The Temuka Leader. SATURDAY, JULY 5, 1879.
There are two institutions which Parliament would do well to encourage with all possible sympathy and help. We refer to Schools of Agriculture and Schools of Mines. While the former must be admitted to be of paramount importance to a colony whose well-watered soil and mild climate eminently fit it to be the home of a large and prosperous population, we, in these agricultural districts, sometimes forget to acknowledge the indebtedness of the colony to the prospector who lias, by his successful searching for the precious metals, become the pioneer of a large population ; which, while developing the mineral resources of the cojony, has at the same time become an important martcet.'for the edible productions of the soil. The prosperity of each of these branches of colonial industry will be enhanced by their prosperity being conjoined. And their mutual dependence will be more apparent, and more advantageous to the colony year by year as our extended railways provide the means of transporting the produce" of the farm and dairy to the centres of our mining population. In the past there has been instances in which the sister colonies have had the advantage of' being\better able to supply the wants of our miners than our own producers, but this is not likely to be the case again. None can estimate the wealth that lies hidden away in our grand old hills, which are, at least, as regards their resources, almost a terra incognita. Valuable clays, marble, building stone, copper, silver and gold, and what is perhaps of greater importance than gold itself—large quantities of good coal—are known to exist there. And if these advantages are to be made the most of those of our youths whose proclivities are in this direction must be provided with facilities for obtaining such information as shall send them into active life, thoroughly equipped with that knowledge which is essential to the practical geologist and miueralist. While our mining industries need all the help that science and the fostering care of Parliament can give (and the colony at large will be profited by the attention given to them) yet it cannot be denied that New Zealand is pre-eminently an agricultural country. And when the steady nature of this great source of wealth is compared with the very fitful revenue of many of our best nlining districts it wilt be readily admitted
thai ever.' care should be taken to teach our sons how to til! the soil to the greatest po>siole advantage. When we reflect upon what astronomy has done for navigation, what chemistry and the other applied sciences, have done for the arts and manufactures, may we not hope that here,, as well as in older countries, the scientific study of agriculture may be followed by tlie productions of the soil beingincreased many fold. We think that at least one great improvement would follow, vis., the abolition of that "shipshod " and wasteful style of farming which so often is a bold characteristic of too many districts in New Zealand. Now that our interior railway, which will soon tap our hills,-and'convey the produce of our fertile downs to market, may be looked upon as a fact, we see no reason why South Canterbury, and Temuka district in particular, with its safe harbor in prospect, may not become one of the finest and most prosperous districts in -New -Zealand ; and we would strongly urge that immediate steps be taken to secure a School of Agriculture for South Canterbury similar to that which will be soon in active work in North Canterbury. While we would not, at present, advocate the necessity for a School of Mines in this part of the colony, yet who doubts but what, at some not very distant date, considerable treasure will be wrenched from the strong grasp of the South Canterbury Hills.
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Temuka Leader, Volume 2, Issue 159, 5 July 1879, Page 2
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645The Temuka Leader. SATURDAY, JULY 5, 1879. Temuka Leader, Volume 2, Issue 159, 5 July 1879, Page 2
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