THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1912. FARMERS' INSTRUCTION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 10713, 17 December 1912, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1912. FARMERS' INSTRUCTION.

In the very excellent report presented to Parliament by the Secretary for Agricultue—a report which, by the way, should be widely distributed among the farmers —special reference is made. to t'he instruction of those who occupy the land, with a view to the better development of the interna! resources of the Dominion. The Secretary points out that probably the future prosperity of our population depends more directly on the right solution being found for t'he problem of how best to instruct our present and future farmers, than upon any other question whatever. The work that has hitherto been, done in New Zealand in the direction of instruction has been of a fairly wide nature. Starting in the primary schools nature study and gardening, where practicable, are taught; in .gome of the high schools elementary agricultural instruction is given, and ■some technical schools include milktesting, farriery, wool-classing and allied subjects in their syllabus. Then comes the complete course of theoretical and practical training at Lincoln College. These comprise the sum total of the education given to the farmers of the future. Then there is tho section devoted to educating the farmer of to-day, including practical but necessarily spasmodic instruction by travelling Departmental officers, experiments or demonstrations with field crops and fruit trees; experimental farms conducted by the Department, and the training given at Tvtiakura to a dozen or so young men. The Secretary for Agriculture contends that while to a casual render such a record may seem very creditable, to a little country like New Zealand, it reallv appears very insufficient to tho«« who understand th" importance of the part agriculture plays

in the lii'o of thus Dominion. Now Zealand is essentially a country of small fanners, and if her destinies are wisely guarded she will tend to become increasingly so. It ia, therefore, of the highest importance that efficiency in all branches "of farming should be steadily fostered by the State. The Secretary for Agriculture is iso impressed by the necessity for advance in thiy direction that he has prepared an elaborate report on the suggested establishment of twenty Government farms for demonstration, stud-breeding, experiments, and instruction of learners. The Minister lor Agriculture is a practical man. and he hay already exhibited a desire to place* agriculture and the allied industries upon a better footing than they have hitherto occupied. The establish meat of twenty demonstration farms, as recommended by the I Secretary, will probably bo found too L costly for the present. The Minister, however lias a" excellent staff, and he will doubtless? give them greater powers than tliey have possessed in the past for carrying out demonstration work. Agriculture, like education and defence, should he entirely .above mid apart from party polities. 11- would he a good thing for the Bominion if n Bnird of Agriculture worn spf. mi. wit.lv the Minister at, its head, to thoromrlilv organise and administer this Department.