BOARD OF AGRICULTURE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 228, 20 June 1919, Page 10

BOARD OF AGRICULTURE

CATTLE TICK PECULATIONS. The Board of Agriculture held a meoting on Tuesday last, at which Sir James Wilson (president) presided. Pull consideration was given to tho very important question of tho proposed regulations regarding ticks on cattle, and tho board discussed with.Dr. Iteakes, Direc-tor-General of Agriculture, the procedure necessary in order that steps might be taken to control the spread of theso parasites. It was decided to recommend, amongst other necessary provisions, that no stock be shipped from the North Island to the South Island unless they had been examined by an inspector and declared to bo free from tick infestation. The draft of the regulations to control the spread of ticks was carefully gone through, and some alterations which were suggested, agreed to. The sub-committee appointed to inquire • into, tho various ear-marking schemes which had been nibmitter to the board for their opinion, reported the result of its investigations. After discussion it' was decided to recommend the adoption of one of the schemes with certain modifications which tho board considered essential.

It was brought under the notice of the board chat experience of the working of Part 111 of the Babbit Nuisance Act (relating to rabbit boards elected by ratepayers) iias shown that the method under which contributions are levied from farmers u'lioso lands is included in the Babbit Board area required alteration. . After much discussion it was decided to recommend to the Government that a better and moro equitable means of levying the contribution would be at a rato per acre instead of on the rateable value paid by tho farmer On his land as at present.

Another point raised was in connection with rabbit-proof fences. It .was pointed out that as the law at present stood a farmer might request his neighbour to pay half the 'cost of a rabbit-proof fence, but this could not be enforced, as if the matter was brought before a Magistrate iie could not compel payment of half of such a fence unless it was proved that it was going to benefit both parties. The case was instanced of a man holding land for speculative purposes, but not spending any money on it or growing any grass, the land being generally covered with scrub and rubbish and harbouring rabbits. Such a state of things might do his neighbour a great deal of damage, because the producing fanner would )je keeping tho rabbits which would be harbouring on the neighbouring property. It was therefore decided that the Government bo recommended to amend the law so that in any district which a Magistrate, after hearing evidence, might declare to be a /'rabbit-infested district," any owner or occupier who wished to erect a rabbitproof fence to protect himself should bo able to compel his neighbour to pay half the cost.

The difficulty of the administration of tho Noxious Weeds Act in connection with tho control of blackberry received consideration. The extent to which this noxious weed was spreading throughout the Dominion, it was pointed out, was causing much concern to farmers, as in many places good land was being over-run by Ihe weed, and in some cases farmers' land was being rendered unproductive thereby. The provision regarding the cutting of- this weed contained in the Noxious Weeds Act, 1908, really rendered any attempt to compel, the destruction of blackberry by legal enforcement absolutely-nugatory. Tho following resolution was therefore passed:— "That the Board of Agriculture views with alarm the serious menace of the noxious weed blackberry spreading over much good land in New Zealand, mid on the Government the necessity of bringing in an amendment to tto present law compelling the eradication of blackberry on the bettor private land." The question of the export of stud stock from tfie Dominion to South America was brought before the board. Owing to'-tho cessation of a direct steamer service our market for stud stock in South America was now practically non-exist-ent. It was decided to, ascertain the immediate and future prospects of a service t0.., tho Argentine in order that the shipping of stock might agaiu be resumed as early as possible. Consideration was also given to a draft report of' the board's work during the past year for submission to the Hon. Minister of Agriculture and to the Council of. Agriculture,