The Ensign. GORE: THURSDAY, APRIL 16. AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE.

Mataura Ensign, Issue 1170, 16 April 1903, Page 2

The Ensign. GORE: THURSDAY, APRIL 16. AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE.

An interesting proposal is now on foot in Invercargill to establish classes for the reception of knowledge in agricultural soienoe. To further the scheme and also to endow it with the necesssry amount of permanance to assure its ultimate usefulness, the aid of the Farmers' Union has been invoked. It is suggested that the matter should be brought within the general scope of the technical classes system, and that a regular oourse of lectures should be given to enable school teachers under the Education Board, as well as other students, to attend. The meeting at Invercargiii recently which discussed preliminaries in commotion with tho matter was of opinion thai, !ho services of MrPAiEiisoH (organising seoretary of the Farmers' Union) should be secured as lecturer ou veterinary subjects, Mr Hilgenuow', another very competent authority, to be engaged to lecture on agricultural chemistry and allied subjects. The whole position was briefly discussed, and/ it was decided to refer the matter to the Provincial Conference of the Farmers' Union, which meets on the 25th inst. The teaching of the rudiments, *at least, of agricultural chemistry in schools is a topic that has been consistently juggled with by most public men seeking the suffrages of the people. The theme is a fascinating one, and brimful of latent possibilities, but so far it has failed to materialise in any shape of tangible worth to the community. Apart from its virtue in a purely academic sense, the acquirement of knowledge in agricultural science is a distinot gain to the individual and to his neighbors with whom he is in touch. The agricultural industry, as distinct from almost every other calling, does not placo a premium upon tho invention or discovery of secret pr; cesses that may in their exploitation givs a direot advantage to one individual over many others pursuing the same calling. It is an occupation which advances in sympathy with the advance made by all within its ranks. It affords no scope for the operations of Carnegies, Rockefellers, or Astors. It is an involuntarily constituted industrial democracy with which, in the broadest sense, the concerns of one are the concerns of all. It is therefore to the advantage of no single farmer to withhold from his fellows knowledge that will aid in either increasing the productivenesss of the soil or saving labor. All this being so, it is manifestly to the interest of all who are concerned in the welfare of the agricultural industry to secure the widest possible diffusion of knowledge that will lead to the evolution of better farmers and a better system of farming. The question being one that is so closely connected with the material prosperity of Southland, it is impossible for its claims to escape recognition in some shape or form. Obviously the matter is one for the Farmers' Union to lend assistance in pushing on, and the spread of knowledge in agricultural scienoe comes well within the scope of the Union'B operations. From the modest system proposed to be inaugurated at Inveroargill good'results may be expected to flow in course of time. Knowledge gained by public school teachers will in turn be diffused amoug the scholars, and it would not be too much to expect that the Education Board will cause the subject to rank among those of prime importance in the ordinary school curriculum. Boys emerging from their educational course armed with definite knowledge on rural topics and entering upon the honorable occupation as tillers of the soil would, considered from an economic point of view, prove much more desirable of the State than those who had first to serve an arduous apprenticeship in the school of experience, finally taking up their duties in life backed by knowledge of a purely rule-of-thumb character. Though it would be somewhat extravagant to suggest that such a scheme of technical education eonducted under the auspices of the Farmers' Union would make unionists in miniature of all the youths coming within the scope of its influence, there is no doub 1 ; but that the Union would be vastly strengthened in the process. The Union in Southland-to-day is more of an educative medium than was ever conceived possible for it to become, and there is no reason to urge against the assumption that the budding farmers once having been fitted for their calling in life, would elect, on reaching man's estate and influence, to pursue an upward and rnward path towards greater development of their mental powers as applied to the occupation claiming their energies. And as the Union offers the greatest scope for the development of such faculties no doubt the technioal classes established under its auspices for the benefit of school children would prove an ever-increasing recruiting source for its ranks. The various educational institutions having voluntarily fallen into line in connection with this important matter, the opportuniiy presenting itself appears too good to be lost sight of. It is now too late for the various branches to deliberate on the question before the Conference opens, but it is to be hoped that the delegates appointed will give it full and careful consideration in order that some workable scheme may be finally decided upon. The matter is one which concerns the farmers most intimately, and they are best qualified to bring practical experience to bear upon the attempt to solve the mucb-vexed problem how best to fit the rising generation to take its place in developing the resources of the colony in the face of the ever-increasing flood of competition threatening from outside. The ultimate issue at stake is not the lucrativeness of markets, but the very existence of New Zealand as a producing country.