CHAIR OF AGRICULTURE.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 126, 28 May 1919, Page 5

CHAIR OF AGRICULTURE.

EXPERIMENTAL FARM NEEDED. ADJUNCT TO COLLEGE COURSE. The proposal to establish a Chair of Agriculture and io purchase a piece of land from the Dilworth Trustees at l Papatoetoe for **Bie purposes of an experimental farm was discussed at the meeting of the Auckland Education Board yesterday afternoon. The Hon. G. J. Garland moved that the Board communicate with the Minister of Education, and urge him to acquire the piece of land at Papatoetoe, owned by . the Dilworth Trust Board, with a view to establishing a chair of agriculture in connection with the Auckland University College in the near I future, so that the full needs of a higher ! education in agriculture could be supi plied, the Board being of the opinion that large plots of land near the city of Auckland were becoming more difficult to secure. The chairman (Mr. E. C. Banks) said that after passing the sixth standard the pupils should spend two years first at a district high school. After two years' work* there those who were qualified should go on to the experimental farm, for which a scholarship could De given. They 'fcould put in another two I years at the experimental farm and pass a kind of matriculation in agriculture. At the end of that period they should go to the University College in Auckland, where they would get lectures on sub: ; jects such as botany and physiology, for j instance, which could not be provided at the experimental farm except by the employment of a staff of five or six special teachers. These special men they already had here. The pupils would thus get their-degree. With regard to the purchase of a farm near Auckland, "J had to be borne jin mind that Ruakura alone was not big enough to supply the University College. They must have another farm here in order to keep up the supply to the college and also for the use of the college for experimental purposes. Mr. E. K. Mulgan, senior inspector to | the Board, said he thought the members I were rather confusing two issues, j namely, the training of farmers and the I training of teachers. The two should ] proceed along different lines as the train- • ing ior the farmer was not' that required 'for the teacher. It was not necessary I for the farmer to take a degree, but it ! was necessary for the teacher. If they i were going to have a chair of agriculture in connection with the university here I they must have a practising ground ' within comparatively easy reach. Hon. G. J. Garland said it was very ' essential that some provision should be made whereby ocular demonstration [ could be made" to the students. They required this piece of ground for demonstration purpose, and he hoped that some influence could be brought to bear on the Minister in the matter. I The motion was carried.