N.Z. NURSERYMEN

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2364, 21 January 1915, Page 8

N.Z. NURSERYMEN

ANNUAL CONFERENCE OPENED BY PRIME MINISTER THE FRUIT INDUSTRY Tho eighth annual meeting and conference of the Now Zealand Association of Nurserymen -was opened in the Cham-- . her of Commerce jesterday morning. Mr W S Johnston presided, and thero were some twenty-file members present. Tlio Right Hon W. F Massey (Minister of Agriculture) declared' the conference officially open, expressing the hope that the conference would do good not only to the industry but also to the people of New Zealand as a whole. Of late years, he. said, it had been recognised that the planting of timber trees was important to the State. A great deal had been done in Now Zea~ . land, but- very much more required to #be dona, not only by the Department M Forestry, but also by the local bodies • Und settlers throughout the whole counjtry.. He was very strongly of opinion ■ fthatiit should be impressed on our jipeople that they owed a duty to them'selves and to posterity to plant as many ■trees as possible. Nurserymen, how- ■ ever,.had to consider not only the planting cf timber trees, but the production 'of fruit trees. He was glad to say •that the outlook for the fruit-growing [industry was very good. In the last (three years the export of apples had in'creased very rapidly. He doubted (.■whether the same ratio of increase • twould be maintained this year, because ihe gathered that this had not been a food season for fruit. The Government ad, in order to develop the export 'trade with South America, sent Mr. G. jiL. Tacon, a man with wido experience jin the. fruit .industry, to report upon !,the possibilities'of extending our trade sin apples with the South American ['cities. Already Mr. Tacon's reports were •encouraging. Personally he (Mr.. Mas-, iscy) had no doubt about the future of (the industry, for he felt sure that an • iextensive export trade would be develop- • ; cd not only with South America and the I Pacific Coast of North America, but [also he believed that the Panama Canal : i would make accessible the East Coast 'ports of North America. The Governiment had resumed 7000 acres in Central Otago for fruit-growing, and would lead water on to the land. In the matter of encouraging the culture of forest trees ithe Government had two years ago set up' s Forestry Commission, which had framed a most raluahle report. He mentioned, these matters to show that the Government had not altogether failed t° realise the importance of the work' done by nurserymen • in raising trees. He hoped and believed that at ■ the end; of the ■ conference they would -be ■'able''to offer advice to tho Department whicb/would be productive'of good. •The ; conference accorded a vote of thanks to Mr. Massey for having attended to open the conference. ■'" President's Address. The president addressed the delegates briefly, remarknig that this was the first - occasion on which the conference had'met in Wellington'. -He was"especially 7glad; to „the Right 'Hon:; Mr: 'Massey, -who had'-great knowledge" of all agricultural matters, and who had ■ intfocluced' 'rand carried _ through Parliament wise legislation which would ensure progress in the future in the nursery and fruit-growing industries. The association "■ was to-be congratulated ■ on its largely increased membership, its ■.;,Eound. ; flnancial;'position, and'; its efforts jin-the 'interest of ■nurserymen and the ' fpublic generally.- He referred to the ' (state of .war. existing; and the possibility of the nurserymen's trade suffering fllongiwithjotiiers.'; The drought-in per•tain "districts nad.also caused serious losses... The,committee set up to adjust iprices'would of'necessity take these matters, also the ever-increasing cost of production," "into ' consideration'. Efforts had been made to obtain statutory au(jtho'rity'for the setting up.of a Certificat- ' ing Board and a Board of Nomenclature, [and to secure legislation for the registration 1 and "inspection of nurseries, but !*up to the present without success. i The annual report and balance-sheet, Wealing chiefly with matters referred to |by the president, was adopted without rtrhscussion. ' i.;,. t Election of Officers.: . • The election of officers resulted as follows:—President,' Mr. T. Horton; viceipresidentf, Mr. G. J. M'Kay; past presifident. Mr. W. S. Johnston; district yiee--jpresidents, chairmen of district councils; SBecretary and treasurer, Mr. G. 'A. Ifireen;' committee, Messrs. D. A. Hay, W. Bennett, E. Allen, W. W. Gliddonllßichardson, A. M'Donald, and W. E. foippiatt; auditor, Mr. W. W. GliddonuEiohardson. : Miscellaneous. • .' Remits from district associations, dealiSng almost entirely with trade concerns, ■were considered in committee. Two 'jpapers also dealing with .'trade subjects Severe Tead by Mr. Thomas Horton '(Hawke's Bay) and Mr. R'. Nairn, of fChristchurch.. : Mr. Horton, spoke of '' 'Tho Nursery Trade" and', ■ its Future •'Prospects," and Mr. Nairn on the I growing and-planting of timber and ' 'shelter treea.. ', . . ...