FARM AND STATION

Gisborne Times, Volume LXI, Issue 9847, 28 October 1924, Page 3

FARM AND STATION

IMPORTANT RECOMMENDATION s TO GOVERNMENT. ' Th'e following remit passed at the ann;ual meeting of the New Zealand Council of Agriculture was referred j to- the Board of Agriculture for eon- J sideratiou:—“That the dehorning of cattle other than stud he, made compulsory, to take effect in two years time.’’ The Board considered that ' public opinion was now sufficiently educated regarding dehorning of cattle to realise the great advantages which would l he gained thereby. It therefore resolved to recommend that the . Minister of Agriculture legislate to provide that all cattle, with tho exception of stud stock, be dehorned upon reaching the age of two years. BLACKBERRY PEST. , BOARD OF AGRICULTURE | FAVORS BOARD. The report of the recent nieetin g of the Board’ of Agriculture says: ‘‘The Poverty Bay branch of the N ■/■ ' Farmers’ Union again wrote in regard to the establishment of Blackberry 1 Boards, urging the desirability for prompt action) in the matter. After 1 further consideration of the subject tho Board resolved to recommend that 1 the Noxious Weeds Act be amended so as to enable Blackberry Boards to ‘ he established for the purpose of combating the blackberry pest, the boards to be on similar lir.es to the small area rabbit districts formed under ! Part 111. of the Rabbit Nuisance ; Act.” 1 WOOL COMMITTEE. ; TO' BE RE-CONSTITUTED. ’ The Board of Agriculture recently 1 recommended to the Government that . the Wool Committee, which was serving a very useful purpose, should be ’ kept in existence, and now received J advice from tho Minister of Agriculture to the effect that the Government proposed, to take steps to keep i the committee iu existence in rej constituted form. j COUNTRY RECLAIMED BY FERN. . * A SPECIAL INVESTIGATION.

It was recently recommended to the. Board of Agriculture that when back country grasses have weakened and gone out. and the ground covered with fern and second growth, some practical method of instruction' he given to occupiers that will assist to re-establish the pasture by the introduction of suitable grasses. _ The grave seriousness of the position in regard to the deterioration of liill country pastures in some parts of the North Island is fully realised by the Board'. Inquiries made from the Department of Agriculture have elicited the fact that a professional officer of the: Department was wholly engaged in conducting experiments and investigations in this deteriorating country. It lias also been learned that the Lands Department, acting in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture, is setting up a committee to investigate the matter thoroughly. The Board is promised some definite pronouncement at the conclusion, of the sittings of the committee and will watch its progress with the utmost anxiety

FIBRE IN WOOL

THE YORKSHIRE COMPLAINT

The recent objections raised by the Yorkshire wool manufacturers to the quality of crossbred, wool generally has an important bearing upon the wool grown in the Dominion, and the Board cf Agriculture considers that further research work should he undertaken on the subject. At the Board’s request. Messrs A. 14. Cockayne. Director of the Fields Division, and W. Perry have: kindly consented to furnish full information regarding, the investigations they are carrying out in connection with the wool fibre, its structure and nourishment, and a. lecture, which was illustrated with lantern 1 slides prepared by Mr Cockayne, much impressed members with the importance of the subject. The Board expressed a hope that the Department of Agriculture would encourage this research work, which may result in some very important information to the sheepbreeders in New Zealand.