AGRICULTURAL INSTRUGTION.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2598, 4 September 1909, Page 2

AGRICULTURAL INSTRUGTION.

VISIT OF MR. E. G. LOTEN.

The recently appointed instructor in agriculture and nature study to the Hawse's Bay Education Board, Mr. E. G. Loton, who arrived in Gisborne on morning, will meet the school teachers of the district at 11 o’clock this morning, and will address them on the general principles underlying the teaching of nature study, outlining a course for the teacher's, afterwards, if time permits, passing on to • agricultural and dairying work. ‘ Since Wednesday Mr. Loten has visited the different schools in the district, accompanied by Messrs W. Morgan and G. E. Darton, .and he expresses himself as being; very favorably impressed with the enthusiasm of the local members of the Board who have given up so much of their time in going round with him. His object in visiting the schools was "mainly to see' if any work been done in the way of agricultural instruction and nature stiidy, but with the exception of the Kaiti and Wae-renga-a-'hika schools he found that, as yet, little had been accomplished. At tlie former, as Mr. Loten told a “Times” reporter, he ascertained that some interesting nature study work had been going on, but it was confined to the higher classes, while at Waerenga-a-hika an excellent start had been made with the work of a school garden. “It is in this way,” rerttarked Mr. Loten.. “that we are going to teach our agriculture, adopting the American system of nature study as the fundamental principle of all our agricultural work.” Mr. Loten went on to give an outline of the course that would probably be followed, and mentioned that there would be flower/plots, individual nlots, demonstration plots, and experimental plots, thus dividing the work into four classes, adding that, as far as he is concerned, the main feature of ' the agricultural work will be the experimental division. He has noted, not particularly in Gisborne, but in other places, a great tendency to go m for experimenting with different manures. This he considers to bo a much too expensive system, and rather as something which should come later. A much better way is to take a variety of seeds, separating those of poor quality from the better class' of seed, and noting the results, thus enabling the pupil to learn the value of discriminating between good and bad seed. “Artificial manures,” continued Mr. Loten, “should only be used as a last resource.” ... The future movements of Mr. Loten have hot yet been decided, but it is probable that he will have his headquarters in Napier and visit Gisborne every month. On each visit he will make a. round of the schools, and. will also hold teachers’ classes for instruction in agriculture and agricultural chemistry. “It is only a matter of time,” concluded Mr. Loten, “when the work will be in full swing in this district, and the main thing is that it .appears that we will have the hearty sympathy and co-operation of the teachers. Mr. Loten, who arrived from Australia about a month ago under engagement to the Hawke’s Bay Education Board, has been pursuing agricultural work for over 10 years, and although only a young man, has had a very wide experience. Commencing .with pupil teaching, lie afterwards went into the teachers’ training school. Here he obtained a. scholarship, and entered tho Hawkesbury Agricultural College, where he took a complete course of agriculture. From Hawkesbury, Mr. Loten obtained an appointment as as-sistant-lecturer in nature study, botany and .agriculture to the teachers’ training college.