SCHOOL AGRICULTURE

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXVIII, Issue 13026, 3 May 1940, Page 8

SCHOOL AGRICULTURE

(Continued from Page 5) belt of wattles, which however have since been removed.- This belt is now almost four feet high. The mare which was purchased last year has now at foot a filly foal which is growing rapidly. Water troughs have been placed to supply water for each of the subdivision paddocks. A sign board has been purchased and erected on the Cameron Road and Roberts Street corner. Hillsdeue area (5 acres) has been rented from the Tauranga School Committee. This area contains mainly maize, and root crops which will be used for winter feed: The crops are ias follows: Maize, Ream’s Specially Selected and Pop Corn; Root Crops: Mangolds, carrots, turnips (soft and swede). kumikumi, pumpkins and pie melons. Department of Agriculture.— The Department of Agriculture has continued to co-operate with the school and Messrs A. Alio (Agricultural Instructor) and A. Greig (Orchard Instructor) have made their services available at all times. Mr Alio has supervised the inanurial trials and the maize variety yield trials, while Mr Greig has given the boys a talk on picking and packing citrus- fruits, including a visit to the Tauranga Citrus Factory. In addition a’ short field day was held at the orchard of Mr C. Hansen, in conjunction with Mr Greig. Agricultural Club.—Members of your Advisory Committee have continued to take an interest in the Tauranga Boys’ and Girls’ Agricultural Club. The pupils of the school took .part in the calf rearing (14 members) and the Home Gardens, secondary pupils 15 and primary 40, and in addition, pupils of the school were exhibitors in the Agricultural Club section at the Tauranga A. and P, Association Summer Show. The 1 school were successful in winning the inter-school calf-rearing shield and the secondary department were second in the Horae Garden 'Courts’ competition. Joy Sim, a pupil of the school, won the Burnett Challenge Cup for the chgmpion calf, all breeds. Agricultural Advisory Committee. —Members: Mr W, J. Stevens, Chairman; Mr R. Jt Rendell, Hon. Sec.; Mr M. W. Watt, Stock Inspector; and Messrs H. J. Clarke (A. and P. Association), H. G. Lever (Education Board), S. Steele (County Council), G. Tebbs (Citrus Association), A. Fleming (Borough Counc'il), H. S. Benjamin (Citrus Association), I. Nottage (Orchard Instructor, Dept, of Agriculture), F. B. Hartstone Tauranga Co-qp. Dairy Association), B. P. Andrews (ex-Chairman School Committee) and present members of the, School Committee, General Survey.—The farm course was originally handicapped by the distance separating the two farm areas and the distance from the school. This has since been partly overcome by confining our efforts to the one area.

In the establishment of any scheme there is necessarily a lot of “spade work” to be done, and at times this has meant spending a long time over jobs. I refer to such things as fencing, planting of extensive shelter belts. Similarly, tasks such as shelling maize by a hand operated sheller become long and tedious. However we have gradually reduced the time spent on such tasks by selling the maize in the cob and having outside labour for such work as clearing around the outside lof the boundary fences. A large sum of money, £ 350, was raised by means of a carnival for the purpose of financing the scheme. Some of this money has been spent but since purchasing our own stock and having completed the laying down of new pasture over the greater part of the farm area, we have commenced to show an improvement financially.. We are in need of assistance from the Education Department as our funds have been completely invested in stock, leaving us no working fund.

In any school farm scheme there must necessarily be a great deal of responsibility and continuous supervision. Much of the success of our own scheme has been due to the untiring efforts of Mr S. Steele who has acted as honorary farm supervisor. During holiday periods and term time Mr Steele has supervised the feeding and care of the stock. The problem of holiday supervision has in our case been avoided. The number of visits paid to neighbouring farms has been curtailed through the necessity for giving time to the development of the farm area. From now on . there should be more time available for visits which are just as important as possessing a farm area. The purchase of stock has proved invaluable as we were losing money on the grazing rights, and above all since the stock has given a new interest to the pupils. The feeding and handling of the stock has been a source of exceptional interest and pleasure to the farm course pupils. We have been fortunate in securing the co-operation of Mr R. H.

Smith, Woodwork Instructor, who has built up suitable woodwork and metal work courses. The boys have been in a position to co'nstruct buildings, implements, etc., for use on the farm area.

The co-operation of the Department of Agriculture has enabled us to carry out experiments which are of interest to the'farming community and the farm course pupils alike. One apparent disappointment has been the failure of pupils to continue for a third year at least. Also a large number of boys have failed to take up farming after leaving school, many entering shops, etc., as message boys during their secondyear of the course. A successful farm course in which the boy can display his ability, even if it is only manual dexterity, does much to. restore the boy’s self-con-fidence, and gives a new, healthy outlook on life. This feature will always provide sufficient inspira-

tion to carry on with the farm course. Thanks. —I should like to express my personal appreciation of the services which the members of your Advisory Committee have so willingly rendered. It has been a pleasure to co-operate with the various representatives of other organisations, and I feel sure that this harmony will be maintained. I should like to pay a special tribute to Mr Steele who has given so much time and assistance to the Farm Course during the last four and a half years and who has greatly contributed to the success of the scheme. Regret at Mr Shanks’ departure was expressed by the Chairman, who pointed out that the success of the course had been largely due to the efforts of Mr Shanks and the cooperation of the Departmental officers. He had broken the new ground and had the responsibility of the heavy task of founding the course. He then moved a resolution of thanks to the master, and hoped he would have the same success with any future courses. Thanks were also expressed by Mr Andrews, who stated that Mr Shanks always came ~p smiling after the knocks which one Invariably received from time to time .in these movements. He not only had the best wishes of the Committee, he concluded, but also the regard and respect of the general public. The resolution was carried by acclamation. In thanking the Committee for their kind expressions, Mr Shanks said that it had been an inspiration to have seen the change in some of the boys taking the course. They appeared to take on a brighter outlook, he said, and get an interest in life. He thanked them for the welcome he had received when coming into Tauranga, and the pleasant memories he was taking away.