BOARD OF AGRICULTURE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2976, 13 January 1917, Page 11

BOARD OF AGRICULTURE

IMPORTANT MATTERS DISCUSSED. Tho Board, of Agriculture held lengthy meetings 011 Wednesday and Thursday of this week, when, several very important matters affecting the agricultural interests wero deall with. Tho board had a long confercuco with tho lion. AY. D. 8. Mac Donald, Minister of Agriculture, Industries, aud Commerco, and tho Board of Trado, and discussed, with them the best means to bo taken to cucourago farmers to put iu an increased area of wheat. After carefully considering tho question in committee,, a number of recommendations bearing ou the quostion wero forwarded lo tho Minister. A lengthy report doaling with tho quostion of tlio control of noxious weeds was also fully discussed with the Secrotary of -tho Department of Agriculture, Industries, and Commerce, and his officers, and arrangements wero made to collafo and utilise the information that had been collected as to tho bost methods' of dealing with tho most troublesome weeds in different parts of tho Dominion. Stops were also taken to formulate a number, of 1 proposed • alterations .111 tho Noxious Weeds Act, with a view of getting tho Act amended during tho coming session of Parliament. Stubble Quail. Reports wero received from Mr. W. .1. Spafford, Superintendent of Experimental Works, .Department of Agriculture, Adelaide, South Australia, and tho Acting-Chief Inspector of Fisheries and Game, Victoria, with regard to tho lifo habits of tho stubble quail. Li both roports tho opinion was oxpressed that Australian stubble quail,, if introduced into New Zealand, would not bo likely to provo harmful to farmers; 011. tho contrary, it was stated that tlieso birds eat an enormous quantity pf weed seeds and insects, and mention was made of the fact that m Southern Victoria their favourito food was tho black seed of tho spear grass, dockseeds, crickets, and weevils. It was urged by the Australian, writers that it was 0110 of tho few introduced birds that was doing a very good work and that should be protected all the year round because of'its valuo to the agriculturist as a weed and insect destroyer.' Tho board decided to thank tho writers for tho information furnished, and to forward copies of tho reports lo the Minister, and to tha Now Zealand .Farmers'- Union for the information of the members of that body who bad expressed fears that the introduction of stubblo quail into the Dominion might provo a menace to tbo farmer. Limestone Deposits. A r aluablo roports from some ollicors of tlio Public Works Department with regard lo tho deposits of limestone in Tarnnaki, which bad been sent on to tho board by Mr. Morgan, Undor-Secre-tury of the Minos Department; also a report from Dr. Henderson, of the Geological Survey, 011 tho jvubject of limestone' for agricultural purposes in Wcstland and Nelson, wero also received and dealt with, and it was resolved. to express to Mr. Morgan tho thanks of tho board for the assistance bo had rendered in this matter. A considerable amount of information had been collected -with reference to the manufacture of potash in New Zealand for agricultural purposes, and the views of some of tho experts of the Dopartmcnt of Agriculture were taken, but it was finally agreed to deal with the question again at the next .meeting, when Mr. Aston, tho Government Agricultural Chemist, and Mr. Brpwn, Director of tho Fields Division of' the Department, could be in attendance. Mr. Brown, Director of tho Fields Division, gavo the board particulars ; of the experimental work that was being carried out by tho officors of tho Department of Agriculture, in conjunction with tlw Ashburton High School ( authorities, and also informed the , board of tho line's on which the Do- 1 partment proposed to work in its in- 1 vestijrations to obtain improved cereals for tho Dominion. _ ; Amongst other matters dealt with wero the work now being carried out at To Kauwhata (Waorenga), Tau- • ranga, and Arataki horticultural sta- j tions; tlio suggested establishment of fruit experimental stations in tho Dominion; improved methods of handling • fruit 011 wharves; removal of the duty on timber imported from British possessions for fruit-box making purposes; proposed legislation in rogard to im- , ported and locally-grown seeds; and tho j nucstiou of a soil survey for New Zca- n