbark). A good sliclter tree, is the I'inns Murcata.