LINCOLN AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CV, Issue 12424, 13 February 1901, Page 2

LINCOLN AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE.

MEETING OF THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS. A meeting of the Board of "Governors of the College was held yesterday, at Lincoln ; present —The Hon E. C. J.'Stevens (chairman), Messrs J. Rennie, H. A. "Knight, G. Jamieson, W. F. M ; Buckley, J. Rainey, and R. H. M.H.R. • The Director (Mr J. Baynes), in his report-, stated that the College had been opened, for practical farm work on Jan. 22,. and twenty students attended. Lectures would begin, should the threshing then be completed, on March 12, when, or shortly afterwards, the Director anticipated an attendance of oyer thirty students. ' Practical examinations in out-door work had begun, the first having been held on Saturday, Feb. 9, by Mr Richard Wright, of Ellesmere. All the second year had been present, and had acquitted themselves' satisfactorily. Farm work had consisted chiefly of hoeing mangels, carrots and turnips, and 1 the sowing down of Field 16—a good loaim—ia grass and rape, the previous crops • having been rape, fed off a second year. The aftermath of clover, in Field 35, had been cut, and was oow being made ready for stacking. All the grain crops had been cut, and the stacking was in progress. The yield, judging by appearances, would be satisfactory, though not so' good- as was expected in the-earlier part of the season. A third draft of experimental lambs, forty-two in number had been sent to. the freezing works, and in' a fortnight the " remaining draft would need to be sent. The sales for the month had been —Two Shorthorn bull calves at £lO 10s each, two two-tooth Romney rams at-£5 5s each, one two-tooth Romney ram at £6 6s, and one young Berkshire boar at £5 ss. The report was adopted. .Mr R. Wright reported that, by request of the Board, he had examined the students of Lincoln College on Saturday, Feb. 9, in reapingi and stocking work. They commenced at 1 p.m., with a good team of horses, in an average wheat crop, and continued till 6 p.m.. -Each student had been given % trial with the reaper, which separate stooking trials were gone through. Judging the students by marks, and making the maximum for each work 50, firstly handling the horses and general knowledge of working the machine, and secondly stocking, he would place the students as follow :—-Goss, machine work 50, stooking,s.o; Fennecket, 50 and 40; Campbell, Bassett, Withey, Kimber, Montagu and Broughton, 40 in each subject; Rattray, 35 arid. 40; and Chick, 40 in machine work.. He considered the students had done well, and had been carefully-instructed. Their answers to questions regarding the altering of the machine for different crops had also been creditable. "

The report was adopted. Accounts amounting to £442 18s 7d were passed for payment. It was decided that the Farm Committee should be requested to make the annual valuation of- stock on the farm. It was resolved. that the Clerk should be' instructed to prepare- the annual estimates. The balance-sheet for the year was laid on the table. ffhe Director reported that it was ready to be submitted to the Government, and that it showed a lessening of the debit balance. The Board approved the balance-sheet.

Mr Renhde' moved that Mr Sandford, instructor in manual training at the Normal School, should be communicated' with, with, a-view to obtaining his services for the instruction- of students in manual classes. The Manual and Technical Instruction Act provided for a Government subsidy for continuation classes, and he was of the opinion that the Board should secure the services of a capable teacher. - This was seconded by Mr Buckley and earned.