FARMING COMMERCIAL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2509, 12 October 1915, Page 8

FARMING COMMERCIAL

BOARD OF AGRICULTURE

AEW MINISTER WELCOMED

THE EXPORT OF STUD RAMS

lhe Board of Agriculture held a: meet- • ing iii'.Wellington recently,- all' the members being present.!- The Minister of Agriculture (Hon. W. D. S. MacDonald); attended the meeting, and wa6 welcomed by the president (Ciir James iWilson); who said that' the; Dominion .wasi to be congratulated-upon having a- ' Minister of Agriculture who had all nis -.' life been connected with the land." Sir■ ■ James ;also'i said that the board would do everything possible to second his* 6fforts 'ih 'tlie cause of agriculture;- the : primary industry of New Zealand. In nis reply, the Minister stated that ho was especially glad to meet it-he' members, of the board, who were recognised as representing the farmers of the Dominion.' Mr. Mac Donald also said that ho proposed to visit the Government • Experimental Farm as'soon as possible after, the-iclose of the session. A num--1 ier of,'subjects of a confidential nature • aiid oniHeaving .for' liis Parliamentary? duties'. tlfe::Mihister.' fra's.. ' thanked for his comprehensive'address.

The. New Zealand Sheep - Breeders' As-

sociation. wrote pointing out that the reputation of -New Zealand stud sheep was being;,injured.'by' the exportation -of inferiorrams, and recommending that an examination as to,merit should be enforced before such animals were allowed

to leave the country. As the Department; had no statutory power to- give effect-to this recommendation, it was EUggested'tMit.something'miglit be done by tho' Breeders'/ " Association*, them-, selves;"pn similar lines to these adopted by the'Robiney Marsli Association. The board/ however, decided to make further inquiries amongst (the; various associations throughout New Zealand, in order ; to ascertain their views on. the subject., ' The : board had' a lengthy conference with the Secretary ,of Agriculture (Mr. ■Pope), Mr. Browm.(Director of Fields), . ana Mis Aston (Agricultural Chemist) as to the best way of assisting the fruitand tho Local Agricultural Committees.set up on the recommendation of "the Council.of Agriculture, to carry out 'useful. experimental .work in different centres;

The matter of carrying outr*" experiments to determine the most effective substitute for basio slag, the price of which has been greatly increased owing' to' ,the_ war,.. was also' carefully gone, into'with Messrs. Pope, Brown, and l4ston, ; and arrangements were made to commence' experiments in different localities, . from which it is expected that" valuable information' will be obtained : '' ;•'

The Secretary, of Agriculture reported that, acting upon the advice of the •hoard, the Minister of Agriculture had accepted .the.offer, made ;by the Board of Governors of. the Asliburton High -School to, hand .over' to. the. Department for experimental and' demonstration purposes an area/of ]20 acrfes near the ecihooL Mr.-'Brown''had met the school authorities .and arrangements were being made -to' start work at-an early date, on the. lines agreed upon.,.' i V The - hoard discussed the proposals made by "the .Labour Department to meet the probable shortage of labour during the coming harvest. It was .resolved to write to the Secretary of Labour expressing satisfaction with the arrangements made to organise the supply of farm labour available. The date of the collection of the sheep returns waß discussed with the Government Statistician, Mr. Fraser. It was pointed out that the: most accurate means' of ascertaining' the number of dieep in the Dominion was to take the number actually shorn and the number of lambs tailed, and it was. agreed to alter the headings of - the collectors' forms in order to obtain this informal tion. - '

A number of exhaustive reports from ivarious- members of xhe boards regarding the experimental farms were discussed at considerable length, and ''a

NEWS AND NOTES.

committee was formed) to draft a complete report for tlie Minister giving the board's, views as to the best policy to bo adopted in regard to each farm, and as to the experimental and research work' throughout the Dominion.

The board also considered, and sent on to/the Minister, a number of recommendations which ' has been forwarded to it' by the' Council of Agriculture, including amongst- otlnrs the necessity for legislation to define the status of pro- ! perly Qualified veterinary surgeons, • and to prevent farmers being imposed upon with impunity by persons possessing insufficient knowledge and r.o recognised qualifications, and who, pose as properly qualified veterinary surgeons. —Among other subjects dealt with were': The encouragement of the breeding of 'horses for military purposes, a Pure Seeds Bill; the compulsory analysis of stock foods; the veterinary examination of horses exported to Australia; the Orchards Act; and the supply of lime.