AGRICULTURAL CAMP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16072, 11 November 1915, Page 9

AGRICULTURAL CAMP.

TECHNICAL COLLEGE BOYS. WORK AT CAMBRIDGE. f»r TEtECBABH. COSHESPOXDE>iT.] Cambridge, Wednesday. The 35 lads who, with their instructor, Mr. A. V. Donnan, have taken part in » 16 days' camp on the properties of Messrs. R. Reynolds, Ambury, and G. Nickle, returned to Auckland by rail to-day, having put in a most profitable time in gaining knowledge of all-round farm work. The lads are State school pupils who have won free places, and are taking the engineering, agricultural, science, and commercial courses at the Auckland Technical College. At this latter one-third of the time is devoted to educational subjects, a third to j practical work with demonstrations in I woodwork, metal, and concrete, and such, things likely to be useful to fanners, while the remaining third is occupied with agriculture and dairy science. These two subjects are comprehensively dealt with at the branch at Otahnhu. Experimental work is , here undertaken with grasses, manures, and crops, while a small orchard, and several blocks which are dealt with in farm rotation enhance the value of the work, which is thus both'practical and scientific. The students also take their theory work at Olahuhu, the first year pupils putting in one eight-hour day and the second year pupils two eight-hour days per week. Whether it is ploughing, harrowing, or .discing the boys perform. : all the work, even with horse teams. Experi- " ence has proved that the boys acquire v a more intelligent grasp of the subject at camps of instruction. One o£**faese was held last September at Mr. BfePs plbperty at Mauku, where methods mixed ing are in evidence. Then to show anpfcher type of work the Waikato--rras fleeted | for another camp. No finer site been selected, and, the MohayaleVjlf&perty, where* up-to-date methods areAenrployed, - offered excellent facilities (%i oSpiScreasihg the boys' knowledge and' usgMßtess. The plan adopted was to dividefihgfboys into squads of four, each squad?Sfan& the dif- - ferent varieties of wori^lhlSptation \ until the round was completed. IFhe manner in which the lads worked the dairies and milking-machines, and the general efficiency displayed in team work was commendable. On most afternoons the lads were assembled and instructed in such branches as dehorning, shearing and baling, docking and crutching lambs, dip-' ping, crutching, etc. A visit was also paid to Mr. Channing Buckland's property, where there is a very fine herd of Holstein cattle and Romney Marsh sheep. Mr. Buckland arranged" cattle-judging competitions for the students, and the discrimination evinced by vi* boys in allotting points was really excellent. The boys finished the day with a three mile steeplechase home, the winner putting up 'a fine performance, his time being just over 16 minutes. On Saturday last Mr. Collins, Government veterinarian, put in a day with the lads. The work was com- | menced by the boys helping to inoculate a i number of calves for blackleg. This was i followed by the slaughtering of a bullock, condemned because of wooden tongue (actinimycosis). After killing the animal was dissected, anatomical explanations given, and the seat of diseases common to animals pointed out. All day Monday was spent at the Ruakura experimental farm, where, under the guidance of Mr. Green, the manager, much information • was gathered. - On Tuesday Mr. W. J. Andrews, president, and Mr. J. S. Fisher, vice-president of the Cambridge branch of the Farmers' Union, visited the camp, and expressed pleasure at the useful work done. The same evening Mr. Robert Dick gave a lecture on " Manures and Manuring." He had an appreciative audience, and was delighted with the intelligent questions submitted to him. Throughout the camp the boys in turn did the cooking, the average cost of rations and tents for the whole period working out at Is 3d per day. The boys by their exemplary behaviour and good work earned the raspect of all with whom they came in contact.