COUNCIL OF AGRICULTURE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2822, 13 July 1916, Page 8

COUNCIL OF AGRICULTURE

THE CONFERENCE CONCLUDED FINAL BUSINESS ' L' " ■ , The annual inference of the New Zealand Council of Agriculture was concluded in. Wellington yesterday. Mr. W. D, Hunt presided. The following remits were carried:— , . . "That recognising the good work , already done by,the establishment of local agricultural committees, this ,conference. Recommends all ; county councils' to ap,v'.point such committees,, or .co-operate. ... *Hth adjoining counties in ' these committees." ;"That in view of the .proposal to establish', a Dominion farmers'. Institute , .iii Wellington, it be a • recommendation thp executive. to have' tile office' of the New Zealand Council of Agriculture- ■ located there when 1 the building is .erect- • ed, and that the conference rocomDiends; the proposal to the farming community." : , .".That the Government be asked' to bring in a-Seeds Bill to provide for the • 're-dressing of" imported seeds, ■wherever ; ' necessary, •with, the power-to prohibit the- . importation.-of seeds from which, it is. . impossible : to, weed seeds." ■■■..,. Phosphate Deposits. The executive of the council submit-, ted the following remit"That tho GeoV logical ])e~parfaent ;be requested'to institute, in. .likoly. localities ; a'.---careful- ■ ■■■search' for: deposits of phosphate rock." Secretary of 'Agriculture (Sir. P.'. V iPope)-said that 'there 'was -iio' doubt ■ " Pir' $»•:.sDncs i '»'De)»rtm«n(; v . would be, ;■ fnllv nctirß during; the- cominu. year in. the.;search ; .:fbr phosphates, and !' J.he.remit'was adopted; : . • Noxious-Weeds: ■ . "Mr. W.;T.erry . (Masterton)- moved "That this'.'cohferenfce recommend that, . power, shall be'granted ,to place the ad- : f .-ministration- of . the;, Noxious . ! lV«d's' Act-' , imder the'.;control;.of :^ ■ tlie "county AcotUL-; oils''and locafibbdies'."";'-y ■~ .: . ;■". I:'3rf., Perry/; said',that no' real- benefit' ■ was the 'prcaerit administratloh .of. the- .'Act, : and some-. : thing, nnist be done, ■ unless the county ; was to - be* - handed over, to the' weeds. t Hfi'beliered the' connty conucns-Muld do ;■ Borne good.' 1 \ ' • \ -Various speakers considered the task V;; eradicating Califomian. thistle an .-'impossible one. Others said that there ; were■ worse weeds than this-blackberrv, lov nistance. ■ ' 'Mi-. IVS. Pope (Secretary for Agriculture) said that it was. impossible to 6peiik of efadication, but possible to . speak of control .in _ certain ; divided-up ai eas. If the admi-nistration was haiided oyer to th 9 County Councils, the Act. - would become a dead letter' with some °f ./the bodies, though others might do well. He Tecominended the conference to ,;- ■ reject the motion. It. .might be -wise. to ■, :filter the Act, so that a different law TOHld apply, to different areas. H Cockayne (State Biologist) thought California!! thistle should be re.moyed from the Noxious Weeds 'Act, and, . further, _ that the Act itself should rot l» left in exjsfence. If land ivas of- a character -trhich made the presence of the , thistle a nuisance, then the farmer ; : would be stupid who did not take steps to-eradicate it. Mr. Cockayne remark- , ed that these were his personal opinions,

and not the opinions of the Department of Agriculture. Jlr. Perry's motion was defeated. Points Prizes at Shows. The Executive of the Council recommended that points prizes should be allotted thus: Where there are five entries or inore—Firsts 6 points; second, 1 points!• third, 2 points; v.h.c., 1 point. Where less than live entries —The same, except no v.h.c. point. Champion to count two points, reserve champion 'one point. 11l the case of ties, the most first prizes to get the prize. The recommendation was adopted. **" Stock Markets. .Sir Walter Buchanan (Wainirapa) lnoved:—"That 'the Agricultural Conference be osked to take steps to urge upon the Government the desirableness after the war of the opening of ports in the United Kingdom an<l Europe to the ' 6tock exported from this Dominion in the interests of. the farming community." The motion was carried. The New Executive. ■ The following Executive Council for tile ; ensuing year was elected North 'Island: Messrs. J. G. Itutherford (Auckland), 1\ Williams (HawkoV Bay), O. Donald (Masfcerton), E. Campbell (YVanganui), J. H. Perrett (Feilding), and 6. Hunter,' M.P. (Waipawa). South-Island: Messrs. H. A. Knight (Canterbury)., D. G. Wright (Ashburtdn), J. Macpherson. (Otago), .1. Tiirnbull (Gore), S. A. M'Donald (Timaru),'. and J. "A. Bankin (Dunedin).