AGRICULTURAL INSTRUCTION

Taranaki Daily News, 10 April 1919, Page 7

AGRICULTURAL INSTRUCTION

DIRECTOR'S REPORT, The Education Board received the following report yesterday on the agricultural instruction from the director (Mr. R. A. S. Browne): — General.—Work is proceeding harmoniously at all centres, and good progress is being made in all branches undertaken, particularly in regard to visiting primary schools. So far, no classes for farmers have been arranged for, as it has been too early in the season for these. A good class in orchard work is assured at Inglewood.

Secondary schools. —At New Plymouth High School and at Stratford District High School, the major portion of the work has been taken indoors, getting the Classes well ahead in experimental work end notes. At Hawera and New Plymouth Technical Colleges there are small but keen classes.

Primary schools visited,—A total of 78 visits to schools has been paid during the month. Of the schools visited, and not referred to in last month's report, the following stood out as doing particularly good work in one branch or another, but especially in attention to ground, viz., Otakeha, Kapuni, Kaponga, Mata, Marco, Wnangamomona and Huiroa. The grounds at Otakeho are exceptionally neatly arranged, and both here and at Kapuni, very great improvements have been recently effected. Cow judging at shows. —The staff is agreed that in future it be a recommendation to A. and P. Shows that separate sections be arranged for primary and secondary school pupils. Conclusions.—l cannot conclude this, my last report to the Board, without referring to the whole-hearted enthusiasm of the agricultural staff now employed by the Board. All have the best interests of the schools at heart.

INSTRUCTORS' REPORTS. Mr. J. W. Connell reported that he would like to see more entries in the cow-judging competitions from pupils of the primary schools. In the recent competitions New Plymouth Boys' High School secured six out of the seven prizes offered, the other going to a pupil of the Waihi school. In the primary schools at present a good deal of time being now devoted to record-takisg and observational work. The results of any experiments of special importance will be obtainable for exhibition at the Winter Show, in connection with the schools rural section.

iUltti BCCViUJI. New Plymouth Boys' High School.— Most of the work here has consisted in indoor instruction, embracing agriculture, dairy science, agricultural botany, and agricultural chemistry. Field work has consisted of the lifting of potato crops, grass and clover seed collection, pruning lessons, cow-judging on points, weeding and cultivating plots. New Plymouth Technical College.— The field work continued at the High School plots. Students have been employed in ploughing, harrowing and cultivating plots, and have made good progress in their work. As soon us the ground is prepared they will sow down one field in grass and clover. They assisted in handling the lucerne cut, following up by harrowing the field. Instruction was also given in cow-judging, and in the care of farm animals and machinery. Teachers' Saturday classes.—A start was made on March 29 with an attendance of eight. Two courses aro being given—one for examination purposes and the other for general teaching in primary schools. Mr. H. C. Johnson reports he visited 39 primary schools, many of which, he considers, in every branch of the work, second to none in the Dominion. In addition to the primary schools he also gave istructions for two days per week at the Hawera Technical College. STRATFORD. Mr. W. E. ! Burley reported a 8 follows regarding the work at Stratford: —During the month of March about 120 agricultural science students made observational visits to the Model Dairy Farm. A further test of the farm's dairy herd has been made, and a calculation of the value of the butter-fat made for each cow on the herd tests so far carried out for the season. A report has been submitted to the man* agement committee of the farm. On the invitation of the jersey Breeders' Association a visit was made to Mr. Jones' farm, Opunake road, on, the occasion of a lecture on "The dairy | Type of Jersey Cow," given and demonstrated by Mr. S. R. Lancaster, of Palmerston North. Upwards of SO boys attended. All routine work in connection with preparation of ground after last season's crops is in hand. Inside work is forward and continues satisfactorily. In the woodwork classes the boys We engaged on the construction of » dumber of gates for the model dairy* farm. No teachers have entered for agriculture in connection with the Saturday teachers' classes.