DEMONSTRATION DAY

Taranaki Daily News, 13 November 1934, Page 3

DEMONSTRATION DAY

BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL FARM WORK. INSTRUCTION AT NEW PLYMOUTH. Despite fine weather yesterday the attendance at the New Plymouth Boys’ High School farm in Hobson Street at a field day was disappointing, as it had been arranged to give farmers of the district an opportunity of observing the methods of instruction employed and the type of practical work done. In welcoming the visitors Mr. W. H. Moyes, principal of the school, said there were two sides to agricultural instruction. There was one class of boy whose aim watf to study the scientific side of the work, but the demonstration did not deal with this. It dealt with .the practical work which would equip a boy to settle on the land and develop his farm and his stock in a competent manner. He recalled the time when the farm had been in a bad state. Under the instructors the boys had cleared and fertilised the land. The High .Schools’ Board realised the importance of agriculture in Taranaki and with the help of several donations stocked the farm and provided adequate facilities. ' Mr. Moyes introduced Mr. W. B. Grant, instructor, who conducted the demonstration.

Mr. Grant commented on the haphazard breeding of _tock in New Zealand. There was, he said, a lack of uniformity brought about by inexpert selection by breeders. To be successful a breeder must have enthusiasm and cominonsense. He also must be confident in his own ideal so that he would not deviate because of theoretical propaganda. There was a tendency to develop the breeding of cows on the amount of butter-fat or that of sheep on the yield of wool and weight Too many people forget development of the animal.

Mr. Grant stressed the importance of handling sheep carefully. Catching 4 lamb by the wool often had disastrous consequences on the state of the fleece. He pointed out the qualities to look for in selecting a sheep. Health and constitution were very important and in a sire good carriage was a sign of prepotency. After dealing with sheep Mr. Grant turned to pigs. It was a great mistake to breed pigs for the market, he said. No breeding ever produced good bacon. Without good housing and judicious feeding a pig would not develop on the right lines. A pig should not be allowed to feed continually. Only when it was resting and content was a pig developing. At the school piggery the time system of feeding was used and had proved successful in producing good bacon. He explained the points to seek in a pig, but emphasised that feeding was more important than breeding. Mr. Grant invited questions after his address, and after that the visitors were shown over the farm.

After the demonstration afternoon tea was served on the lawn at the farm house. Mr. L. A. Nolan, apologising for the absence of Mr. Billing, chairman of the board, thanked the visitors for their interest and attendance and he thanked Mr. and Mrs. Fowler for the afternoon tea. Mr. Pierce in reply thanked Mr. Nolan for the hospitality of the High School Board and said the visiting farmers had learned much from Mr. Grant s demonstration. He called attention to the excellence of the practical training afforded at the school in that any boy who had followed the agricultural course was possessed of the knowledge and experience that would fit him to become a successful farmer.