THE OBJECT OF A SCHOOL OF AGRICULTURE.

Waikato Times, Volume XV, Issue 1290, 5 October 1880, Page 3

THE OBJECT OF A SCHOOL OF AGRICULTURE.

A writer in the Country Journal makes ! the following excellent practical remarks ; on the objects of a School of Agricul- ' ture — The object of a technical school | may be said to be, to train young men for a particular walk in life. The Medical School, the School of Engineering, the School of Chemistry, &c, ke, have all an object in view. So has the Agricultural j School; but it must be admitted that, whilst in the case of other technical j schools the basis of the system of educa- i tion to be followed has been — in a great j degree — agreed upon, and the system itself gradually perfected, those interested in agriculture are by no means agreed as to the best means for giving the youth intended for a farmer, such an education as will best fit him for successfully following up his calling. Medical men support, nay, agitate for, medical schools, whilst it is only the more enlightened amongst farmers who are anxious for higher education for their sons- The reason for this is obvious. Medical men having- been educated at their own technical schools, not only know the value of such schools, but also recognise their failings, and sensibly endeavour to increase the former by remedying the latter. Farmers have no such experience, they were not educated at any special school, and they have not thought out for themselves what the object or aim of an agricultural school should be. Often since my arrival in New Zealand, have I had to combat the idea that the School at Lincoln was instituted for the purpose of teaching farmers. Many even now suppose that it is to consist of a squad of — what is known in this country as — cadets; others fear that the system of farming carried oufc will be too much coddled, as it were, that students will have become so used to having to their hand the best of implements and conveniences in the way of buildings, that they will not be able to make a small capital go so far as it might, and that, having a decent bed to sleep in, and meals at regular hours, would unfit them for occupying the sod whare of the "cockato." Reverting to the parallel case of the Medical School, we find that its object is not. to teach doctors, but to give sons of doctors, or others, such an education as will fit them to become doctors. I take it that the aim of an Agricultural School is similar, viz. , to tram those sons of colonists who are intended to follow the calling of the farmer ; and to this end, I maintain that the system of education adopted' should be one which should iustil habits of regularity, should develope and discipline the brain, as well as afford a good practical knowledge of farming operations; should in fact thoroughly blend science with practice, which is the aim of all usefu' technical schools. But in what relation will such a Rchool stand with respect to our colonist who has a young son whom he wishes to beoome a farmer ? The son has probably juft left school with some knowledge of various subjects taught there. How much the boy i* likely to know, parents can tell better than I ; but having- this ex -schoolboy on his hauds, the question for the father is. what is he to' do with him ? what is the next step towards fitting him for his future calling: ? The answer will generally be "send him to a good farmer." Failing a special school, this is the only, and undoubtedly good thing to do, providing the good farmer can 1 be found, who is willing to take charge j of so young a lad, and to do his duty by him. But, in my opinion, it is a mistake to B(ind so young find generally ignorant a lad on to an ordinary farm, if it can bo avoided, the transition from school to farm work, from ail head work to all manual labour, is too sudden. To obtain thi best results, I think a lad should not enter upon full time farm work, until his frame and brain have become developed. If a youngster has at an early a,^o tq folI low the plough all day, and day after day, he is, I think, apt to become dull as the beasts he drive*, besides acquiring Unit st ambling slouchy gait which hurel} r it is not necessary that farmers should appropriate. At the same time, however, he should daily have farm work to do, but I maintain that following the plough for eight hours a day is too much for our exschoolboy. If he is to Viecome a farm labourer, veell and good, but the rearing of farm labourers shonld not be our object. We should aim at cultivating the lad's brain as well as developing hi* muscle, and what better time could be selected for this purpose than when, naturally, he is incapable of performing the full day's work of a man ? The agriculture of this colony is in a transition state, the army of "strippers" is gradually spreading over the country, farther and farther from the centres of population and shipping ports, leaving behind them land which will in the future want farming and not " cropping," if the colony is to carry its existing agricultural population and continue its grain ex- j port at is present rate. So long as land will on mere ploughing and sowing, grow grain in paying quantities, any man with an amount of money sufficient to pay hi sway for a few months, can "strip" the grain, which a virgin soil nnd a fine climate combine to produce for him. He need not have more than the crudest, if any, idea, as to why crops grow, or how they feed. But the man who succeeds the stripper in the occupation of lard, must be a man of knowledge, of observation, and cf experience. It is men of this class that form the backbone of a successful agricultural community, and it is to the producing men of this class, that our endeavours should be directed. Given then, our material, viz., the sons of our colonists, how best are we to convert it into the desirable commodity described ? How to make out of our exschoolboy the experienced and scientific tanner 1 Now this word scientific requires a word of explanation. Science means "knowledge reduced to system ;" but let me quote Mr. S. W. Johnson of Yale College.* He says:— "The art of agriculture consists in certain practices and operations which have gradually grown out of an observation and imitation of the best efforts of nature, or have been hit upon accidentally. The science of agriculture is the rational theory and exposition of the successful art. Strictly considered, the art and science of agriculture are of equal age, and have grown together from the earliest times. Those who first cultivated the soil by digging, pltmting, manuring, and irrigating, had their sufficient reason for every step. In all cases, thought goes before work, and the intelligent workman always has a theory upon which his practice is planned. No farm was ever conducted without

physiology, chemistry, and physics, any more than an aqueduct or a railway was ever built without mathematics and mechanics. Every successful farmer is, to some extent, a scientific mnn. Let him throw away the knowledge of facts and the knowledge of principles which, constitute his science, and he ,has lost the elements of his success. The farmer without his reasons, his theory, his scionce, can have no plan ; and these wanting, agriculture would be aa complete a failure with him as it would be with a man of mere science, destitute of manual, financial, and executive skill. Other ..quali-. fioatiqns being equal, the more advanced and complete the theory of whioli thefarmer is the master, the more successful must be his farming. The more he knows the more he can do. The more deeply, comprehensively, and clearly he can think, the more economically and advantageously can he work." If this be true, and its truth can hardly be disputed, we should give our I student of agriculture this knowledge of { facts, that have been collected aud recorded, as well as make him a good ploughman. Suppose our colonist's son leaves school at say, sixteen years of ag£. Although it is necessary that he become a more or less expert ploughman, it is not indispensable that, to gain this end, he be made at that early age to walk behind his team for eijrht hours a day, and to have almost solely, horses and farm labourers for his associates. There is plenty of time even before he is of ag«, for him to become proficient in this mechanical work. But it i.s neceasai-y that his scientific knowledge— hirf knowledge of what has been successfully accomplished by others — should be acquired whilst he is young, ,, when hin briiiu is most capable of retaining ?elmt he is taught, and at that time of life when he has leisure to devote to acquiring i such knowledge. Practice and science should therefore go hand in hand, the student whilst putting his hand to the plough should have j an intimate knowledge of the characteristics of the soil he cultivates, and of the mechanical construction of the implements he uses. He should know how crops grow, and how they feed, as well as to sow and harvest them. Whilst harden- j ing him to manual labour, his faculties of observation should be stimulated and directed ; and in the properly conducted study of the sciences connected with agriculture — especially chemistry and J vegetable physiology — -we Lave to our hands the best means to that end. A knowledge of other subjects, such as landsurveying and book- keeping, prove often in after life of much value to the farmer, and the study of them serves also with that of the exact sciences, to discipline and expand the mind during youth. It should, I think, be the object of an Agricultural School, to take the young farmer so far on his career. The experience necessary to perfect our ideal farmer must in a great measure come afterward. At the special school he gains much experience, but the experience of buying and selling, of dealing with labor, etc., etc., can only be acquired after years of practice. It ie no more possible to turn out a young jnan of one-and-twenty an experienced farmrr than an experienced doctor. The young medical man when he leaves his special school, goes to assist some surgeon or physician in good practice, and even when he feels competent to commence business himself, he still roodebtly professes to " practice,'' and picks up his experience as. he goes I along. J So must the young farmer, but the j ! educated young farmer will do so the more I readily for his training. Without training, where would the young doctor be even after many expeiiences of broken legs or • fever cases? The Lincoln School will, I trust, turn out fairly educated pratical youny men, who, after their special course, will be most useful to any good farmer with whom they should be able to acquire that experience in marketing, which long practise alone can give, and without which profitable farming is carried on with difficulty. When he hus gained this experience, the young f aimer may take a farm for himself, and I believe that, as a rule the man so educated will be, as well as another equal to occupy the hut of the selector, but whilst practising the strictest economy, will keep his place in a presentable state.