BETTER FARMING WANTED

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 210, 1 June 1929, Page 13

BETTER FARMING WANTED

BOYS’ AND GIRLS’ CLUBS NECESSARY “SLIPSHOD METHODS VERY NOTICEABLE” “The land settlement scheme commented on by Mr. G. W. Hutchinson recently before the Auckland Rotary Club indicates that that club is not aware that boys’ and girls’,, agricultural club's have been operating in New Zealand for the past ten or twelve years,” said Mr. W. S. Wilson, who was the founder of these clubs in Otago, to a “Dominion” reporter.

Mr. Wilson was informed of the great success of these clubs in Canadg and the United States and brought the matter before the attention of the Otago Expansion League, which did splendid work before the matter was taken up by the Department of Agriculture. “Therefore Mr. Hutchinson’s idea that these clubs should be a memorial to anyone in Auckland •is out of, place,” continued Mr. Wilson. “At the same time it is gratifying to know that members of the Auckland Rotary Club realise the splendid work that can be achieved through these clubs, and I respectfully suggest that they use their influence with the authorities, for the purpose of putting these clubs in New Zealand on a sound financial basis. Although these clubs have been in operation in New Zealand for the past ten years they have really only been tinkered with owing to the fact that the Government since their inception has not supplied the necessary funds to carry them out in a really busi-ness-like manner."

Efforts in New Zealand. Some years ago Mr. Wilson gave a 50-guinea cup for the boy or girl who attained best results in. these competitions, the Director of Agriculture (Dr. Q. J. Reakes) to be judge. Some of the results were remarkable, notably in 1920-21. Master Owen C. Gould/of Hampden, won the championship with an average of 22.07 tons of potatoes per acre, The following year Miss Dorothy Ward, of Okaiawa, secured the championship with 152 tons of mangolds per acre. In 1923-24 Miss Jean Miller, of Oeo, won with 138 tons 13 cwt. of mangolds per acre. The cup was won in 1927-28 by Master H. Willis, of Matapu (South Taranaki), who also won the Henry Lane and Co. Dominion Challenge Shield for the greatest number of points in club work in the Tikorangi School (North Taranaki). His crop was 186 tons 6 cwt of mangolds per acre. “When one takes into consideration that the average crop of potatoes in the Dominion is from 5 to 6 tons, and of mangolds 40 to 50 tons to the acre, it makes one realise the enormous value of these competitions for making scientific farmers of the boys and girls of New Zealand,” added Mr. Wilson. “During recent years these competitions have been tremendously successful in Canada, Belgium, France, Denmark, Norway,, Sweden, Cyprus, British Guiana, Argentina, and other places, but particularly in the United States. All kinds of competitions are carried out —ploughing, calf clubs, potato and corn variety tests, poultry, pig-rearing—and prizes are given for all kinds of different phases of boys’ and girls’ education.

Instructors Needed. “Mr. Hutchinson’s idea,” said Mr. Wilson, “of the ‘better farming’ train used in Australia, which he describes as really an ‘agricultural college on wheels,’ I do not think, under conditions so vastly different, would be successful in New Zealand. But there is a crying need for the firm establishment of these clubs in this country, with an agricultural instructor .for ..the North Island and another for the South Island. Neither of these should have anything else to do other than to go among the various organisations, such as the farmers' unions, business people, and others who are interested in this movement. . During the past ten years these boys' and girls’ clubs have been carried on in the spare time Of agricultural instructors who have all their other duties to carry out.“If Mr. Hutchinson and the'Auckland Rotary Club, who evidently realise what enormous benefits can be conferred on this country by the encouragement of scientific farming amongst the boys and girls, will use their influence so that these: clubs may. be put on a satisfactory and business-like basis, they will be doing something which must be of enormous benefit to the prosperity of New Zealand. Boys and girls who have, been competing .e against the other and earning pocketmoney for themselves at the same time, will never go back to the slip-shod methods of farming which are very noticeable from one end of New Zealand to the other.