BOARDOF 'AGRICULTURE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2824, 15 July 1916, Page 12

BOARDOF 'AGRICULTURE

BEAiKCH TOIt • ACHEICULTURAL LIME. . i" , 'Aftmealing of the Board, of Agriculture \lraa held on Thursday. Amongst, other matters-the board had & lengthy conference with Mr. Morgan, Director of; Geological Survey and Acting :Under?S£eretary fQr Aiinos, with regard to careful search in various parts of .New Zealand'fo£ deposits of'agricultural lime and phosnbate rock. Mr. Morgan pointed out thac, .owing to 'several members of the staff having enlisted, tha .Dopartment was rather shorthanded, but he informed .the board that .a sum of money hid been allocated for the purpose of locating 1 limestone deposits throughout the Dominion, and the Department was making arrangements to 'examine the most likely localities, and Ihoped to beiable to' furnish a comprehensive and exhaustive' report on the subject during tho coming year. lie stated that b.o Vaa afraid no large deposits of agricultural lime.would be found in the .Taranaki district,' but.that it was probable some misfit exist on the banks, of the Hokau River, and he promised to Bsoertain whether such' was the case, and, if so. 1 to obtain sf.mples of tlie limestone in that district. The board agreed to endorse the recommendation of the Council of Agriculture ■that the Government be asked to withdraw the embargo • on bides, which is. a Jieavy tax on pakoral interests, while it. fis not calculated to benefit tho Government. It was decided that the president and another member of the board should wait Supon the Prime Minister, and ask him to take steps to ensure 1 hat at the conclusion of the existing- agreement -between the • Imperial Government and New Zealand producers to purchase all the meat available for . export, the whole of the stocks in the stores at the end of ; the war should be taken by the Imperial authorities, and not thrown back on the hands of the' farmers. ' A reoommendation from the: Council of Agriculture' that the Government should 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 badly contaminated with noxious'.weeds seeds, tvas also discussed, and arrangements Ivero made- to obtain .further information on'the subject, as a Seeds Bill will probably be'introduced into Parliament during the next session. The board also dealt with a letter from the Dominion secretary of the New Zealand Farmers' Union, calling attention bo the fact that there was a very large: quantity of. wool lying in Wellington which 'was damaged by bid-a-bid seed, and for which a reasonable figure could not be obtaiined in the Dominion. The Council of Agriculture thought the Government should be asked to provide for the shipment of such "seedy" and dirty : froo! to Japan or other allied countries, where carbonising machinery is available, and it was decided to urge tho Minister to give effect to this proposal. It was also agreed to write to the Minister of Education endorsing the proposal made by the Council : of Agriculture that sections of land should be pro'tided, where practicable, near theyarious high schools, for experimental purposes, and that a science master should be attached to such schools to supervise tie agricultural education of the scholars, and to work in conjunction.with the experts of tho 'Department of Agriculture, on similar - lilies;to those that are being carried out'at Ashbiirton High School. , The noxious weeds question, and the commandeering of next season's - cheese

'ouput available-for export were also discussed. ■

The following matters that had been referred to'the. board, by the Council of Agriculture wero also dealt, with;— The various plans) that had been suggested to assist and train returned soldiers desirous of taking up farming and , fruitgrowing; the opening' up of fresh markets for Now Zealand stud stock; reafforestation; and the inspection of sheep for export. The appointment of an Appeal Board to deal with anomalies arising out of tho war taxation to be imposed wider tho now Finance Act was discussed, but no aotion was taken as Sir Joseph Ward, Minister of Finince, had already announced that a satisfactory Appeal Board would be provided for in the Bill now before the House.