SCIENTIFIC DUTIES OF THE GOVERNMENT.

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 7342, 5 December 1884, Page 5

SCIENTIFIC DUTIES OF THE GOVERNMENT.

DdnJ£l>in, November 12.

At the annual meeting of the Otago Institute the president, Mr Petrie, delivered an address on 11 Some Scientific Duties of the Government of New Zealand.” He referred to the reckless destruction of New Zealand forests, and pointed out the necessity for the Government to conserve the same, and also of planting young trees. He urged that one of the scientific duties which the Government ought to discharge was to establish science and technical schools ; another duty was the establishment of model farms, where young men would be instructed in the propagation audculture of tobacco, oranges, bananas, sugar, and other products of a tropical climate. The Government should get the native fl -ra and fauna properly classified, and he thought uo abler man could be found to undertake this work than Mr Hooker, of Kew Gardens, England—Mr ICirk, of Lincoln College, Christchurch, and Mr Cheesemau, of Anck* land Museum, were eminently fitted to fulfil the position of colonial collaborators io such an undertaking.