AGRICULTURAL INSTRUCTION.
DIRECTOR'S REPORT. Tlu- Director of Agricultural Instruction reported as follows at Wednesday's meeting of the Taranaki Education Board: — General.—Continued wet and stormy weather greatly interfered with outdoor work during the past, four weeks. Meetings lapsed on several occasions, fewer primary schools could be visited than was anticipated, and in the Secondary Classes field and garden operations were edPrimary schools visited.—Tataraimaka, lUtapiko, Tariia, lnglewood (-1), Dudley (2), Opunake, Pungarehu, Hillsborough, Rahotu, Kaimata (2), Waitui, Lincoln. T'korangi (2), Wailii (2), Urcnui, Durham, Radnor, York, Egmont Village (2), Huronga, Norfolk. Carrington, .Mangorei (L T nper and Lower), Fitzroy, Waitnra, Ilurford, Oakura, Koru, Omnia, Kaimiro, Waiongona, Bell Block, and Central. Root selection for seed purposes is being carried out in several schools, Mr Council particularly noting Uuirangi and Wailii. Tlii' sprouting of potatoes is. in most cases, well advanced, and at some schools planting has been done At Norfolk there is a good display of Golden Ake-Ake plants, all raised from cuttings. Rapid improvements are noted in sevens! cases. The work taken on the whole is irecoming wider in scope and of greater educational value, 'but greater uniformity is desirnjile. In places there still obtains the altogether wrong opinion that (he main aim of the year's operations is to grow garden or field crops, from seed ?r,"l manures supplied hv the Board. Secondary schools.—Reports by instructors, enclosed, sufficiently show' what is being done in this direction. Now ♦hat the planting season is approaching there is great activity at the High School, where good work is being done in top-dressing, ploughing, pruning, and in planting of crops in season. Farmers' Classes. —Meetings were hold as follows: Normnnby, Bell Block (2),
Kiiimata (£l, Biltebarwigli (2). Tataraimakii, RjitupikOj Jnglewood, Durham, ■Dudley, Opuuakv, Pungarehu (2), Bell Block, Kaliotu, and Warea. All these ci-K-ses have concluded or will conclude shoitly- I can definitely state that in all esses where tiio attendance has been reasonable, acceptable work has been done. Appreciative references have been :nadc on very many occasions to the value of the instruction given. In certain centres, however, it is very difficult to get an audience together Having only on« instructor available for this work has meant a great rush during the season, !;ml appointments have been very difficult to work in owing to clashings with local meetings, etc. Classes for Teachers.—That at Strafci lord continues. The roll number is .small, but (lie majority of the students ure sitting for examination. The New Plymouth class has been discontinued.
<~!ift of Seeds.—Cooper's, Ltd., Wellington, have again gifted * (argt collection of Farm and garden seeds, the only stipulation being that a report be forwarded ar, to success or otherwise. Mr Hurley reports as follows: During the month of -Inly the classes at Stratford District. High School, Hawera D.H.S, and Technical have beeiV-regitlarly attended. At Hawera Technical'" the attendance:; for four days in Tuly and August Ist have been ft, 11, I], 8 and 8 respectively. Average i). 4! here instruction has been given in asricultural chemistry and ; ii botany. Mr Dean lias supplemented ibis instruction by supervising practical work in the experiments suggested bv such instruction and in addition field oJ>servnturml work. At .TUwcra District Higli School the attendances for .Tuly •iavc hecji I'2. I*2. 11, 11 while for general science now taken by Mr Mackenzie, the Secondary Assistant, the average had been 26. The subject of book-keeping at tnls school has been dropped. In my work, in addition to a continuation of the inside work, practical pruning has been carried out as far as possible- At Stratford the classes in science have continued and with the inside work; pruning has been in full swing with the classss in the orchard work and among the roses. Among other work demonstration lessons have been given on orchard work namely, Ihe selection, preparation and planting of fruit trees to all but the higher forms !5A and T!. As soon as weather permits the spraying of fruit trees car. be done.
The teachers' classes at Stratford show a roll of seven, six of whom intend using t.lie work for examinations—the average attendances might have been better but are promising well now. Mr Council reports as folows: The Held work has consisted of potato planting, preparation of ground for root crow, propagation of hedge plants from cuttings, pruning, cow judging, and planting selected roots for st-ed purposes. Inside work comprised soil physics, crop rotations, note 3 011 cow judging and selection of dairy animals. In the laboratory, examinations of seeds, etc., was carried ou,t. as well as experiments bearing 011 the agriculture. Xu dairy science, testing of mill;, cheese, and butter was the cWef work, lims and artificial manures have now been obtained and topdressing of pastures will be started. Technical College—As mentioned in my last report these classes are being held in conjunction with those at the High School, the programme of work being the same.
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Taranaki Daily News, 30 August 1918, Page 6
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815AGRICULTURAL INSTRUCTION. Taranaki Daily News, 30 August 1918, Page 6
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