AGRICULTURAL INSTRUCTION.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 November 1916, Page 8

AGRICULTURAL INSTRUCTION.

MP,. R. A. S. BROWNE'S PROPOSALS. In his report to the faranaki Education Board yesterday on the agricultural work done during the month, the Chief Instructor (Mr. R. A. S. Browne! stated that owing to the late sta't this season, be had only been able to arrange a few centres for day lectures. At those that had been arranged tlu attendances had been satisfactory, and good work had been done. Strong Slipport bad been promised as soon as the busy season was over. Mr. Browne said he intended to extend the system of day lectures throughout the district The instructors generally were satisfied that day demonstrations at farms were more -valuable than the night lectures, Advice had been given to individual farmers in connection with their work, and in each ease a charge of £1 had been made. Mr. Browne said he bad six pupils at Hawera, Mr. Sergei had four in Xew Plymouth, and Mr. Ellis had a small class at Eltham. The Stratford classes were strong, and would be stronger next year. He proposed to arrange for meyings for boys at Strat ford for one day of each week for instruction in practical branches of the work. He suggested that copies of instructions given at the schools be handed to the instructors, teachers, and inspectors. Mr. Browne reported that he had held meetings of teachers at Xew Plymouth and Stratford, and at each of these be had met with the splendid support of the teachers in his scheme for agricultural instruction. TEACHING YOUNG WOMEN. Mr. Browne made proposals regarding the teaching of horticulture and related subjects to girls and women. He felt sure he could make a great success of the work. Special attention would be given (o the teaching of orchard work, market gardening, bee-keeping, poultrykeeping, milking, butter-making, and the feeding of animals. The idea was to train the young woman how best to raise and market whatever could be raised and sold from an area of from one to five acres of land, especially in Taranaki. A lady instructor would be necessary to carry on the routine work, LESSONS IN SHEARING. Mr. Browne said that in the first week in December he proposed to make arrangements to have a fortnight's instinction in shearing and hi the handling of wool generally. He had arranged to take the work at Hawera, and the services of an expert shearer would be obtained. Lads from Hawera, Eltham, Stratford, and New Plymouth would attend. Itinerary visits to stud herds of Ayrshire, Holstein, Jersey, and Shorthorns throughout Tarannki would be arranged for the advanced lads later on Good work had been done in teaching pupils the principles of butter and cheese making, and visits to factories had been made for the purpose. .._Members. expressed the desire to consiler Mr. Browne's report at leisure, and it was decided that copies of the report be circulated Among them. GOOD WORK DONE BY BOYS. One instructor (Mr. Sergei) wrote: "The boys spent a good week at Taiata at Mr. Patterson's shearing shed. The weather was somewhat broken, but sufficient sheep were got in ovei night to keep things going, and when shearing was not possible the boys helped to work the sheep in mustering, etc. 1 wish to emphasizii the extreme kindness exhibited by Mr. Patterson, his son, and Mr. Topping, who were all most assiduous in showing the boys the proper way to do their work. Besides boarding the boys. Mr. Patterson would make them accept a small sum of money for their labor. . "This mouth has again been marked by wet. which has hampered us in our practical work. Still we have been able to lift many of our early potatoes. We nearly finished fencing off out land a 1; Corbet* road, and generally things are well forward. Our area at Fitzroy needs good cultivation. This will be err next .job.''