BETTER THAN AN EXPERIMENTAL FARM.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9600, 21 September 1909, Page 5

BETTER THAN AN EXPERIMENTAL FARM.

To the Editor. £S ' Sir,—As there do«s not; appear to *be any probability of the Govern*inent accepting Mr Buchanan's offer of £6.000 towards the establishment of an experimental farm in the Wjairarapa, that gentleman should be approached with a view i;o inducing him 'to alter the conditions of his gift in a direction that would be of far greater value 'to the farmers than half a dozen •Experimental farms. The history of soch farms up to the present is »one of failure. Experiments carried •out by Government officials on these :farms are of no practical value to the farmer. To be of any real value experiments should be carried *iut by the farmers themselves. The jfarmer must do the thinking instead Tcfc the Government officials, The splendid results achieved from experiments conducted under the auspices 'of the Master ton A. and P. .Association amply demonstrate the good that follows from encouraging *the farmer to treat his soil scientifically. If Mr Buchanan could be .induced to invest the £6,000 at 5 per «wnt., and divide the interest between the two Wairarapa A. and P. Associafions on condition that the tamoant was spent on agricultural 'experiments, he would be rendering f -farming community a signal : Afice. The Associations could be relied upon to spend the money to the very best advantage, and which Mr Buchanan •alid down observed. The gift would thus serve to perpetuate £the memory for all time of admittedly one of Wairarapa's most worthy settlers.—l am, etc., SUGGESTION.