UNKNOWN

Waikato Times, Volume II, Issue 84, 14 November 1872, Page 2

UNKNOWN

' I; tmve, bv ttu- I'stalihshiiunit. ul a .New /jcaintal I !'iv<Tsiiy. ptoviiiml lor niU" sousini opportunity of [ oi[ti;i iiio* f! hich-e'nss ion wiiimiit. l!io iieees- i 1 v ol' li-iivine - "i ll ' sboros. Tito cuiioat-ion, howovor, i ;.i'.o :it :;nv nu;\ orsiiv is ."it a Li'C'.'.eral rather ! ,o.ii of a special i-haraoJer ; ilm-t us to say, av>il of ?poi*iaily lit man ior any pai'ticular pursuit. ; co'ony n 1 list- depend to a o-reat extent upon j :;'i'ieu'turo for its future prosperity. Science mul ; ::;'rieu!toiv :iro in tiiesc days so intimately con-; ..i eteii that it is an absolute neecssify for the luoilorn | nrnier to bo widl o-rontidetl in the natural sciences which bene upon his pursuit. Jlo can, of eonrsi?, i ; row goiid crops without a 113- special knowledge, but . ; : ti;e. lonp: vim it will l c found that tlto i'armcr i v.-iio uiu'crrstniuls the reason why certain rw.ilis are 1 .r.-dueed by a e'ive:i eo;:rse of pi Ojeedin:; - will o'l'ew , iai-e-cr eroi s. ei' ii better description than lib who ...ilv v.avks b;;' the" rule i>f thumb." The estaiuisu- , j.tent of an .Aoncuittiral ('cliche is sueli an obvious xvessity. tiuit it is a matter for wonder that; the | .tempt has not, been made etc this to found one in ; New Zealand. It. should be situated in some ui.:ri- i eultnral district., where land suitabio l'or practical : •■•istrucfion could be oluained. A good deal oi H-a- ; ..:t:sy bus been excited in this province by the i'uet | , hat the Now* Zealand I Diversity is situated iu ; (Hugo, and ife is now for the Auckland people to ' '.ajv'j a stir for the foundation of an Agricultural ! 1 'olleg'e in their province. Y\ e venture to suggest j that. a. inure suitable spot than AY aikato could not i lie found in the whole of Aew Zealand. The quality ■ of tho Soil' is for the most part good, but varies j verv much in character; the student, therefore, i .vould be enabled to acquire practical experience of j ihe best means of working different descriptions ot ie.ud. Jn an Agricultural College students fromali parts df the Colony, who-ior the most part would have been practically engaged! iii ligrieiiltiu'ai pursuits, would meet; this would lead to a comparison of notes which could not iail to prove beneficial. One of the principal causes of faiitn'.ft,. t>r. rather, the ouly very limited success of our farmers, is the cir- : '-'.uustiaice that very law uf Litem iiave even '

tlio Mualif.-i', smalter'ui f of ihu.su natural sciences which Leaf upon their pursuit. '1 lie INew Zealand fanner, as a rule, is contented it' lie clears ami j> 11 •u l; !j ii u[ > a certain quantity of ground and puts a crop <>l some description on it; il lie happens t<> hit upon the crop suite.l to the land, he congratulates himself on fiein rather a clever fellow, whereas, '■> most ease--, his success is a inert} matter of eluti cd} and not broiii: lit, about by any iorethought or technical knowledge not possessed by the majority ol educate I peojile who have ,never made (heir j articular study. Jn oilier eases the crop selected is totallv unlit tod (or the land in which it. is attempted to litow it, and the remit, of course, is failure. A U t.heniles for have probably been ri'j'uroiisJy complied with, and had tlie land been suitable lo the erowf.h of the crop, a tl'ooil return would have tje'ii the result. '1 he cause of these failures are invariably a want of tlie scientific knowli;! >'i; reouii ed to enable (he farmer to form a correct opinion as to the croj) Irs lau<l is capable ole e i.riisfc not be understood to ja'ive too inucli iin|lorUmee to the scieuiiiie branch ot a tai;'r,i:r's business to tin: Icsseniiiu' of the importance of acijiuriny pi;;<;lleal experience. I'ract.cal ktiow|,.,|i_r'c without theory will yrow more corn than theory without ptae ieal experience could possibly do. The object, in v.ew in establishing an Agricultural College is I.) combine the CWo, and for this purpose a large farm is invariably attached to each. The professor does not confine- his labours to the lecture room ; he accompanies the students into the fields and in.ifrucls them in tlie processes adopted in each and in the proper management ot live slock. It, is very little understood by parents, that it. is as necessary for their sons, if they are to beeonie successful farmers, to reeeivo special training, as il would be it' they were destined to foFlow the profession oi law or physics; to this lact is no doubt to be attributed the lion-c'tistence of more-Agri-cultural Colleges.. As we wrote above, the future of t.h'a colony depends upon its agi'icultrite ; and, with this truth in view, we trust, Lliafc the necessary steps ikr tlia cstablishineni of a College will be initiated. . , . .