AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 1540, 14 May 1881, Page 6

AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION.

No. 11. ' In my last I promised to direct attention to the advantages there are at Home for the agricultural education of the farmer's children. I may state, in the first instance, that during the paßt six or seven years there has been sn increasing interest awakened among the farming population in the matter

of agricultural education, and now we find a large number of persons expressing an earnest desire to beoome acquainted with the principles of farm work. They wish to know the why and the wherefore of the different operations which they are called upon to perform. As an instance of this, Professor Tanner was complimenting a farmer upon the large array of silver oups he had upon his sideboard— prizes he had w6n as an exhibitor of stock. "Ah 1" said the farmer, "I would willingly give up all these if I possessed sufficient knowledge to secure a first-class certificate in the advanced stage of the Principles of Agriculture." During the month of May, 1881, over .4000 Btudenta will present themselves to the Science and Art Department for examination in the elementary, advanced, and honour Btagea of agrioulture. This earnest desire to know and intelligently comprehend the routine of the farmer's work has been recognised by the Government. They have seen the want, and have said, "Aa the want exists it mußt.be supplied." . , Sir Michael Hicks-Beaoh, in advocating agricultural education, said in the Royal Agricultural' Collage last June, "We live in days in which the discovery of new processes of agriculture, of new kinds of cultlvation, of new machinery, and inventions of all kinds, is as absolutely necessary for the progress of agriculture as of any other work ; and I do think this, that unless a man, by learning" what he can learn here pbrhaps better than elsewhere— unless a man byauch learning is enabjed to discover for himself the principles on which hla work ia done— the principles which should guide him in the application of that practice which I hope he will learn for himself— that unless he is able to do that, he oannot puthis.practioarknowledge to the best use, and certainly he cannot compete with the ciroumstanbea of the present day. Therefore I do feel this, that it is essential for the future that farmers, whereever they obtain their knowledge, should go deeper into these things.than the farmers of years ago used to go ; that they should be men of energy and of eduoation, as well aa 6f practical' experience, and in this way perform a useful work for British agriculture, the results of which will spread , not merely through 'the United Kingdom, but ako to the colonies and to distant India." " ; The dear manner far which' the subject • haß been presented to the British mind haß had not a little to da with the inoreased. interest., It has been atated clearly . that aoienoe ts not a aeparator between' the ( praotical man and his facts. Science comes, to the practical farmer, asks him for faots; that he knows, Beta to work, inquires thewhy and wherefore of those f aots, and afteri investigation brings back the information for the use of the giver. For instance, the practical man would Bay, "That horae is dead, therefore valueless." .Thia ; is >al practical fact. The educated man wouldj Bay, ( ?I wonder what waa the cause , of thatj death," and would set to work Wfind out,j and when a satisfactory conclusion , waa; arrived at, Bay, "I have found j out the death of your horse resulted from so and so,* and the cause of It was so and so ; this may help you in your future treatment of horses. ", The man who receives this,,, information, practices, in harmony with the knowledge imparted, and proves that farming ia, nq longer practice with science, , but,- the practice of soience. . In an address at Cirenoester, January 3rd, 1881, Professor Tanner Baid, " The question of education in agrioulture has been surrounded by many misconceptions which it la desirable shoul^ be cleared away. I may say it corresponds with education in any^ner busineaa,' in that it must be learnt aa every other business ia learnt, by taking part in the va'rioua details, arising from day to day in" agricultural praotice. We may even prooeed beyond this, and say that the practice of farming will be more perfectly mastered if it bej learnt in the district in which it has to, be subsequently carried out. "A system ot farming which is excellent in one neighbour- i hood, and under one set of circumstances, is; calculated to cause lobs and disappointment if rigidly followed elsewhere. We' majj therefore Bay that a knowledge of farm practice can be learnt by taking part' in the work of the farm; but we may extend' -the observation by also pointing out the great value of local experience." In consequence of such an assertion, as,, the, .foregoing^ the agricultural teachers in each district ari associating themselves, so that' in theij: several localities they may encourage the conf duct of well organised experimental research^ and assist' in' securing uniformity of pro[ oedure in the work. . •< As ißoon ag this is made known, the farmers smanif eat a general desire to take part in work which, haa some definite praotioal'' object . in vle,w. , The advantages are mutual., v Eaoh is .learning some fresh lesson of truth from , the other, and. eaoh is learning to respect the other more highly. . .. > i . 1 In my. laßt I •. .stated that the, Home Government had decided to make agriculture a subject to be taught in the elementary schools.., The book as, a ,text will' be,something like the Soience .Primers used in this Colony. The day-school teachers, to earn payment, will have to hold aa advanced certificate .under the Science and .Art Department. The amount paid either, to the school committee or teaoher will depend upon the result of examination, For the> present this is not to be compulsory, but optional. Thus, children (boys and girls) may get an early insight into the elementary principles of agriculture. This is the 'first step in the Home system. On the principle that "A little knowledge is a dangerous^ thing " the Government, through the Soienoe and Art Department, encourage the formation of evening classes in whioh the study maybe further pursued during the' winter 1 months. The instruction in these classes is a Btep higher than that given in the 'dayschools. They are managed in this way : A local committee of not less than five persons is formed. They have to aupply a' place in which the clasß io held; very frequently this is the day-school. They have further to bear the expense of lighting, &o. For the necessary apparatus they have to collect one-half the cost, the Government supplying the other half. Each student has to receive 20 to 25 lessons of not less than one hour each. In the month of May he ia examined. There are three sota of questions. He haa

to confine himself -to one Bet. - In each set there are two.olasses. If. lie passes in the 2nd class the teacher gets £1 ; if he passes in the .Ist .class the teacher gets £2 and the student a prize; ' The 'pupils pay a small' fee. The questions' whiob have to be answered are of a practical character, making it next; to impossible for one to pass who does not study the practice aawell as the theory of agriculture. Under one teacher there, are no less than 160 at the present time, and a large proportion of these are adults. Under this system the Government enables scholarships of £50 a year to be established, bo that the more advanced pupils may have the opportunity of carrying on the study of the subject to a still higher degree of perfection. Such scholarships may be held for one, twoj or, in Home "oases; '> tnrW years. An agricultural society, a chamber of agriculture, any association of private individuals, or, in fact, any one or more persons can establish one of these scholarships by paying £25 a year, and the department doubles the amount under certain* reasonable, conditions; Thus there are means at command by which county scholarships, agricultural aooitftar scholarships, chamber scholarships, scienak class scholarships, &c.,,&c, may be largely established'thr'oughout the kingdom. This iB the second step in the Home system. The next step is wanting, but 'the want" is perceived/and those interested mean to supply the demand. At present there is' no institution ia the kingdom, -except the University of Edinburgh}' 1 in 'which?" a scholar could carry forward; his,} studies, in,. ; agricultural science for the sum of £50 per annum. It is fell; that suoh should cover the cost incurred if. it; is- to be of that value to the sons, of farmers that it ought. ,Conae? quently a number of gentlemen, with Professor Tanner at their head, have set themselves the task of organising a hall of agriculture. Their effort Is "to provide colleges' or schools- in which a more complete course of science instruction may be secured, and in whiob. those holding science scholarships of £50 a year may secure for this sum a thoroughly good training in the sciences associated with agriculture." This, the third step, .is in all probability , initiated; by this time in the Home country. Above this it is proposed to convert the Royal Agricultural College into a central Institute, which shall perform the dnties of an agricultural university—an institute with which' the agricultural colleges andsohools in the. Kingdom, in .the colonies, and in India may be in close connection, realising the old 'adage, "In union there is strength." This is the fourth and highest step in the Home system. By the aid. of such a ladder young, men of ability and perseverence may rise step by step and procure "the very best instruction" in those sciences whioh are desirable as a more or less perfect preparation for their future occupation, i . : :-J ' < ..' » : < To a people thus being trained in matters agricultural, we are sending agricultural produce. We* hope to compete with 1 America ;-'6an we do it? Yes, if "we will. Bat we mast not suppose it can be accomplished without a corresponding system of .agricultural education. . It was stated in a local paper that the imports of breadstuff's into the British Empire had increased owing to the improvement in the quality on sale, .from- America. What can we do? To this question I will direct attention in my next. - William Jenner. " , r Lawrence, April 29tli.