39

E.—s

The classes in dressmaking started well, but gradually dwindled down to an attendance of three. Of the new classes the one in German, conducted by Mr. Palm, has been most successful. One pleasing feature is the liberal response by local bodies in the matter of contributions to the school funds. Taihape. —Three classes—dressmaking, woodwork, and book-keeping—were conducted, during the year, and were fairly attended. Hunterville. —Notwithstanding vigorous efforts only one class was started in this place. It was confidently expected at the beginning of the year that several classes would be formed, but when the time to start arrived there was but one small class offering. During the year all the school-gardens with the exception of two have been visited at least once, some gardens several times. The work done by the pupils, as in former years, has varied in direct proportion to the amount of interest displayed by the teacher. In many cases good work has been done; in a few cases the work has been disappointing. It was expected that a selection of experiments from the leaflet would be attempted by the pupils, and that tlie results would be set down faithfully, yet several schools omitted these experiments altogether. In some schools the experiments were well done. It is customary in some schools to work the garden up till the Christmas holidays, but after the holidays no attempt is made to estimate the weight of the various crops per acre. This work is important as a training in method, and should on no account be neglected. The notebooks are still a stumbling-block. Some consist of blackboard transcriptions. The other extreme is reached by those who never look at what the pupils are putting in the books. It is necessary again to state that the pupils' part should be kept separate from the teacher's notes, but that the pupils' work needs the constant supervision and criticism of the teacher. The flower-gardens are increasing both in number and quality. ' The tools are in a satisfactory condition. A few renewals have been made during the year. The school-gardens have been receiving a considerable amount of attention. Very good work has been done during the year at Marton District High School and Fordell. Orchards are coming slowly. So far the best one is at Ruahine. The nature-study part of the course is very often lacking. There is nothing to be gained in this work by teaching scraps of botany. What is wanted is to follow the growth of some tree, shrub, or annual plant during the whole year, and note the changes that take place from week to week and record these by notes and sketches. Several schools have been doing this during the year. A sample notebook is sent to me monthly for examination. The teacher's part in this exercise is to direct the pupils and to advise them in cases of any difficulty they may experience. The Rangiwahia Agricultural and Pastoral Association gave handsome prizes for competition among the school-gardens in that district. One result was a marked improvement in the appearance of the gardens. The Marton Agricultural and Pastoral Association is offering prizes for the judging of stock. The competition should interest the lads who have been to the Almadale camps, and it is hoped they will roll up in force. A class for practical work in elementary physiology and hygiene met regularly every Friday evening throughout the year. Most of the students were working for the D examination. On Saturday afternoons a class of teachers took practical dairy science for the same examination. The requirements for the "practical certificate in both these subjects will next year be in advance of what was required this year. The students will have to work longer hours or else take two years to the course. After this it will not be possible to give much instruction in theory, so that the students should note that the mastering of the facts of the sciences should be undertaken early in the year. Those who study hardest will profit most from the practical course. Dr. Hatherly gave a series of lectures to the students in the physiology class on first aid and ambulance. On Fridays throughout the year I taught the boys of the rural course botany, dairy science, and agriculture. The senior boys spent some considerable time at the examination of seeds. In dairy science the boys learned the use of the Babcock and Gerber testers, the acid test, the buttermoisture test, the various tests for added preservatives, and for pasteurization. The theoretical side of agriculture was studied. The girls of the domestic course had lessons in horticulture during a part of the year. A small garden is being prepared, and it is proposed to grow vegetables for the use of some of the cookery classes in the College. Both the boys and girls have had practical work in pruning. The boys in the Marton and Taihape District High Schools received twenty hours' instruction in dairy science on similar lines to the boys in the Technical College. During the first half of the year I taught one day a week in the Hunterville District High School. I gave lessons in chemistry, botany, dairy science, and agriculture. The work taken at the Marton School farm this year does not differ very much from that taken last year. Mr. R. B. Ryder gave a series of lessons on wool-classing. Mr. Banner and I undertook the lessons on farm practice, farm animals, first aid to farm animals, and farm mechanics. This year the boys from Feilding did not attend. The total enrolment was thirty-four. The boys came from Taihape, Hunterville, Marton, and Wanganui. Towards the end of the year a considerable number of boys left to take situations. During the second week in March we had a camp at Mr. Short's farm at Almadale for the purpose of studying the Hereford, the Clydesdale, and theßomney. The weather was bad and to some extent marred the work. As at last camp, a typical animal was studied, and when the boys had mastered the leading features of this animal, other animals were brought along and compared with the first. On the last day of the camp an examination in horse-judging was set and supervised by Mr. Carruthers. Six Clydesdales which the boyshad not previously seen were selected. The boys were required to pick the first, and third best out of the six. and write out their reasons for their decision. This test was _ witnessed by a number of farmers. Messrs. Burrell and Booth represented the Feilding Agricultural and Pastoral Association, who were giving the prizes for the judging test. The gold medal was awarded to J. Stewart, Feilding District High School, the silver medal to J, A.