RUAKURA FARM

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 25, Issue 3761, 27 May 1936, Page 2

RUAKURA FARM

ITS SCOPE TO BE EXTENDED.

TRAINING OF YOUNG FARMERS

‘‘The Ruakura Farm of Instruction must be made to exert a far greater influence on the farming of the Waikato than at present," declared the Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. W. lee Martin, when questioned in Hamilton yesterday, in outlining the future activities of the Department of Agriculture throughout the Dominion.

‘‘The farm is well equipped to turn its attention to the real needs of the district in One particular alone, namely, close co-operation with the Waikato Pig Recording Club. It can easily exert a profound influence, .and intensification of work along the lines of the problems of the Waikato in pig, dairying and sheep management is intended,” the Minister said. In all agricultural countries the State was turning serious attention to the training of the youthful farmer. The remarkable result that was following what might be termed directed self-reliance in youthful agricultural development by means of young farmers' clubs in many of the older agricultural countries was of great significance. The movement had already commenced in New Zealand in a comparatively small way. The Department intended to lend its support to the movement so that it might develop in a big way and be of real significance.

“General co-operation in the development of organised knowledge, better and more intensive instruction, better and more logical administration of regulation, the stoppage of farm leakages, superiority rather that inferiority in farming endeavour, leading to quality production, diversification of production, and the development of youth along progressive farming thought, and' leadership won by performance, must be the basal features of departmental endeavour, end it is my policy to bring this about," Mr Lee Martin added. "The policy of the Labour Party is a progressive one, based oh the requirements of the people as a whole, and so the policy of the department must be a progressive one based on the requirements of agriculture as a whole."