RURAL EDUCATION.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 144198, 15 September 1913, Page 8

RURAL EDUCATION.

LESSORS FROM AUSTRALIA. During the Parliamentary recess Mr. Edward Nowman, M.P., paid a visit to New* South Wales and conducted exhaustive inquiries, on the spot, into the constitution and operations of the Hawkesburv Agricultural College m New South Wales. Mr. Newman has embodied the result of his observations in a report which was presented to both Houses of Parliament on Thursday, At the close of the report some questions, which were nut to the director of the college, and his answers, are sot down. Some of the more interesting are as follow: — Mr. Newman: What percentage of the students become farmers? Mr. Potts: Wo hare turned out about 1600 students, and up to nine years ago we had no means of getting accurate figures. Hut about nine years ago a journal was started which every month contains columns giving particulars of the whereabouts and employment of old boys. A register has been started and definite information has been gained, showing that about 75 per cent, of our boys aro on properties of their own or occupying responsible positions as managers of properties or acting as teachers in this and other countries. THE AIM.

Mr. Newman: Is tho aim to produce farmers or teachers? Mr. Potts: Fanners. But every year senior boys show that they are suitable for teaching purposes. A lad is found to be naturally endowed for tho calling of a teacher. When wo find a bov like that wo get him as a teacher either for this college or elsewhere. Special instincts aro neccssfify for teaching. The aim is. first, to develop character; second, the maintenance of a robust form of health: third, a strictly technical training, tho object being a good sound knowledge theoretically of tho principles underlying all tho operations and manual dexterity in all operations ofjfao farm and in tho management of live-stock, so that when a boy leaves the college in possession of tho diploma wo have tho utmost confidence in his capacity to earn his own living on tho laud or to occupy some responsible position in managing a property. Wo arc particu-larly-careful about tho practical aspect of his training in this country, where wo have continuous sunlight and tho advantage of an immense area of land attached to tho college, with a good typo of draught horse, so that there is ample opportunity of turning out a lad thoroughly skilled in practical work. COURSE OF INSTRUCTION.

Mrj Newman: When a boy arrives hero,!what is done with him first? That is, a boy who says he wants to bo a farmer? Mr. Potts: He has to go into the first year class, the indoor work of which is disclosed in the curriculum, and in which his primary education is directed towards the practical side of life. Take, for instance, his school geometry it is utilised for tho purpose of teaching him elementary surveying, in taking out tho area of a paddock, tho contents of a dam, or a stack ; further, by its use he can apply himself to tho taking of levels by means of the dumpy, and if lie wants to do a little irrigation on his farm, instead of employing a licensed surveyor at three guineas a day. he docs it himself. Then, again, farm! book-keeping, which -is an important essential in the commercial management oF any farm, is taught; also elementary chemistry, elementary agricultural botany, and elementary agricultural ontomology. Then, on tho farm he is taught to milk in tho first year, he is taught to handle horses, and later on the use of a single-furrow plough, tho light implements, such as cultivators and scarifiers, and he is steadily introduced into the various sections of farm activities. Tho second year provides a higher education, both on tho farm and indoors. Tho second and third years* work become more interesting, in so far as tho principles laboriously inculcated in the first year are applied in various operations in the second and third, and become more attractive and intelligible. For instance, in agricultural chemistry, after going through the elementary course, the students aro taught the analysis of dairy products, such as the fat content of milk,’ estimating tho moisture in blitter, ‘the mechanical analysis of soils, soil physics, and the chemistry of manures as applied commercially; and towards the end of their full course the commercial aspect of tho training is fully discussed.