“STRATFORD EVENING POST" WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1924. AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXXIV, Issue 3, 25 October 1924, Page 4

“STRATFORD EVENING POST" WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1924. AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION.

Very useful information was gathered by the Hon. George Fowids, president of the Auckland University College Gounod, during his recent visit to Canada and the United States, when he took the opportunity of visiting a number of universities', giving special attention, to those which had developed eomcderable faculties or schools of scientific agricultural education and experiment. In a report which he presented to the Council at a recent meeting, Air Fowids stated that he began with the University of British Columbia at Vancouver, and travelling east through Canada visited the University of Manitoba a,t Winnipeg, and the University ol Toronto in the city of Toronto. He spent two days at Guelph Agricultural College, now a part of the University of Toronto, taking part in the semi-centennial celebrations of that wonderful institution, which is. the parent of all Canadian Agricultural Colleges, and

which has made a valuable contribution to the cause of scientific agricultural education throughout the world. He also spent a day at the Macdonald Agricultural College near Montreal. In the United States he visited the Wisconsin University at Madison, the Minnesota University at Minneapolis, the Agricultural I College of Oregon at Corvallis, the I second largest agricultural college in America with -I. 100 students, the University of California at fßerkely, the Leyland Stanford University at Paulo Alto, California, finishing up with the University of Hawaii at Honolulu. The predominant impression left on Ids mind as the result of his visits and inquiries was the magnitude of the expenditure which had been made'and which was being made in both Canada and America on scientific agricultural education and experiment, compared with the meagre expenditure which lias been made or is proposed to be made in New Zealand, and that fact made it very difficult-to suggest even the preliminary steps which ought to lx? taken in New Zealand or in Auckland. New Zealand’s geographical position and provincial interests and prejudices added, greatly to the difficulty. One (conclusion stood, out clear and distinct as the result of all his interviews with educationalists and laymen interested in agricultural education and that was the vital importance of agricultural education being included as an integral part of university education generally. Mr Fowlds recommended that the Council should proceed at an early date with the apointment of a professor of agriculture, stipulating for a man specially qualified to teach dairy science, dairying being the principal industry of the Auckland district, and endeavour to secure the services of a man with a strong and attractive personality, who would be able to travel round amongst the agriculturalists of the province and create the desire for scientific agricultural education, and at the same time stimulate a willingness to contribute the wherewithal to provide additional facilities for an extension of work of the school. He believed he made contact with men in Canada who would bo willing to assist the college in securing the services of a good man to fill the position. Tlie (allege could also secure the. help of outstanding men in Great Britain, who would advise them regarding the fitness of any applicants in that country..