YOUNG FARMERS

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 24 May 1927, Page 3

YOUNG FARMERS

BOOT GROWING COMPETITIONS

SCHOOL CHILDREN'S WORK. The work of the Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs in South Taranaki continues to prosper and has fostered .a knowledge of the growing of root crops l oil the farm, thus doing a useful work in giving the children of the schools a bent towards the land, by giving them 1a direct interest in part of the work done. Each year an itinerary is arranged by Mr. A. J. Glasson, of the Agricultural Department, covering most of the schools, and yesterday he, in company with Mr. Rod Syme Education Board instructor, visited the plots of mangolds and carrots in the Ohangai and Mokoda districts, inspecting, weighing andi judging the yield of fifteen plots. Despite the bad weather that prevailed for part of the day, they completed the work during the afternoon, traversing a fairly wide area of country. They found the crops, qn the whole, to be well grown and cultivated, and .showing .in. many oases a splendid yield. An addition hast been made to the work of the children this year in the form of a .series of questions, dealing with the work done ancl based: on the information given to them, with a view to encouraging their powers of observation, and to help them to keep in mind the instruction given. These are a series of simple questions which the children answer before, the work of judging is done, and the results' of which will he included in the final results. Twenty marks are allowed for the questions. The paper .set consists in the children selecting from four or five probable answers, one of which is right, the correct one as told them previously during the time of .sowing, and growing of the crop. The children underline the correct statement.

Tiie paper includes four stages, arranged for the different standards—S-t-d. 3 doing work on stage 1; Std. 4 that in stages 1 and 2 ; (Std. 5 that in stages 1,2, and 3; land Std. 6 that in all stages. There are fifteen questions in stage 1, five each an stages 2,3, and 4. Twenty minutes is allowed for the work, but if the children know their work they can do it easily in less than that time.

At the first place vi, sited, Ohangai, the children weiei first to test out the scheme, and then evinced a lively interest- in the work, and showed generally that they remembered what they had been told previously. Again, at Mokoia, a similar interest was -shown and good results were secured.

At Ohangai, Mr. W. Savage and Mr. B. 0. Ly-saght assisted with their cars, and the competitors were thus enabled to go round and see the plots on the various farms.

The judges and children were very kindly entertained at dinner by Mrs. B. O. I/ysaglit, an attention which was very welcome and greatly appreciated. A difficulty has been experienced in securing b-arriba-ll carrot seed, and this was evident, m pointed out by Mr. Gliais-son, in the crops, lie said that the same trouble had been experienced on the demonstration farms. But there were a number of excellent crops, and the work of the children generally was commended by the- judges. Points allotted were as follow: (1) one point for each ton of yield; (2) 40 for cultivation; 10 for quality; 20 for chart, and- 20 lor the test paper. The last-named- results will not be available for some time, and will probably alter the final results to some extent-. The details available were as below : OHANGAI. Mangolds.

Ethel Harding, weight 91 tons 12 ewt., cultivation 39, quality 8. Gwen Savage-, 74 1,0119 1.1 ewt., -10, 8. Laurie Philpotts, 73 tons- 0 ewt., 38, 9. Seney Vincent, 42 tons 5 c-wt., 25, 7. Cla-rorts. Una Glynn, Go tons 14 ewt,, 3S, 5. Leslie Philpotts, of tons 10 ewt., 40, G. Muriel Ly-saght, 52 tons 4 ewt ~ 30, G. Joyce Hyson, 45 tons, 33, G. • Mavis Dyson, -I ! tons, 14 c-.wt., 33, G. Harry Vincent, 31 tons 5 ewt., 32, 5. MOKOIA. Mangolds. Ernest- Phillips, 47 -toil# 18 ewt., 37, S, Nancy Langley, 44 tons 14ewt., 35, 7. Edward- Cooper, 38 tons 11 ewt., 15, 7. Carrots. N,ancy Langley, 40 tons 6-.ewt., 35, 0. Benue Smeaton, 42 tons 2 ewt., 20, 7.