AGRICULTURAL INSTRUCTION.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 June 1918, Page 4

AGRICULTURAL INSTRUCTION.

WOEK IN TARANAKL DmECTOK'S .REPORT. The Director of Agricultural Instruction (Mr. li. Browne) reported as follows at yesterday's meeting of tie Educatiou Board: Baring the past month instructional work was interfered with to a considerable extent by term holidays, and in other cases by sickness in schools. Mora uniformity as regards holidays would be. desirable, especially as our instructional work- covers so many different grades of schools. Since the High School holidays were earlier than the general, a serious gap would have occurred only that Mr. Connell was available to handle these:classes during the •holiday period. IPrimary schools visited included Ta"taraimafca (2), Kormanby, Warea, Pungarehu, Opunake, Upper Mangorei, Lower 'r.ingorei, Kent, Norfolk, Wai- '.. .ocrton, Hmrangi, I'itzroy, Central, . :.rrington, Frankley, Inglewood, Eel) ,iloek, Egmont. "Visits were alsopaii to Pembroke and Denbigh during the holidays. Farmers' Classes.—Meetings were held at Patua, Durham, Dudley, Katapiko, ■Makeiama. Attendances were on the whole good, except where interfered' .with by bad weather. Instructor's Reports.—Beports from Messrs Burley and Connell are enclosed. It will be noted that work; at Stratford; Model Dairy Farm continues, although interfered; "with by bad; -weather and- epidemics. At Bawera. the final arrangement is that Mr. Burley, withi Mr. Dean, takes work in the morning, at the Techixucal College, and in the afternoon at 'the D.H. SchooL Mr. Dean puts, in a further day-at field! work wi&'.the Technical College students. Taranaki Show Exhibits,, Eural Sec■tions. —A very good and! instructive-dis-play was made in various branches o£ ! the rural work at the Taranaki Show during the week. Admirable work was-, shown by Huirangi in collection of weeds, and (2) in collection of seeds,. In note books very good work was. shown throughout, those from Okaiawa and Oaonui being of outstanding merit. In graphs dealing with experimental cropping Mangatoki showed up, as also in root selection, good plans of; school grounds were shown, by Matapu, Mangatoki, and Kaponga„ among; others. Norfolk Road had some admirable records of root and fodder -crop returns, and scored highly in root selection rework. Other excellent exhibits were made- by Matapu,. Rsfatpiko, leppertcov Tokaora, Normanby, Kitponga* and! Central pupils. Several of the' exMMts I hope to have on view- at next board ■ meeting. It. is suggested" inafc the schools. above-mentioned should be complimented on the work exhibited. Further, it would be well if -show classes, so far- asschool work is concerned, were made uniform throughout Taranaki. This should be an easy matter to arrange. School Grounds'.—Notable advances aro being made by-many scboohMJn improving the appearance of echoed: grounds. A heattliy rivalry- isi evident between neighboring committees, and this can- ham-toothing-but the best.'results.

MstrbtrMbiD. of Seeds, Cuttings;, etc-. — A very large; number of plants has been sent out by the pupils- of the Central School, and seeds- of various; kinds, have been exchanged between, schools to a* ■considerable extent.

Mr. Burley's Eeport.—At Stratford: the work continued, in- full and regularly, except for a break duo to the medical examination.- of the school,, until May 23, when, owing-toifurthcr sickness,, the school closed down for two weeks. Arrangements had been made for the weighing of crops—swedes, mangels,, carrots, etc. —at the Model Dairy Farm on May 24,. but the holidays> and very bad' ■weather on -that day interfered. Though the- school was. closedl on May 31 I attended th& f arm. and' assisted' allday with the weighing- of the' crops, and" the methods- and results will be placed before the pupils when school re-opens, by taking them over the ground, etc.. Mr. Deem will be pleased to- meet the pupils for lessons on root-crops. All the other work in agriculture and dairy ! science is steadily going on, preparations being made with the assistance of Mr.. Dean for the comlihg season. Thctcaehers' Saturday classes' ar& well attended, five attending for more advanced!.* work up to the "C" certificate At Hawera on the two- last days, May 23 and 30. I have attended in company*: with Mr. Dean at tho Hawera Technical*. School, in the mornings taking agricultural chemistry and botany. On the nrst occasion six were present, on the second 10. Mr. Dean continues the> work lin the afternoon. In the afternoons I have attended the D.H.S. and continued work in agriculture and dairy work, Mr. Mackenzie talcing general science and book-keeping in the mornings. Arrangements have been made for a dairy factory to be visited this week to supplement the work done. The numbers have been better, up to 15. I am for- : warding note-books and specimen pages - of notes showing samples of work done, '. but regret to say the holidays here have , prevented my forwarding? any Stratford : senior work.