BOYS' AGRICULTURAL CLUBS.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 187, 8 August 1919, Page 8

BOYS' AGRICULTURAL CLUBS.

NATIONAL COMPETITION SUGGESTED. "A SCHEME BACKED BY SOUND COMMON" SENSE," During the season 1917-18 New Zealand agriculturists grew 100,596 tons ol potatoes on 22,854 acres of land, an average yield per acre of 4.38 tons. An Otago boy, the winner of an agricultural competition organised by the Otago Expansion League, raised over two tons of table potatoes, and more than one ton of seed and small potatoes on oneeighth of an acre of.land, at the rate of over 24 tons to the acre. The boy's crop had a market value of £21 9/1, equivalent to a gross yield of £171 12/8 per acre. His profit, after deducting all costs of production, was at the rate of £107 4/S per acre. The achievement of this boy was quoted to a " Dominion " reporter by Mr W. Stuart Wilson, in support of a suggestion that an agricultural competition for boys and girls should be organised on national lines. Mr. Wilson, who -recently became resident in Wellington, was an active member of the Otago Expansion League, and took particular interest in the agricultural competition inaugurated iby that body. The initial venture was made in the face of several difficulties. But the measure of success gained was sufficient to convince Mr. Wilson that the scheme could be made a factor of the first importance in the agricultural development of New Zealand. Similar competitions have been enormously successful in the United States. It is claimed that they have doubled the production of the soil in certain States by showing the farmers what their own sons can do by intensive cultivation of plots on the home farms. Expert p.dvice to competitors forms a part of the scheme. "My idea is that the Government should set aside a sum of money for this agricultural competition, and appoint organisers to work in conjunction with the farmers' unions, A. and P. associations, and other progressive bodies throughout the Dominion," said Mr. Wilson. " The competition should be both provincial and national.,. A district could have its own competition, subject to the rules laid down by tihc central authority. There would be district winners, provincial winners and eventually a New Zealand champion. It should be part of the duties of tht agricultural inspectors throughout the Dominion to see that the competitors were working on the most approved scientific lines, or rather that they had the information necessary to enable them to do this. Local committees could exercise general supervision, and see that the competitors were complying with the rules. All the prominent men and officials to whom I have mentioned the scheme consider it to ibe eminently practical, and they agree that the influence of »uch an annual competition would be of the greatest value in stimulating production generally. The -scheme adopted in Otago was drafted by Mr. Green, agricultural inspector under the Otago Education 1 Board. It provided that the competition should be limited to boys between the ages of 10 years and 16 years and confined to the growing of certain staple products, the first year being devoted to potatoes. The area to be cultivated l>y each competitor was one-eighth of an acre, which would be a portion of the home farm or land otherwise arranged for. All the work involved, except where heavy implements and horsepower might-be necessary; must be done ■by the competitor, who would provide seed and manure and keep a proper record of his operations. The Otago competition was judged on the following basis: Minimum Marks. <n Yield of marketable ero-n 50 (2) Record descriptive of Cultivation operations, observations on rainfall, and special conditions affectlns the crop, such as Micht and pests 30 (") I'rotlt per acre 20 100 The "records required to be kept by the competitors dealt with the character of the soil, methods of cultivation, selection of seed, and methods of planting, fertilisers used, subsequent cultivation, and treatment of growing crop. Each boy was directed to run his plot on a commercial basis, and to debit his crop with all charges incurred, with rent calculated at 5 per cent and with the cost (calculated at current farm Tates of cultivation, planting, digging, and bagging).

"I need not elalborate the details of the proposal. What I want to urge upon the attention of those people who realise the vital importance of increased production is that a competition of this kind is bound to have a most stimulating effect. A similar effort was initiated in the United States about eight years ago, and it has developed into a great national movement organised and directed by the Department of Agriculture, in co-operation with the State agricultural colleges. New Zealand fooys, and girls also, will not be less responsive than their American cousins have -been H an agricultural competition isopened to them."

The competitions in America had not merely ibeen the means of fostering interest in Tural industry, 'but had also been responsible for establishing improved methods of cultivation on the ■farms of the parents of competitors and in the districts where the contests took place. A similar result undoubtedly could .be secured in New Zealand.