AGRICULTURAL INSTRUCTION.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13433, 27 March 1907, Page 7

AGRICULTURAL INSTRUCTION.

PROGRESS IN TARANAKI.

BOYS TO IMPROVE SCHOOL GROUNDS.

Mr R. McK. Morison, of Stratford, travelling instructor in agriculture to. the Taranaki Education Board, sent an interesting account of. the past month's work to the Board. Ife reported- thatf he had visited all the schools in the district -*t which agriculture is taught,

and found in most cases the work undertaken had been well carried out. In some instances there had been marked success. Ttiis~was evidenced at the recent show of the Stratford Horticultural and Produce Society. The society had on its schedule four classes for the Taranaki schools. A really good lot of exhibits had been Vhown. They were favourably commented upon bythe public, and were mentioned by the judge as being the finest in the Exhibition. The instructor recommended that the Board should discontinue the system of. alloting plots othcirHhah flower plots to individual children. The ground, he considered, should be laid out in suitable lots* and worked by t whole classes under the supervision of the teachers. This would recfuce the labour of keeping dividing paths, clear of weeds and would ehable- the class to prepare the ground, sow the-'seedj an.d manure, harvest and dispose^^. the crop in a more business-like manner than at present.' *, "My next lessen," continued Mr Mbrison, , "will Be on the preparation and planting of cuttings. -To show how this scheme should work.pjut allow me to mention one of many cases — Tariki. The. teacher estimates that about seven hundred- Eleagnus Japonica plants will be required to plant round the new paddock. ; These plants at two years old would cost 15s per hundred, or £5 5s for the lst ; but, if carried out as I sug-^ gest, the! cuttings can b 6 secured from/ some of |he Board's own property, such as the Fr s ankley or Norfolk Road school grounds, Vhere they h'avVa good lot. The ground would fte prepared, the putr, tings made, planted, and attended to by the boys — the Result being not only a saving iri cash but m,any useful lessons in preparing, planting, weeding, wrenching, and transplanting."