THE RUAKURA FARM.

Waikato Times, Volume LVII, Issue 8069, 1 December 1906, Page 2

THE RUAKURA FARM.

«. _ ME HcNAB'S IMPEESSIONS. VALUABLE WOEK DONE. Taking advantage of a few minutes' chat during a railway run with the lion, E. i AlcNab, Minister for Lands and Agrieul- : ture, on lhursday, a representative of the I Waikato limes askel that gentleman j what were his impressions of the state ! Farm at Kuakura, which ha was visiting i for the first time, ! " Well," said Mr McNab, " what struck 1 me most was the very forward condition ot j the farm ; I had no idja, indeed, that suoh ! a large am. u it of valuable work had been I done. 1 was particularly pleased witu this because it is along the lines I think the Agricultural Department should work. By invest gating the condition of the | soil we are enabled to arrive at the right solution of tho quostioa of the correct method to be employed. Not only at Kuakurt, but at i hive been '■■ struct* by the tact tl. it thure is tar m re i than most people suppose in tiie theory j that wlut we most require is Knowledge ot , the soil. lam mjre conviuced than ever J that the future treat netut ot soils iu AuciI land is Cj bi ascertained by experimenting j at the Siate taruis, auJ that the BeCiOi is i tj be won,' 1 Continuing, Mr McN'ab said he had seen samples of oats at Kuakura that farmers in :sJjuttiland would have been perfectly j satistiei with ; an 1 soutaland was considered the great oat growiug country of j Australasia. The sheep and cattle were bAh doing well, 'ihe plan of cultivation was perfectly familiar to h.ni. " Did you particularly notice the experimental Dlols'r" iiujried the inter-

Continuing, Mr McN'ab said he bad seen sampled of oats at Kuakura that farmers in Southland would have been perfectly satisfied with; an 1 Southland was considered the gtu.it oat growing country of Australasia. Toe sheep and cattle were doing well, 'ihe plan of cultivation was perfectly familiar to h.m. " Did you particularly notice the experimental plots r" qujried the interviewer. " Yes," was the reply, " the experimontal plots of grasses were most interesting to ui)'self, but, as a nutter of fact, they are very interesting to the general public. At the Chrisiehurcn Exhibition experimental piots formed the most attractive feature of '.he Agricultural Uepactm nt exhibit, the manager of the Kuakura station, Mr Dibble, tells me that his piota aie exciting gieat interest locally." Kef'-rring to the sending of exh bits to the variou-, agricultural shows, such as that at the last Waiksto Show, the Minister siid these would be of gieit v ; ilue fron an educational point of v:eyv. " Is there anything you can add to your statement this nuruiug in reference to the taking of uadets on the State famis, Mr MoNab." "Only thi?, that [ iiopo wo miy, within a few months, be able to take thesa cadets; the cost to the S;ate will be little or nothing, in spite of tho fiot of their paying no premium, because on a farm like that atßuikura they can be made to render a great doU of assistance in cirrying out the ordinary work. They wouk see, right from the start, tiie best methodi of cultivation, and they would learn ex p-rimental methods; there is nothin, like well conducted experiments to interest yuung tc.lows and to show them that farm, iug is not necessarily mere dru igery, t. show them that the year's routine means so large a variety in the way of classes ol oropsaad rotat.ou that the cycle of the yoir fever becom -s iuoa> toujus. The young farmer could also bo shown that farm ug c»nbc carried on scientifically and profitably. Ulco a young follow recognises that 1 am perfectly coutident we will stop him running into the city and getting an asphalt education." Mr Clifton's promotion was mentioned by the pressman, aud elicitei the reply that that gentleman "is in the immediate future taking over the control of the whule of the si of tho col >ny. He also takes Otrer thy control yf s!| experimental stations. Mr Clifton is known from tho extreme south right up to here. Some time ago he spent nearly two years' iu , tago, r i from his knowledge of the c dnny lie in eaiint-nwy ( Ui!iti 1 for the work." Mr Mc.N'ab said he had not hoard a L,ingi worl i f diiupproval to the appointment—either p il;tio .Uv or locally.

Reverting to the Euakura State Farm, tho .Minister Baid the present building l ! won: in :- ramshackle condition, and what was w,T=e, »6i'v' nc-t lande! A sum had I), on j k» len tl o Est mates for tho con-

etructi n<-f a byre, theplini for which he j had inajvei ted tfi it morning ; the pr, p sed j site li ~1 algj b on i ,s|o :ted. The work I w ljll be gone on with, i >/"tber witri that v ; 'he »«;■ unnoda i not the cadnts, as tho mo-t urgent w■ >" L ' Po'itn-illy be regarded the cade' accotnuiodati n as tho ui'st urgent because it would oo t.i first frui's of the firm. Finding the Uuakura farm so rar a iv.inced he was enab ed to indicate the p boy to b pursued, but -u the ..ase of other Nations he was tit in a position to doe,, .„. From that point c uversation took the place of the fui iu u interview and shortly after leaving B'rankton the Mini--ter retired to hi.- private compartment to deal with a huge pile of correspondence already classified by his private secrotary. Mr Mewhmney. 'lhere he was seen busily engaged as the pre.-suan left the car at Ngaruawahia.