BOARD OF AGRICULTURE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3099, 1 June 1917, Page 8

BOARD OF AGRICULTURE

THE WHEAT QUESTION

PROPOSED AGRICULTURAL

LEGISLATION

Tho. new; Board o,f Agriculture, recently appointed- in terms of tho Board of Agrioulturo' Act, 1913, held their first Meeting on Tuesday, Tho porsonnel of tho new board is tho same as tho preTious one, with tho exception that Mr. 0. J. Hawkon Tcplaccs Mr. K. Dinglo (Taranaki district), and Mr. W. 11. May replaces Mr. A. P. Allport (Marlborough, iNelson, and Westland districts). Sir James Wilson, president of tho board, took the chair, and extended a. wolcomo to the now members appointed to tho board. Three members of tho board wore nnablo to attend the meeting on account of their being engaged in duties connected with tho National Efficiency Board and tho Military Service AppealBoai'ds. Several matters of importance to\tho agricultural and pastoral industry were dealt with. •'

• The Wheat Question. It was decided to again write to tho Minister of Agriculture on tho subject of tho price offered by tho Government for next season's wheat, and to inform tho Minister that the board hoped that, after his experience of what it would cost to bring wheat from Australia, ho could now seo his way to ninko tho price for next season's crop ss. lOd. per bushel 0.t., instead of f.0.b., which would encourage tho growth of a wider area, of wheat, and bo much- more equitable to those whoatigrowers a long distance from port selling for local nso, seeing that tho miller would bo entitled to deduct from ;tho ss. lOd. tho freight charges to the •port, oven though thero was no intention of exporting tho wheat. Under theso Conditions a farmer ono hundred miles nrom port would probably only receive ; ss. Gd., whereas one who could deliver tho wheat himself at the port would icceivo id: per bushel more. "Such .anomalies would be entirely obviated It'

the board's recommendation to fix the price 0.1. "were given effect to. Shipping Space for Exports. The quostion of the amount of refrigerated space for the storage of the meat, cheese, and butter in tho Dominion, and tho probable number of steamers available for the export of our produce, were fully gone into by the board, and all tho statistics which had been obtained in connection with tho mattor were carefully considered. Alter a lengthy discussion of tho position tho board was of/ opinion, that it should bo represented at tho conference wheh has been called to 1 investigate tho question of shipping j space, if at that conference it is found necessary to so,further in tho matter, and consider how production and stock should bo dealt with, and the president was empowered to make representations to the AcUug-I'riino Minister to this effect.

Noxious Weeds. The hoard had a conference with Mr. Pope, Secretary, and Mr. Cockayne, Biologist, of the Department of Agriculture, on the-question of noxious weeds, and it was decided that steps bo undertaken Dy the Department to have a weed survey commenced, and that a series of experiment's,bo"also started to detcrmino tho best means of controlling some of our most dangerous weeds.

Potash Supplies. Mr. Astou, Agricultural Chemist, supplied tho board with some valuable particulars regarding the amount of potash contained in fern and in tho ashes at sawmills, which are now being wasted. Be 'informed tho lioard that ho was continuing these investigations, and hoped that some methods might bo devised fco profitably utilise tho potash that might bo obtained for manurial purposes from theso and other sources in the Dominion. Tho results of these inquiries it was proposed to publish at an early date.

Importation of Phosphates. Attention was called to tho fact that souio difficulty bad arisen with regard to obtaining necessary shipments of phosphate of lime from Jlakatea Island. Owing to the scarcity and high cost of tonnage sincu tho war started, shipments have been maintained only with the ..greatest difficulty, and it was pointed out that the production of wheat and other farm produce could, not he maintained without' jui ample supply of fertiliser. It was decided to communicate with the Minister urging that every facility be given to enable the ship now under charter between New Zealand and Makatea to complete tho number of trips that have been arranged for,- in order to obviate a serious shortage of fertilisor.

Uniformity of Flock and Stud Books. . Alerter was_r.uiiiiv.ul by the board 'pointing out tlie importance of bringing about uniformity in the flock, books in New Zealand and requesting the tyoard to endeavour to arraugo for a conference of the representative:; of the various breed societies throughout the Dominion during tho i'orthccjning meeting of the Council of A_rioui.tu.rej to be hold in Wellington in the beginning of July. Aftor discussion, it was decided to adopt the suggestion contained in the letter and to communicate with the Stud Book authorities, as well as the various bodies interested in tlie matter.

Diseases of Root Crops. . A long disciiSsiou w-s also ucld with Mr. Cocmiyue. Biologist of tho Department of Agriculture, on the .very serious spread of club root and other diseases in tlie root crops throughout the Dominion, and it was decided to request that the officers of the Department should bring this matter up for discussion at the coming conference of the A. and P. Associations in July.

Work of the Board. A 'report that had been prepared for submission to the next conference of the New Zealand Council of Agriculture on tho ivork of the board during the past year was brought before the meeting by the president. After tho report had been considered, it was adopted by the mcetiug, and it was decided to send it on to the council accordingly.

Proposed Aqricultural Legislation. Tho board had a discussion with Air. Popo, Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, in reference to the encouragement of the breeding of horses for

military purposes, a Seeds Bill, and an amendment of Ino Fertilisers Act, 1908. It was pointed out that some of tho liills that had bfcon asked for by tho (Jouucil of Agriculture, tho A'ew Zealand Farmers' Union, and other farmers' bodies' were of a noncontontious nature, iuul that it might bo possiblo to set something done on the lines suesested, even during tho war. ns it was of tho utmost importance todo everything that was practicable to stimulate the fullest development of tho natural resources of the Dominion which play an important part in keeping the war going, and to which wo must look for meeting our obligations after the war.

Improvement in Dairying. The question of improvement in dairying generally, and in tho better management of dairy herd 3. was considered, as was also tho importance of educating tho young people on the farms in thoße matters. Mr. 0. ,T. Hawken, tho representative on the lioard for the Taranaki district, gavo tho board eonio iu(crcsting details with regard to the movement in -that province to establish a. model dairy farm under the management of the formers themselves assisted by a Government subsidy. Tho opinion was expressed that such a, farm would be of considerable service to settlers in that centre, and (.he board discussed with Mr. Pope (he practicability of initialing a series of short courses and lectures on dairying matters during tho winter months, to be given by officers of the Department,. M\. Popo thoughtthat arrangements could lie mndo to give effect to the wishes of the lxinivl in this direction. \