THE SCIENTIFIC FARMER.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1668, 7 February 1913, Page 8

THE SCIENTIFIC FARMER.

. ■ CHIEF VETEETNAKIAN AMON(3ST • ; . • ; ' THE PHODUCEHS. On the occasion of the annual smoko concert held in connection with the Feilding show, the Chief of the Live Stock Division of. the Agricultural Department (ilr.C. J. Keultes) was. called upon to respond to the toast of the Department. Mr. Rcakes, who was enthusiastically received, informed the gathering that the Department, in its own way, endeavoured to further .the interests'.of the farmer. Tins-was not because thev were particularly, in love with .the farmer, but they .could not help recognising 'whnt fanning meant to the'coiintry. ■ Oflicers of tho Department realised that the niore they could'get into touch with the man on the' land, the better : work they. c'oiikl do. They had many laws to administer, arid" they tried to act according to the snirit of.'the.law rather than the strict letter. Personally, he. had found that as long as .they, (the Department) tried to da a reasonable thing, the farmer was with them. (Hear, hear.) It was not .pleasant prosecuting anyone, awl he did not enjoy prosecuting farmers. If, however, they would send lousy'sheep to (he enleynrds, they would be prosecuted. _ (Laughter.) , Eefcrring to the importance, of scientific farming,- Mr. Itcakes remarked that" ho had been 15 years in 'New Zealand, and he thought that, considering the difficulties which many farmers'had to labour under,, a considerable advance had undoubtedly been,'made: Of course, they knew- what Otago could-do in this con-, nection, but in his opinion there had been a greqt, improvement, in . the NoTth Island of late years. At the same time, there was still j'oom for very great improvement,. and he felt sure this would; come. Thinking farmers were beginningto realise'that scientific fanning # was an absolute necessity. In his opinion, the. purely scientific farmer would not be a success, but the practical fnrmer who,took advantage of scientific facts was tho man who.wxmld.mako money. '■;