CANTERBURY AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6123, 9 March 1898, Page 4

CANTERBURY AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE.

The usual monthly meeting of the Board of Governors of Canterbury Agricultural College was held at Lincoln yesterday ; present— Mr H. Overton (chairman), Hons E. C. J. Stevens and WRolleston, and Messrs J. Eennie, W. Boag and H. F. Gray. The Director, Mr J. Bayne, was also in. attendance. It. was resolved, on the motion of the Hon W. Kolleston, to appoint Mr Bomberton secretary to the Board, the duties of the office to be discharged in addition to those of his present position. Some correspondence of a routine nature was read and dealt with. The Chairman reported upon the recent visit of his Excellency the Governor to the College, and that Mr J. E. Charlton had accepted reappointinent as lecturer on veterinary science, and that the books of the College had been audited by the Government auditor and found correct. The Director reported-that lectures began on Monday, and the newly -appointed lecturers, Messrs Guerin and Mellor, had arrived and taken up their duties. Thirtythree students were now in attendance and another was-to ariive shortly. As in former years, outside work and indoor work would go on alternately, and weekly examinations would be held. He was of opinion that a value should be placed upon these weekly examinations, and suggested that the Board might consider the advisableness or otherwise of an average being, taken between the results of the examination held by external examiners and the results obtained by the College authorities. Marks should be deducted for irregularity or unpunctuality of attendance on lectures and farm and garden work. Thi3 would create an incentive to good work among the students and enable the lecturers to exorcise more authority over them. The work] on the farm was going on satisfactorily. Harvest was over, and the yields of the different crops were as follow : — Five acres Chevalier barley, sown September, average yield peracre-10 bushels ; 21A acres nonpariel wheat, sown. May, 30 bushels; 9A- acres; white Tuscan, sown June, 80 bushels ; 16A acres white Tuscan, sown May, 33 bushels ; 15s acres, Hunter's white, sown May, 34 bushels ; 24A acres pearl, sown. June, IS bushels ; 25 acres pearl, sown May, 20 bushels; 19J- acres Sparrowbill oats, sown July, 37 bushels ; 8 acres duns, sown July, 35 bushels; .11 acres Sparrowbills, sown September,- 13 bushels;. 5 acres pigeon beans, sown September, 29 bushels ; 6 acres dun peas, sown October, 11 bushels ; 4 acres linseed, sown November, 10 bushels.. The total quantity of grain harvested was 439S bushels.. . The average yield, of wheat per acre over an area of 117^ acres was 26 bushels, and of oats over an area of 38 acres 30 bushels. The chief sales for the month had been 70 two-tooth rams at the ram and ewe fair at $g to 7gs. There were .70 still on hand. , The stock on the farm was as follows ; — Sheep and lambs 1125, cattle 81, pigs 75, horses and foals 20; total 1301 head. The green crops were looking well since the rain on Thursday ; grass was scarce, but the stock were all in fair condition. Among the Director's recommendations were that a plot for experimental grasses should be fenced off ; that a lucerne plot should be prepared, and that arrangements should be made for feeding store pigs; that arrangements should be made for a carpenter to instruct students, and that in view of the shortness of feed and the low prices that in all probability would rule for rams next year, the ram lambs should be somewhat severely culled so as to enable better attention to be paid to the best ram hoggets and secure bettor financial results from the farm. In reply to the Hon E. C. J. Stevens, the Director said that arrangements had been made for conducting the intermediate class for students as decided upon at the previous meeting. Mr Gray thought it was advisable to breed fewer stud sheep, aud of better quality. It' was no credit to the institution to get only three-quarters of a guinea for . ram 3. He moved — " That in the stud flock the number .of ewes of each breed should not excead fifty." The motion was agreed to. Tne other recommendations of the Director were adopted. Mr Job Osborne, in his report upon the examination of second year students in threshing, said that each one tried to do his best, and. considering the Bhort time each student had at. his'disposal to practise the work, they did very well indeed, ajid their instructor was undoubtedly a good teacher. The maximum number of marks was 100, and the total gained by students ranged from 40 to 85. The scholarship scheme brought up by the Hon W. Kolleston was approved. The letter drafted by the Hons W. Kolleston and E. C. J. Steveus, in reply to the Minister of Education regarding scholarships was approved. The receipts for the month were stated to be .£llO 14s lOd, and accounts to the amount of ,£385 15s 4cl were passed for payment. The Chairman and Messrs Gray and Boag were appointed a specialcommittee to see to the culling of the stud stock upon the farm. The Board adjourned till April 12.