Death of Mr. J. M. Smith, Director of Fields Division

Wanganui Chronicle, 2 October 1947, Page 4

Death of Mr. J. M. Smith, Director of Fields Division

Mr. J. M. Smith, director of the Fields Division of the Department of Agriculture, died this week in Wellington at the early age of 48. He was widely known in both the Wanganui and Marton districts. His whole professional life was devoted to the improvement of New Zealand farm.ng. and he was a successful instructor in agriculture. Mr. Smith was awarded the rural

scholarship in agriculture at the Levin High School in 1915, and later received practical farming experience as cadet at the Weraroa experimental farm. He spent two years at the Hawkesbury Agricultural College, New South Wales, and gained the college diploma in 1917. He joined the Department of Agriculture in 1918, and was stationed in turn at Moumahaki, Wellington, Marton and Wanganui, lie was appointed instructor of agriculture, New Plymouth, in 1926, fields superintendent at Dunedin, fh 1934, and fields superintendent at Aucklad in 1939. During the latter war years he was appointed superintendent of services vegetable production. In 1945 he became director of the Fields Division.