TECHNICAL EDUCATION IN TARANAKI.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13743, 26 May 1910, Page 5

TECHNICAL EDUCATION IN TARANAKI.

PRACTICAL WORK IX AGRICI LTURE. Mr F. W. 6-jndtord. formerly ot Christchurch, and now instructor in manual training under the Taranaki Board of Education, in a private letter gives the following inu testing account of the work that is being done:—"l have had a

pretty hard time at Stratford this year. Tho Department has agreed to an agricultural side to the High School. '1 his has led to tho formation of special classes in the chemistry of plants, soils, miik, manures, surveying, cultivation of ground, growth of grasses and roots, farm carpen'tr.V and metal work, dairying, and wool-classing All these are pi-vetical subject*!. I "The roots grown this year have been consumed by sl'cep loided on tho school grounds. This has used them up to advantage, and has given a small insight into the feeding of stock. The farm caipentry class iias to take a .practical course oi work. Hurdles were our lir.it job, wheelbarrows, ladders, pig troughs gates, etc., following on. "The Department gave a grant for material two months and the immediate- result was plans and specifications for a metal work room. 2-lft by 18ft. Those were approved, and we set to work, and it is now completed. "We 1-ave had no end of visitors to see how wo get on. and the sound of hammers till dark and at 6.30 a.m. has quite created an interest in the work. The bowling green is only 100 yards away, and as all the staid citizens and their Wives either play bowls or croquet, our noise on Thursday has aroused their curiosity. However, the boys have well eprned tho 'well done* of two master builders, one of whom has a son at the work. Certainly tho boys havo done well, and I am not ashamed of their work; but it is a hard task to keep twenty boys at work and see that they do not spoil it. "We have a really good man in the new master, Mr Heatley, who has come from tho south. He takes chemistry, dairying, mathematics, typewriting, and shorthand, and has found an hour each Thursday to help inc. He is very g<rod at woodwork and drawing, and altogether ho is a good all round man. Ho is holding a special class for factory men in butter and cheese-making. It is most interesting towaich the class; some of them bring samples of milk for him to test, they having already tested it at the factory. In some of the same milk recently their test was 4.7: his worked out at 4.6, they doing the work under his supervision. I tlp.nk Mr Heatley will make his mark, though he has been here only a year

"Our metal work room provides for a space for shoeing horses. " A farrier from town will do this. We will ma'ro all the hinges for our gates, and bolts for wheelbarrows, and fittiniis for v.ieels.

"Mr Heatley and I have designed a Pelfcon water wheel, which tho hoys are to make, and which I hope wi'l clrhe a small circular saw and my two lathes, and later wo hope to get a metal turning lathe for the metal chop. We havo a 601b pressure, working up to 801b, on Thursdays (a holiday), and several of these motors are at. work, < n .nd so wo are sanguine of a good result.

"We have a -winter shorn- coming off. and are -working hard to get a good dL c t p*lay, and preparing a few pupils to givo a display of practical work in cookery, carpentry, turning, etc. Our director is very enthusiastic about it."