AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12708, 10 November 1904, Page 6

AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION

';'';'- -"-;-":* 1 1 ' ; "r- ; - «». ""' - '•-■*; '' : ..-': 1: ;-: !: ' 'tZr^X;LECTURES FOR YOUNG FARMERS. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN COBBESFOKDBWT.]: Christohxjiu'h, Wednesday. At the conference of the Farmers' Union, Mr. Lowrie, principal of the Lincoln Agricultural College, explained his scheme of lectures for young farmers next winter. The number of subjects had been limited to four. In lectures on crops or stock chemistry would comprise the chemistry of manures" and soils, and also the subject of plant nutrition. " The veterinarian would give a course on the ailments of the horse and their treatment, and the biologist would giro a course am grasses. His instructions from the jjoard were to report on the feasibility of such classes for farmers and teachers in rural schools. The combination was not very practicable. The young far- [ mers they hoped to get had not been|ujcu&tomed to study, and it would therefore be I a difficult thing to adapt -the same lectures to both classes. A course for teachers could be proceeded wi:h in a much more rapid manner. Farmers., on the other hand, would be familiar with practical work, and would not require tho same instruction as teachers unacquainted with it. Regarding rural education, many suggestions that had been made were impracticable. He spoke at some length in opposition to the further .; crowding of public schools syllabus, and contended that in the primary schools the ohildren should be well grounded in reading, writing, and arithmetic. On the other hand, is in coumtry schools much could be done of a preparatory character by nature lessons, and by interesting the;childreriin the things around \ them and beneath their feet. He thought tie conference would do well to 'urge the Government to provide a much fuller scheme of training than that at present given.' With the necessary train- ■ ing in agricultural (subjects teachers would bo able to give nature lessons. As an example »of .the vast amounit of ignorance existing amongst teachers.on agricultural subjects, o-ifi of the delegates at the conference said he "knew of - a ' country school • teacher, a, farmer's daughter, too, who; gravely :' informed ; her : pupils that f lambs were born with short tails. " Pleas©t miss," said one of the girls, "that's not right, 1 because our . father cuts them off."