AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 250, 21 October 1924, Page 5

AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION.

, • _— OBSERVATIONS IN CANADA. HON. G. FOWLDS' IMPRESSIONS. During his recent visit to Canada and the United States, the Hon. George Fowlds, president of the Auckland University College Council, took the opportunity of visiting a number of universities, giving special attention to those which had developed considerable faculties or schools of scientific agricultural education and experiment. In a report which he presented to the Council at its meeting yesterday afternoon, Mr. Fowlds stated that he began with the University of British Columbia at Vancouver, and travelling east through-Canada visited the University of Manitoba at Winnipeg, and the University of Toronto in the city of Toronto. He spent two days at Guelph Agricultural College, now a part of the University of Toronto, taking part in the semicentennial celebrations of that wonderful institution, which is the parent of all Canadian Agricultural Colleges, and which has made a valuable contribution to the cause of scientific agricultural education throughout the world. He also spent a day at the Macdonald Agricultural College near Montreal. In the United States he visited the Wisconsin University at Madison, the Minnesota University at Minneapolis, the Agricultural College of Oregon at Corvallis, the second largest agricultural college in America with 4500 students, the University of California at Berkely, the Leyland Stanford University at Paulo Alto, California, finishing up with the University of Hawaii at Honolulu. The predominant impression left on his mind as the result of his visits and inquiries was the magnitude of the expenditure which had been made and which was being made in both Canada and America on scientific agricultural education and experiment, compared with the meagre expenditure which lias been made or is proposed to be made in New Zealand, and that fact made it very difficult to suggest even the preliminary steps which ought to be taken iii New Zealand or in Auckland. New Zealand's geographical position and provincial interests and prejudices added greatly to the difficulty. One conclusion stood out clear and* distinct as the result of all his interviews with educationalists and laymen interested in agricultural education and that was the vital importance of agricultural education being included as an integral part of university education generally. Mr. Fowlds recommended that the Council should proceed at an early date with the appointment of a professor of agricultural, stipulating for a man specially qualified to teach dairy science, dairying being the principal industry of the Auckland district, and endeavour to secure the services of a man with a strong and attractive personality, who would be able to travel round amongst the agriculturalists of the province and create the desire • for scientific agricultural education, and at the same time .stimulate a willingness to contribute the wherewithal to provide additional facilities for an extension of work of the school. He believed he made contact with men in Canada who would be willing to assist the college in securing the services of a good man to fill the position. The college could also secure the help of outstanding men in Great Britain, who would advise them regarding the fitness of any applicants -in that country.