AGRICULTURAL INSTRUCTION

Taranaki Daily News, 10 July 1919, Page 3

AGRICULTURAL INSTRUCTION

REPORT TO EDUCATION BOARD. The following report on agricultural instruction was submitted to the Education Board yesterday by Mr J. >V. Connell:— Primary Schools—The work this month has been mainly observational and the entering up of records and results of experiments carried out in the school plots. At Norfolk School good work has been uone in tests dealing with the top-dressing, of pastures, and, p i-i tnoso tests hare been Carried out for several years, the results are of special viilue. At this school also, variety root crop and manurial trhls iiave been made. The experimental work Is ot a very high standard at Norfolk School. During the month the New I'll month Winter Show was held and the schools >vorn we.'l represented in the i various classes. On a basis of prize points, the positions of the most successful competitors are: Norfolk Road School 51 points, Motonui 35, Huirangl 34, Lepparton 17, Tokaora 16, and Bell Block 18. The outstanding feature of the schools' rural section was the exhibits from the Norfolk School, which gained t«n first, on.) swim, and three third prizes. Motonui, with r\iur firsts and five second prizes entered some good exhibits, the collection of school garden produce being very comprehensive. Individual features of other schools were of a high standard. New Plymouth Boys' High' School.—Work this month has been mostly in the class rooms and laboratories, as the weather and season does not permit of much Held wurk being undertaker!. A visit was paid to Inn Stratford model farm, and as Sir Deem, of the Government Agricultural Staff, was in attendance, an instructive time was spent. Unfortunately the wealhej was very wet, so a lecture was given by Mr Deem oil "Boot Crops." The boys also visited the. Stratford cheese and butter factory. New Plymouth Technical College—Field work has comprised pasture treatment, lucerne growing and management, 3eed testing, examination of root crops, judging root crops, pasture establishment, and manuring of root crops, pastures and lucerne. Teachers' Saturday Classes.—Tliese, with the exception of a break during the term holidays, have been continued regularly. Progress has been made in working up to examination standard. Instruction, suitable for primary school teaching of agriculture nnd nature study, has also been given. Mr H. C. Johnson also reported on work done at some of the primary schools, and on lecture giveu before branches of the Farmers' Union. The first meeting of the Inglewood urchard class was held on Thursday, June 2(1, and although the day was wet there was an attendance of 13. Mr Johnson also submitted a report on the Conference, or Agricultural Instructors held In Wellington at the beginning of June.