AN OUTDOOR LESSON.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 September 1917, Page 5

AN OUTDOOR LESSON.

'(From A Correspondent)'*' ' The Maketawa Dairy Company & off* of those that have agreed to the altered terms proposed by the Board of Educa-> tion to provide improved conditions for agricultural instruction (with more fre* 'inent and regular visits of the instruct tor) to the advantage of the shareholders of the contributing companies, a,nd on Thursday last some half score of the shareholders of tho company met Me, Browne, the Board's instructor, on Mr, Kilpatrick's farm on Durham road. It was jm out-o'-door's lesson chiefly devoted to the all-important ..subject, from a/ dairyman's point, of view, "The Pasture." The subject was discussed in I various phases; The laying down of new, pasture ou cultivated land, and; having secured the maximum result, the most economical and effectual moans of main.* taming that standard, as well as the-ie* storing or revivifying of old and. appar* ently worn out grass lands. Discussing the question of top (Ire*; ■ ing, the demonstrator described tho «<H . tion of different fertilisers, pointed out why in our locality it was necessary tcs work on lines other than would .be suHn able in other districts owing to the difference of soil constituents and clinj*- '. tic conditions; also the reasons thafi made it advisable to apply lime beforen hand where it was intended to use supers phosphate. Why, while ground limes could be used to advantage in the lata autumn and early iwinter, burnt lima., gave more satisfactory results in spring and summer. He showed the'" need for insuring firmness and solidity of the, seed bed for, grassing down, the uses of the various fodder plants in the pas- . ture and every time explained why what ho stated was as ho told his hearers. It would occupy too much space to give full details nf all that he said, tat M was" generally conceded by those present that Mr. Browne kept them interested from start to finish and that they were pleas-, ed they had not missed tho opportunity, hoped to profit by what they had heard, and wished that their pockets were foilenough to enable them to carry out the full treatment of their pastures- that ha,., had recommended.