COUNTRY CHIT-CHAT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIII, Issue 4424, 18 January 1876, Page 2 (Supplement)

COUNTRY CHIT-CHAT.

' ■ itWßrmar roB th* "mtEirxT HERAi.r>."] _ ) No .-'system, of. national, education»-in this : colony will.becomplete,i-unless branches for .technical! education be incorporated, , particularly.aa far a3 regards elementary training in practical. agriculture. . Por want of that necessary knowledge, the art'of farming-is very much behind what it:ought to be. It should be in connection with a State department of agriculture, with model farms located in .'different parts of the colony, and carried out on the principle of those now in existence in Erance, Germany, Switzerland, and the! United I States of America/ The establish-: ment of model farms is a vital necessity; where instruction should be given to malej and female youths in every branch of hus-; bandry. Instances are for ever recurring of; people who in easy." circumstances, and some of limited means, who with very little real knowledge of the theory or practice of husbandry, engage in it. They are ever exposed to impositions, both from the tradesmen nvho supplyt.'seeds, implements, and the various required requisites, as well as to the incompetent servants who have to: use them. They pay higher wages for the; purpose of obtaining the best practical men, I and obtain the lowest price for their produce' by growing crops at an expense that the sale; wiE not repay. They from time to time relinquish farming in disgust, declaring it to: be a losiug industry. If at an early period' of their life they had attended, even for no longer a period than one or two years, a! school such as should be sought to be; established here, and in connection witlr moilel farmß, they would have been taught the general management of a farm and the' cultivation of ordinary crops; how to ad-' vantageously cultivate fruit trees ; and have received instruction as to the breeding and the management of stock. All pupils at-1 tendiug such agricultural schools.should be compelled to take part in the work of the farm. Besides the ordinary farming operations, it is necessary that instruction should be given in practical farriery, the constructure and; working of implements of agricultural machinery, veterinary, pruning, and the judging of stock, with the inculcation; of the principles of geometry, surveying, and: book-keeping, with, chemistry, so far as relates to 'analysis of organic and inorganic matters, elementary botany, and vegetable' physiology, elements of architecture, the; art of preservation of every article of food, and of some practical knowledge of some trades which are essential to farming, such as rough carpentering, blacksmithing, brick and tile-making, with a knowledge of steam ■ power and steam engine. Upon these model farins active and improving employment: could be given to reformatory boys, which in| after life would make them,, usefuland intelligent farm labourers. They; should be located in different parts of; the colony, so that their position and lands: should be as dissimilar as possible ; but car-! ried out upon one:principle of control and' management, the course of studies being the ' same throughout; the experiments on crops, : tho breeding of stock, &c, carried on in the i same period, so that the quarterly report of; managers may enable the proper Department, of Agriculture to summarise the experiments: of: the various, farms, so as to arrive at con-i elusions as to the crops .which suit best ,ttie| 1.111(13 in the different districts of the colony, j The aim of country settlers should be to have inaugurated : —l. Technical agricul-j tural education; taught in . every , school thoroughout all country districts* 2. .A State Department of Agriculture,: with a respousible Minister at its' head/ 3. Schools in connection with model or experimental farms rendering practical educa- : tion in all its . ramifications. 4. (Would follow) —colleges of agriculture. It is the duty and business, and should bo the pleasure—of every Farmer's Club ,or Society throughout both islands—to agitate for and. doubtless obtain this agricultural want as herein described, and should never cease in ardour and perseverance until the object is accomplished, for in the success of agriculture lies the welfare and progress of the whole colony. Higher class education is already made attainable and provided in Auckland for its boys—by endowed grammar aud other schools—then why should not the country districts have the like chances given to the boys of the country settlers, when the object ,is of equal, if not paramount importance. The Auckland and Waikato Agricultural Clubs; just starting, may do a great deal of good: by inaugurating prizes for the best cultivated farms—say farms of 50, 100, and 500 acres in extent; —who can show the best management and the largest amount of profit to "the acre. Competant examiners should be appointed, and allowed to inspect the farms whenever and as often as they like. Farm account books must be j kept, and always ready for investigation; and all and every information respecting the I managoment of the land be always readily I supplied by the farmer. This system of premiums would be the means of bringing out whether rotation of crops could be sue • cesafully carried out here, and would very likely necessitate the trial aud finding out whether would bo successful, the ploughing in of green crope as manure, which has certainly been proved to be profitable in other parts of the world. Tho I question would then probably be solved of ! how to bring back the powers of our soil aud pastures, and whether the cultivation of sugar-beet, as iu the various departments o£ j France, as an alternate crop with cereals, j where it has gradually degenerated the soil, ■ and to such an extent that in many parts i of that country, even where the root is not I used for the manufacture of sugar, it is used and grown for the only and sole purpose of I improving the land. From the must autheiiII tic returns we learn that on farm 3 on which the yield of wheat had fallen off gradually; to t'le very lowest return, that by the adoption of root crops alternately.with grain the yields have boen brought Up to a higher standard than ever. While these facts are staring our agriculturists in the face, is it too mueji to ask of them, while thus drawing their aitcntion to the facts of the matter, to take into their serious consideration the propriety of acting out their own proper duty aud privilege, by resorting to every means in their power to briDg about this educational reform.' The question is.of very serious importance'to themselves and to the country, aud as neglect sometimes, becomes a crime, it behoves farmers and farmers' clubs to commence proceedings at the-earliest possible moment for the obtaining of this modicum of notice to their class and interest. '"'■'.' " i