Agricultural Education

Manawatu Times, Volume LV, Issue 7026, 9 December 1932, Page 8

Agricultural Education

Work of Palmerston North Boys’ High School

To-day, as never before, the attention of tho peoplo of New Zealand is being directed to the paramount necessity of affording modern and scientific training for our boys who intend taking up farming as a profession, for many years Palmerston North Boys’ High school has been specialising in this Work and tho ever-increasing percentage of the boys who are taking this course, the large number of farmers' sons who have been trained at the school, the success of past pupils in commercial firms dealing with land products, and the very line record of the boys who have gono on to Victoria College and to the local Massey College attest the thoroughness of the training given, and its practical application.

The agricultural department of the school is under tho direction of Mr. J. J. Stevenson, who some years ago recognised the supreme importance to farmers of this district of grass culture and keeping up-to-date in regard to latest developments in grass land production. In his address on “Crass” to the Citizens’ Lunch Club, His Excellency, Lord Blcdisloe, emphasised the importance of a proper understanding of tho scientific principles underlying efficient cultivation of grasslands, and it is pleasing to know that our local secondary school has been supplying that essential to the younger generation of farmers.

Perhaps no secondary school in New Zealand is so advantageously situated ior giving a thorough training combined with a practical application of the scientific foundations of agriculture as tho Palmerston North Boys’ Hign school, in the fact that the school enjoys the enthusiastic co-operation of tho authorities of both Massey College and the Research Station of the Department of Agriculture. Both these institutions are situated at Palmerston North and this is an advantage not only to the farmers of the district and the students of Massey College, but also to the boys attending the local High school. The very thorough co-operation with the Boys’ High school of these institutions is demonstrated by the following list of work taken by the lecturers, demonstrators of Massey College and the Agricultural Department: —

(1) Introduction to Study of Biology, Mr. E. Waters. (2) Stud of New Zealand Plax and Methods of Selection, Dr. Yeates. (3) Chromosomes, Dr. Yeates. (4) Parasitic Diseases of Sheep and Their Control, Mr. Tetley B. Ag. Sc. (5) Wool and the Benzol Test, Mr. Elphick, B.Sc. (6) Soils of Massey College, Mr. Scrivener, B.Sc. (7) Fertiliser Exports, Mr. Scrivener, B.Sc. (S) The Milking Shed and Machinery, Mr. McMeekan, B. Ag. Sc. (9) The Farm Horse, Mr. Dosser. (10) Farm Machinery, Mr. Dosser. (11) Diseases of Dairy Stock, Mr. McLinden. (12) Supplementary Fodder Crops, Mr. Jacques, B.Sc. (13) Grass Selection, Mr. Jacques, E.Sc. (14) Cheese and Butter Manufacture, Mr. Valentine. ' (15) Seed Testing (Ultra-Violet Ray method), Mr. Foy B.Sc. (1G) Grass Selection and Rye Grass Trials, Mr. Bruce Levy, B.Sc. (17) Potato Trials and Diseases, Mr. Claridge, B.Sc. (18) Crop Selection, Mr. J. N. Hadficld, H.D.A. , (19) Demonstrations on Stock by Experts at Royal Show. . This co-operation enables the High school boys to keep in touch with the very latest research work and must necessarily engender an intelligent interest in the problems facing them when they proceed to the farms of the district. The value of this work is recognised by the Education Department and free’ places are granted not only to proficiency holders, but also to those holding a competency certificate pro.vicied they take the agricultural course. The course is divided into sections (1) for those proceeding to matriculation and taking agriculture as their science subject; (11) for farmers’ sons who do not wish to matriculate, but are definitely going on the land, a more specialised course is provided; and (3) for those boys who wish to join a commercial firm trading mainly in farm products an agricultural course combined with accountancy is provided. Tho Palmerston North Boys’ High school holds a high place among the secondary schools of the Dominion, not only in its scholastic results —last year |(58) boys matriculated—but also in the field of sport, and above all, in the true function of a secondary school, character building. Farmers sending their boys to this school can rest assured that combined with a scientific agricultural training, their boy 3 will get that sound character training that is the greatest gift of tho secondary' schools of this Dominion.