The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1885.

Thames Star, Volume XVII, Issue 5255, 20 November 1885, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1885.

Ik a previous issue we announced that tbe Government, in accordance with a proposal made last session, are arranging for the establishment of an Agricultural Department, and that the organisation of this branch had been placed in the hands of a Mr Beeves, said to be quite ao expert in agricultmral work. During the session the Government, in reply to a question from Mr O'Callaghan, as to whether ii was their intention to establish a special depart* roent, to be presided over by a Minister p( tbe Crowo, to take charge of matters

connected with the important interests of agriculture, said thafc they fully recognised the agricultural interest as one of the most important in the colony, and that this matter of a special department would receive favorable consideration. In what shape the Government contemplate placing this department is not yet made known, but the fact that there is to be Btieh a department is a great step gained, and one which should prore of incalcul able benefit to the agricultural interests o New Zealand. It may be of some interest to our readers to learn of the working of a similar department in Canada, ene of the only two colonies which has a Minister of Agriculture in the Cabinet. In Canada the Department of Agriculture was established in 1868; theVe is also a Deputy Minister and a Departmental Secretary, who are permanent officials. The following subjects are placed under the Agricultural Minister :—Agricultural, immigration and emigration, public health and quarantine, arts and manufactures, the census, statistics and registration of statistics, patents of inventions, copyright, industrial designs and trade marks. With regard toagriculture proper, the work of the department is rather general in its nature. It has done good service in preventing the spread of cattle diseases by means of veterinary surgeons attached to it, whose duties have been to investigate cases of disease, and advise the Minister on measures to prevent them spreading. The energy of the department is a good deal taken up with the promotion of immigration, and in efforts to attract and direct the stream of immigrants which pour into the country annually. Un dbubtedly the most valuable Bgencyin the Dominion for the promotion of agriculture * is the Ontario College, which is supported from provincial funds, and which provides thoroughly practical instruction, a part of which consists of obligatory work performed on the farm attached to the College, for which students are paid on a fired scale according to value. The entire cost to an Ontario farmer's son, with some experience in farm work, is from £7 to £10 a year for board, washing, and tuition, and to an Ontario student, without any knowledge, from £9 to £17 per annum; and he is paid for his labor. The value of a special department devoted to the pro* motion and encouragement of the agricultural interests of this colony cannot be over-estimated, if it is placed in the hands of a proper superintendent—one who will give his whole mergy to the work laid out for him to accomplish. There are many questions for him to consider,—as, for instance, the cause of the depression in agriculture in New Zealand, and the best means for removing such depression ; the opening up of new markets, and suggestive reciprocity with other countries, as well as markets in India, China, and other countries for our products. In point of fact, the scope for the work* ing of such a department in New Zealand is a very wide one, and the opportunities of doing much to relieve the present de« pression_of the aflHcnltuml .inUr-cat, as wellas" to stimulate and foster it by wise legislation, are great. In a young country like ours, in certain circumstances it is very needful for Government to co operate with private individuals, in so far as to show (be way, or even open the channel. The Bureau of Agriculture in the United States devotes most"especial attention to the collection and distribution of information of everykind which would help and instruct in the way of establishing any novel industries. This is one particular branch of its work, which we would recommend to the attention of our new department, tbat is the development of many semi-tropical agricultural industries for which our climate is most aptly fitted, more especially tbat of the North Island.