EXPERIMENTAL FARM.

Hokitika Guardian, 30 March 1917, Page 4

EXPERIMENTAL FARM.

To b 8 Established on West Coast.

Question of Site

At Wednesday’s meeting of the Lime Works Commitfcie at Greymouth, the Chairman (Mr H. Betts) took advantage of the opportunity to ask Mr A. McTaggart, M.S A., Government Agriculturist, what was being done in regard to the proposed experimental farm for the West Coast, Mr McTaggart said he was examining the various farms offered to the Department for the purpose indicated and would report to headquarters thereoD. They would thus realise that the Government were &6tting to work on the matter. He did not think he was overstepping the bounds in giving this information, and al-.o in saying that he wa3 open to receive any suggestion they might feel disposed to make on the question of site, which latter aspect was one that presented similar difficulties to that of seleoting a deposit and site for lime works. From their knowledge of the Coast he

was prepared to hear any suggestion or expression of opinion as to the locality which would beet serve the purposes of the experimental area and make the farm most useful. There were various questions, suoh as type of soil, central position, accessibility by road and rail, etc., to be considered, as well as the nature of the farm that would best serve the interests of the West Coast j for, in setting up a model farm, it should be in the direction of something that could be copied. Mr B. Ward, in asking for the boundaries of ths district the farm was intended to serve, stated that there were 200 miles of district down south and he would like to see the settlers living there in a position to receive the benefits, just as it would be of practical assistance to the northern extremity of the district benefit. Unfortunately, thosa living in the South had no railway and they woald be at a disadvantage if the farm were placed in the extreme north, Mr McTaggart said he took it the farm was to be in a central position, so as to serve the whole of the West Coast, from Karamea to South Westland. Whether it would be of practical assistance to the whole of the Coast remained to be seen. Mr Betts said that Karamea, like South Westland, had to be taken into account. If the isolation of South Westland only had to be considered, it might be suggested that the farm be established near Ross, but the northern portion of the district was similarly situated. The Totara Flat people claimed that their district was the moat central. Mr A. H. Wheeler said, seeing his name had been mentioned in the discussion, he thought any site selected should be adjacent to the Main Trunk railway. He added that Rotomanu happened to be on that line and was central. Mr T. E, Coates did not agree with

the proposal to purchase a farm and expressed the opinion that the Gov* eminent should take up the rough lands of the Coast, as the settlers had done, and would continue to do. There was plenty of good land, at the Arnold, say, that the Government could obtain for nothing, and if the experimental farm is to be worth while, and in the best interests of settlement on the Coast, the Government should statt at zero. They had waited five years for lime and they could wait five years for the more advanced experimental farm demonstrations. They did not want the Government to buy a farm, but for them to tackle the soil in tne rough and demonstrate that they could do ever so much better than the settlers W re doing.