EDUCATION IN AGRICULTURE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18225, 19 October 1922, Page 10

EDUCATION IN AGRICULTURE.

Sir,—lt is gratifying to note the efforts being made ay the Auckland Provincial Committee to induce Parliament and the public to support agricultural education. That such effort is needed to counteract the views expressed recently by a man high iff the agricultural world in New Zealand, that " He did not see much need for education in agriculture," can easily bo learned from an acquaintance with the progress of agriculture in New Zealand. The fact that lucerne was grown in Egypt successfully 4000 years ago was instanced to mo 'recently as an evidence that there was no need'for agricultural education. On the'; contrary, this is; a strong argument in favour of agricultural education. The civilisations'- of ancient Egypt and the' Romany .Empire are recognised to-day as having been of a very high order, and students would undoubtedly learn much of value fe>m a study of the agriculture of these ancient empires. A study of the history of agricultural progress in different countries may give us very valuable guidance, as witness, the capturing of the BritishVbacon market by the Danish bscon. Everydfie must realise, after a moment's the value of the Babcock test, the manufacture of special flavour cheeses as Rocjuefort and Camembert by the use of cultures or starters containing the organisms giving the special flavour, the use of inoculation of soil or seed of various legumek- ' These are all the result of investigation by men educated in matters pertairpng to" agriculture. We must recognise, "the general improvement in live stock : 'j*nd improvement in crop production 'and agricultural practices following on agricultural education. Education in agriculture in other countries is teaching t£e fafiner to keep proper books, which enables" him to compare accurately his farming; results with those of his neighhours ?or comparing results of different brancfiia of his farming operations, and thus discovering which methods and which classes of farming are paying and. which are nojbv An almost endless list might, be made .put of. what agricultural education is doing in improving farm methods and farming practice in other countries. 1 he last but certainly not least, benefit of agricultural education I would mention, is thejjningliug of students in agriculture •with s&vlderita for other professions. .Such f'nds Ib raiise agriculture from the sphere of bkitted.,i«ibow' to. th'aft scientific work. * ■' inKAfi.

CITY COUNCIL BY-ELECTION.

Sir—With reference to the by-election to bo held on the.2sth inßt., I certainly agree that the ratepayers of Auckland should not be put to the expense of £400 in connection with this by-election. I? as a matter of fact, came into the field first. I advertised •my candidature before any other candidates intimated their intention of standing, and, as the late Mr. Bagnall was! resident in l?onsonby, it appealed to me that it was not unreasonable that a Ponsonby man should complete the late Mr. Bagnall's six months tenure of office. In yesterday mornings Herald, it is stated that Mr. Furness made a suggestion yesterday that representatives of the three candidates should meet and conic to an arrangement. i say emphatically that no such suggestion wis made to mo or my committee. 1 would, and do welcome, such a suggestion and will meet Mr. Furness, or his committee, and the other gentleman. committee forthwith. Prior even to Mr. Sullivan's nomination, in order to save tho council expense, I offered on a number of occasions to allow a delegation oi mv committee to meet a similar delegation of tho committee of Mr. Furness to decide who should stand down. My overtures were invariably rejected and ignored, and' neither Mr. Furness nor his committee would meet in any conference. I now publicly again make tho f>an|© offer. I am prepared to allow the whole matter to be decided by my committee and to stand bv tho decision of any conference. I coVdially extend a similar invitation to the other gentleman who has been nominated. I have delivered » copy of this letter to both the other candidates, who received my letter by ten o'clock this forenoon. At,f. Thompson. October 18. P.S.— Sinec writing* the above letter, I have at last received a belated reply to my communications and will at once place the same before my committeo. A.T. Sir. —Copies of tho following letter have been scot to the chairman of committees of Mr. Alfred Thompson and Mr. J. J. Sullivan : Sirs, —Following oil tho lilies that have appeared in tho daily press with regard to tne municipal by-election, iny committee endorse the economical sentiments therein expressed, viz., the saving of the cost of an election to tho ratepayers. To achieve the object we make the following proposals:—(l) That three representatives from each candidate s committee meet and confer before noon on Thursday the 19th at tho Chamber of Commerce. (2) That such representatives be empowered by their respective candidates io abide by tho meeting's decision ou one of the three following proposals: ia) That the selection be mado by tho Mayor and councillors in their private capacity ; ib) That the selection bo made bv the editors of the Heralp and Star with the Mayor in his private capacity as umpire; That the selection be made by tho executive 1 of the Chamber of Commerce. It is expressly stipulated that under no condition whatsoever must a decision be arrived at by tho medium of drawing lots. My committee, after careful consideration, feel confident that the adoption of any of these suggestions will permit of finality being reached without tho unnecessary "expenditure of the ratepayers' money. C. H. Fprnkss. •