FARMING EDUCATION

Taranaki Daily News, 30 September 1940, Page 4

FARMING EDUCATION

ADVANCES AT STRATFORD

As befits the centre of New Zealand's greatest daio'ing industry, the Stratford Technical High School is able to provide practical and academic training in agriculture both in the school and on the school farm, which is in easy walking reach of the school buildings. The farm, though small, is a model of its type in every way, and when inspected by a Daily News reporler recently it was seen to excellent advantage, the pastures, stock and accessories being in excellent condition. Ever since the school was established in 1922, there has been a district agricultural bias to the teaching of the school without impairing in any way the cultural and academic side. The dairy farm operations were begun with the purchase of a few cows in addition to gifts of stock from prominent breeders. For some years dairy cows alone were carried with special concentration on Friesians. During this time many prizes were won at Taranaki shows including the North Island champion cow. It was felt that the farm was too small for intensive pedigree cattle breeding and a move was made in having a few of each breed for study and obsrvation by the pupils. The school in this connection has again received support from both breed societies and individual breeders. In 1935 it was decided to extend operations by adding a Tamworth stud so that the agricultural work should cover the whole field of dairying as it operates in Taranaki to-day. The stud was founded on stock selected in Waikato and Manawatu, and in this connection Ihe school was guided by an old pupil, Dr. C. P. McMeekan. The whole lay-out and building, on most modern lines, were made by the pupils under the direction of the agricultural masters. To-day, the school has one of the most successful Tamworth studs in the whole of the Dominion. The stud forms a very useful branch of the agricultural work in the school as it enables practical work in pig husbandry to be carried on by the boys and also serves as a model in the district. In addition to cows and pigs, attention is paid to practical tree-raising and afTorestation and farm shelter. Topdressing, haymaking and farm crops form part of the routine work. The farm is small comprising less than 20 acres, but careful administration and the co-operation of the surrounding farmers, have resulted in a small credit balance at the end of the year. There was no ambitious and extravagant beginning but gradual solid development has produced a school farm fully stocked that'is rightly Ihe envy of many schools in New Zealand.