THE FARMS OF THE STATE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 694, 20 December 1909, Page 10

THE FARMS OF THE STATE.

DO THEY JUSTirY COST? ..connection" with the Agricultural Department were \under': consideration in. the House' en Saturday.' evening, ■ con-, ;sideraljle 'discussion, took place is to tho value ■ of' the ''.various. State experiment - farms. .' Mr. ; .Massey, praised the work done at Lincoln College. It did not cost the Government a penny, and: the Government Experiment farms would-bb more-useful if they were run' on 'similar-lines. He would like to see a, Lincoln College-in the North Island. If the State farms were allowed to come into com-, petition with. private firms, his vote would-, go. every, time - for knocking them out. As' far as he ; .could'see, one' or.'two of them were use^ ? >Mr.; Witty (Riccarton) thought that ;ariy comparison between'.the experiment farms and Lin-; ,cbin 'College: wfcre unfair, - as-.the .latter.', institution received fees and revenue from endowments, v'lt iVas impossible to run State experiment farms, except-at a loss. He added.that only .the, «ons 'of "squatters went to Lincoln, College,-,, and it . was known that young men .had; been.": sent ..to it qven from Australia.; 4.'The Hon: T. Y. 'Duncan, said that when the ■State :farmsi irere;takeh;'in: hand the; property >as' ih a wild 'state, and a. great deal: of stumping, and drainage had to. bo done. Now, however,.■;these farms had shown what they were. capable /of, ';and were .iio w forging;'ahead*',. At the same time there were' not as ! many.,, students as:thore ought to be,'-and.greater en-' .couragenient -should be given to/the. sons.-of >hsiall .'men ;to gain knowledge on the farms. J, .'' Mr. Russell (Avon) thought that Mr. Duncan ': would find it hard'to show that the experiment .farm 9 had been a great; success.- Instfeait, of spending largo sums on such farms, the? Government, should ,devote a reasonable sum' for experiment plots on farms where tho farmers . themselves would do the work and experts would report on. the/results. _ , Mr. ..(Hj&jJdiui) '.thought ..that a com-ptactitjaijmeh-should b(J, sent round; to ascertain' If- 'the.-'results fr6m ! 'the farms justifiod their cost. There was undoubtedly'; a feeling; of unrestamong farmers .as - .to the, value of tho institutions. •' ,jj'j Mr. Hogan (Wanganni) declared that Mr. J. G.; Wilson, president of the Farmers' Uniqn, hid been favourably impressed •on tho ooba-- ,' the'-«xpeaases--in - connection;, with..., - -the' Jfai'tfrk. wduld noV.'bo unduly: cut down. ' -'. : V Mr. .Clark (Chalmers), inquired -why ;an ex-' -periment farm .had not 'been, established .; in. ..the south.C', ■ : ,■; ■ ' » Tlw^lto^r,'®-tho?«oteey6f; : ' very- b'riel 1 "■ that'v'he, would like' to see -suclr ■a fa,rm,;inf the South'lslarid-' ' ■■■'.-■ •-.MrIM Russell': ; ; Tlie southern ' farmers know how to farm. . ; ■ •. vThe-'Ministert'-.There is room for a farm— oven in Otago-- . ,