EXPERIMENT FARMS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1698, 14 March 1913, Page 6

EXPERIMENT FARMS.

• •— » • ... AN ASHBURTON OFFER. IMPORTANT STATEMENT BY MR. MASSEY. A BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.),, .Ashburton, March 13. 'This morning the Prime Minister visited the High and Technical Schools, inspected the Hospital, and transacted Departmental business. At' 2 p.m. (with the -Hon. E. Heaton Rhodes) he left by motor ioV Springston and Lincoln, in continuation his .Canterbury t0ur...... Mr. W. Nosworthy introduced a deputation,' consisting of 'members of the High School Board and Ashburton branch of the Farmers' Union, with a.request that an experiment farm "bo established in Ashburton. The High School Board had already offered the Government its 220-acre reserve, within one 'mile of Ashburton, and-in this connection had made three : alternative' proposals. "Firstly, it 'had becJi proposed to' exchange the Teserve for - lands' of| equivalent/ value; 'secondly,, to let the'. Government have the land at a valuation rental; and, - thirdly, to give it to the Government, at a peppercorn rental provided the Department's experts would' irivo the necessary lecturis. to pupils of the! school on agriculture and fruit-growing.

Mr. Massey.. said .that, as far as he could Reo,.as.■'rjgardS.'the establishment of an " experiment farm; the offer oof the Ash- ' : ' burton High School 1 Board was the most ' : , practical suggestion yet put forward. Jt , was \ his' intention to make experiment farms more useful than they at present ;■ were, and ho intended to endeavour to ; ' arrange between the Agricultural Department'and the,authorities at'Jjincoln.College so that they could work in conjunct v tion for the benefit/of farmers. He templated "'establishing a Board of. Agriculture.for the whole of' New Zealand, to be . composed of-seven members—'two .or thtee .formers'from the North Island-end-two or'.l three fanners from' the South .. Island," with the Minister'for Agriculture v; , as president. '1(^' had''been said that they did not get the benefit from experiment . ! farina that'they should, and such' a board ' would help ,to increase their 'usefulness. The proposal would shortly bo brought to a head. The board would control and advise in agricultural, matters. .It was. not a new thing,,and was working successfully in'other countries.—: ... '.The party was then-driven'to th« re-, question, and after the condition ■ .' . of .th'e/liqi'di'its'.accessibility by road, iaiid the. manner in which it,was situated had been explained;': Mrl Massey remarked, "I .; think this offer, will be taken advantage ; ' ' of."'! ■'■ •"' : " ' "V < "