AGRICULTURAL TRAINING.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume III, Issue 77, 14 March 1913, Page 2

AGRICULTURAL TRAINING.

E X PERI MEN T AI. FA RMS

EXTENSION OF THE SPHERE OF USEFULNESS.

Ashburton, March 13,

This morning the Prime Minister visited- the high and technical schools, inspected the hospitals, and t ran sac ted < 1 epa rrnicntal bn si ness. At 2 p.m.. with the Hon. R. Heaton Rhodes, he left by motor car for Springston and Lincoln in continuation of his Canterbury tour. At the High School Ju* formally handed over to the chairman of the Board of Governors the ensign which ha 1 been handed to Miss Kershaw (ladv principal) when on her recent visit to England by pupils of the Ashburton Grammar School in Devonshire. (It may be explained tmt the giit was a sequel to the presentation of a dag from the New Zealand Ashburton school to its namesake in the Old. Land about 12 months ago). Shortly after this ceremony was concluded, Mr. W. Nosworthy, M.P., introduced a deputation consisting of members of the High Schoo. Board and the A-hburton branch of the Farmers’ I’nicn with a request that an experimental farm be established in Ashburton. The High School Board bad already offend ..he Government its 220-acre reserve within one mile of Ashburton, and in this connection had made three alt ernative proposals : Firstly, it hau been proposed to exchange the reserve for lands of equivalent value; secondly, to let' the* Government have the land at valuation icntal : and thirdly, to give it to the Goveinment at a peppercorn rental, provided the department’s experts would give the necessary lectures to the pupils of the school on agriculture .and fruitgrowing. Mr. Massey said that, as f ar as he could see, as regard the establishment of an experimental farm, t! “ offer of the Ashburton High School Board was the most practical suggestion yet put forward. It was his intention to make the experimental farms more useful than they at present were, and he intended to endeavour to arrange between the Agricultural Department and the authorities at Lincoln College so that they could work in conjunction for the benefit of the farmers. He contemplated establishing a board of agriculture for the whole of New Zealand, two or three farmers from the North Island and two or three from the South Island, with the Minister of Agriculture as president. It had been said that they did not get the benefit from the experimental farms that they should, and such a board would help to increase their usefulness. The proposal won’! shortly be brought to a head. The board would be to control and advise in agricultural matters. It wa--not a new thing, and was working satisfactorily in other countries.

The party was then driven to the reserve in question .and after the condition of the land, its aecessil. ity by road, and the manner in which it was situated had been ex plained, lie remarked: "I think th' ; offer will be taken advantage of.”