EXPERIMENTAL FARMS.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 April 1919, Page 3

EXPERIMENTAL FARMS.

FOR BUSH LANDS. At hangamomona on Tuesday Mr. Ooxliead urged the necessity of establishing experimental farms in the bush lands. The back country was in its infancy, and the majority of its settlers who were young men were all willing to learn. An experimental farm would help the district a great deal. The Government should experiment and show tiiem how to farm on paying lines. Young men in the back blocks had to light hard from the start, and had no time to experiment themselves A lot of returned soldiers were coming out back, and the experimental farm would be beneficial to them.

The Hon. Mr. finthrie stated that the requests for experimental farms wsre being met with all over the county, and lie was delighted to find them, because it showed an earnest desire to go in for production on scientific methods, and also bore evidence of the passing away of the old idea held by the old fanners, of which he himself was one, that they knew everything about farming. They li'ere now beginning to learn that they knew very little about farming, and any increase in production became a matter °f_ great importance, because we had raised considerable sums of money for war purposes and taxation must come. Tf we were to hear that taxation so that it would not crush us, we must adopt more scientific methods of production than we had at present. He would bo pleased to hand the request over to the Minister of Agriculture, who, with his departmental officers recognised fully the importance of adopting scientific methods. He himself would be prepared to help the scheme along to the extent that if any suitable Orown lands were available he would be pleased fco have a portion set aside for the our-