A. & P. CONFERENCE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1816, 31 July 1913, Page 10

A. & P. CONFERENCE.

' INAUGURAL SESSION. OPENED BY THE PRIME MINISTER. The biennial conference of tho Agricultural and Pastoral Societies in Now Zealand was opened in Wellington yesterday. Mr. Ewnii Campbell (of Wangnnui) was elected president. The delegates present were: Messrs. A. Drunimond, J. Cairns, and John StudJiolme (Ashburton); J. G. Rutherford and Edwin-Hall (Auckland); E. Hall (Cleve<lon) j J.- C. N. Grigjf, W. F. Parkinson, 'J. D. Hall and D. D. Macfarlane (Canterbury); F. G. Treweek (Egmont); James :Wylio (Franklin); J. Perrett and H. J. Booth (Feilding); 11. M. Campbell, M.P. (llawko's Bay); Hugh Morrison and D. M'Gregor, jun. (Mosterton) ; F. S. M'ltae, H. S. Abraham, and W. Penny (Manawatu); A. S. Clarkson and James StevenMm (Northern); B. P. Lee, M.P. (North Otago); A. S. Orbell and 11. V. Fulton .(Otago); W. D.'S. Macdonnld, M.P. (Bay of Plenty); W. D. Hunt and A. F. Hawko ■'(Southland);' I!, Dingle' (Stratford); J. S. Coiuiett and 111 Oksy, M.P. (Taranaki); H. V. -Hammond (Wanpnui); E. Hagle, 11. E. Bunny, and' Sir Walter'Buchanan (Wairaiapa). Members of tho Department and Mr. J. G. Wilson (president of the New Zealand Farmers' Union) were jtfeseiit'by'invitation. • Mr. Massey's Address. I'he Prime Minister (tho Hon. W. F. Slassey) was'present whsu'the proceedings were opened, ami-delivered an address to tli'e delegates. Ho referred to tho gathering as "The Farmars' Parliament,". ■ tind 'designated the Fanners' Union 'Conference,,as .tho "other...'branch'. ..of the Farmers' Legislature." Mr. Jlassey then tliioted ligures 'illustrative of the increase an the country's exports. .The _iucrease in tho export of butter to. Canada, Vras ■137 percent, over; the, previous y«tr; an enormous demand lor our butter had tprung up' 011 the we'fc coast ,of Canada, •'i here had been a very considerable increase- in the export of appl«-, as was evidenced" by the exports to South America alone.. There were now 36,000 acres of land under apple.culture, and the area was still increasing', as he knew from the number, of .applications made .to liim for fruit trees. The country's out-' put .of honey, also, had increased. He legretted that there had been a falling oft' in the export of wheat and oats. It would be. too much to Expect farmers to Krow wlifcit and oats at a loss. Thav had 'heard a great deal about the rise in the cost of living. ..he said, bub if the falling off in the production of cereals continued there would be ii- still' greater increase. Once:: it. became; necessary, to import ■wheat,'- tlie : price .would go up to the Australian price, plus freight and, charges. ! He sincerely hoped that farmers would-.'.-see their .way to go eu wheat-growing, and. he hoped that'their' industry would be' made protitoble:to them. Speaking of tho general outlook, Mr. M-n-'-sey euid that while we should be-satisfied with jast year's prices and development, ho thought that the outBook for this year " was better still: The prospects lor meat were never better, and Jie ihad .insida information.. that cheese wotiild be'a' good price. Ho believed wo ■would receive a. good price for our wool. Tlid' prosperity ot' the country depended iilnui&t entil-ely on the export of our agricultural products, and he thought tnat tho'prosperity of-Kew Zealand was assured for some years ahead. Kiferring to what tho Government, liad doile towards tho establishment *of agricultural workers'.homes, the Prime Minister'saill at present tho law was not sufficiently elastic, and would need to bo altered. He said that it was nn unfortunate", fact that far too much of our 'population resided in the towns and cities, whore there wero-tco ■many attractions. He. did not .'wish to indke town life , less attractive, Ijiit to niako 'country lite more attractive. Great as had been the development of our railway system, it had not been able to keep, pace with tho settlement 6f ! the country, and 'he thought that that end could only be obtained through a. system of light .railways. Mr. I'urkert, an officer in the Railway Department, intended, in the course of his trayels.iabrpaii, to visit Belgium to look into tho system there, and. wouild, 011 his return, report'to the Minister, for I tail ways. The Government hoped to <lo something on.the Belgian lints. They had already indicated tnat t'hey did not intend-to.put any obstacle in_the way of local authorities or otheri"building light railways. |(Hear, hear.) They intended, in fact, to give them encouragement. At the same time, they , intended to do all they could to push iorvard the public works system. (Applause.) Tho Prime Minister referral, also, to liis proposal to establish a Eoard of Agriculture (reported in another column).

Resolutions Adopted. Mr. E. jQinglo (Stratford) moved; "That this confereucß affirm tlio <issirability of neighbouring associations throughout the Dominion holding litriouit-ai conicrenifs as'occasion dom-aiuis, v.ilh the objeuc of euch nso-ociations suctliiiij matters or local interest to their mutual benefit." _ ill-. Dingle contsnded that if this woro given eli'cct to, instead of neighbouring societies standing aiooi and nci aijisting ono another, they would assist one another very maternity. The motion was carried. On the motion of Air. i). i). ITacfarlanc (Cautoruurj;, it was revived: "That it ia desirable tliat 'Sec<l Growers' Associations should )» formed in New Zealand 'on similar lines to the Canadian Seed Growers' Association, -which is doing such u-ii ill work." Mr. J. G. "Wilson, who seconded Ihe nioliou, .said-that ho was not suro whether tii- malier -should l;c> taken up privately ur.bv the Government. Ah". J. CI. .liiithcrford (Auckland; moved: "That this conference strongly urges that'the A. and I'. Associations of tiie Dominion, mill other fanners' associations nhsuld cordially co-operate with the, supervisors of wpmuionts in both islands in top-dressing and oilier experiments'suitable to the class of fanning practised, ii» may bo arranged fur in their Various, districts." .Mr. 1). Hall (Atickland) seconded the motion, which was carried. Mr. E. Clifton, of the Department of 'Agriculture, remarked that ths two men who were now carrying on the experiments were very much over-taxed; and the conferencti resolved to" urge the Government lo.increase the staff. Mr. John Studholme (Asiiburtdn) moved; "-That. this conference, desir.es .to record its appreciation of the experiments now■ Iwing..carried ,out..by...the .Agricultural" Department, re : grasses, most suitable for the- pastoral lands of this Dominion, and it t-rusls that the Government will, by giving their pastoral tenants increased security of tenure, encourage them to lake advantage of tlieso experiments, and 'to in other ways endeavour to improve the pastures of tlie Government grazing, runs,". .. . ..... . . .. Tlio motion was carried. Papers Read. A papsr by l'rofes;or 1!. E; Alexander, Director of Lincoln College—"Kxperiinent«l Work, Improvement- of Land, Crops, etc.,"—was read. '~ ■ : An invitation, to speak was mado to Mr. E. Clifton, Director..*)!. State ,I'iohls Experiments, who, in a short address, commended a suggestion ■ which Professor-Alexander-had made,' .to the'effect tliat efforts Should bo made to.-iinprovo seeds in the district where, they were' grown, rather than spending tlio .time ..on ,novelties p ot from outside the district. i'ho Stato iiiologist, Mr; A.' 11. Cockayne, .said that in a very fe\V years a "Tt-at- deal- or tho ftotv Zealand seed, would bo of the pure-strain type, and thisemphasised the need for the association proposed. At present, except at tho State farms; there was not a seed-grower in New Zealand worthy of tho name; there was no one growing pure strains. Tlu association would have a great deal of preliminary work in the teaching oi farmers:thfl".need tor pure seed?. Mr."j. D.-ITall (Canterbury) remarked that- there was near Christchurch a firm

which was going in for the growing oi" pure seeds, and he believed that firm was proceeding on right lines. -Mr. Cockayne: Yes; but that firm is just starting. "The Weed Problem and Its Significance in New Zealand Agriculture" was the subject of a paper read by Mr. A. H. Cookayne, State Biologist. Mr. Cockayne said that 0£1,060,000 per. year was not at all too high an estimate of New Zealand's yearly loss through weeds, and ho added that on- some estimates «C 3,000,000 was not too high a figure to set out as the loss. Tho conference then adjourned till 9.30 this morning.