OUR AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 3719, 2 September 1886, Page 3

OUR AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT.

In the course of an article on this subject the Mercantile Gazette observes: — What is wanted m this colony is a really practical and useful Agricultural Department. A properly organised and efficient Agricultural Department should do roul and practical work. Such a department ahould have competent teachers of praotical agricultural chemistry and the analyses of soils and manures. Tho sons of farmers could go there to study such subjects, to become expert m qualitating and quantitating analyses, and to acquire, a general knowledgo of chemistry such ob practically working m a laboratory would supply. In that way young men intending to folliw agricultural pursuits would gain the scientific .knowledge necessary to their work. Tho value of a practical knowledge of agricultural chemißtrv to the farmer is very great and can hardly bo too highly estimated. It teaches him to discover tho nature and oapabilities of the various soils of whioh his land is composed, and how best to deal with eaoh kind of land. Tlion the same knowledge of agricultural oheinistry enables tho farmer to make a proper seleotion of artificial manures, to test their quality by analysis, and to use them m tho most profitable ways. There are several other things which come within tho scope of a State Agricultural Department, Many butter and cheese factories have been established during the last few years m this colony but thero has been a sad lack of Boientific knowledge m carrying out the process of manufacture. Now there might be established m this Island — m connection with the Agricultural Department — a model farm, and butter and cheese factory j as. also a manufactory of condensed milk. At such a farm the sons o.f farmers could be taught practical agriculture, and butter and oheese making, as also the manufacturing of condensed milk, m a scientific way. The farm cadets who went through this practical course of scientific instruction would carry their knowledgo with them throughout their after life, and communicate it to others so that thfir influeneo for good would be large and wide spread. It is technical education of thin kind which is the great want of the rising generation m this colony at the present time. Boys grow up and many of tligra, look but for mercantile clerkships, or small Government billets m which, they will per-

form mere mechanical work and never rise to anything or make their mark m life. Our New Zealand boys Bhould scorn such occupation, and try to devote their hours and hands to some practical and useful work which will afford them healthy, usoful and pleasurable occupation, and assist m developing the resources and wealth of this grand and fair young land. We trust that many of our boys will be afforded tho opportunity of acquiring technical and scientific knowledge with respect to agricultural pursuits, which will prove of the highest value to them m their after careers.