BOARD OF AGRICULTURE

Hokitika Guardian, 20 March 1923, Page 4

BOARD OF AGRICULTURE

;■ At the last meeting of the Board of Agriculture held .n Wellington, the undermentioned matters were the subject of consideration: STOCK BREEDING PRACTICE. The President reported that in response to the request of the Franklin A. and I\ Society for information about the breeding of farm animats on scientific lines (and especially -with reference to the in-breeding of stock) that several members of the Board had collected a mass of information on the methods that had been adopted by the most successful breeders in various parts of the world- The most valuable of those were embodied in letters received by him from the late Air James Little, one of the first breeders of Oorriedales. All this information had been circulated before the meeting. A lengthy discussion on the vari- | ous st stems of breeding animals took I place, during which Mr W. D. Hunt, j who was present at the invitation of I the Board read a most valuj aide paper giving the results of | his experience. He made special reference in ilie Mmidolian laws and dis- ■ cussed their bearing on the practical breeding ni larm animals. Mr tV. ■ I‘errv alsu gave much valuable inl'or- ' inatiun regarding sheep-breeding. . lteleleiice "a-; also made to the very comprehensive Bulletin on the subject ■ published by Professor Pearl of Maine ' Agricultural Sttation, P.S.A., on the “Physiology of Breeding with Special • 'Reference lu Dairy Cattle’’; the rc- ! • ports of the Cambridge University, and . | of tile Special Joint Committee set up ■ j by the Highland Society and the Royal ‘ : Agricultural Society of Great Britain ,! to deal with “Research on Animal , Breeding.’’ ' | if was decided to forward the infor- . : illation already colic,-ted to the Frank- '; above-mentioned reports with a view ,' lo i(-publishing the results in New j Zealand. It was further resolved to . Like “tops In obtain permission to ■ ! publish Mr Little’s letters. 1 ; ’nil-: ( i ll cow and scrub bull It uas agreed that the proposal to , make lb" licensing, branding or speying . j *d uiiprci'it able animals compulsory was ■ | mil yet practicable, nut that the A. j and P. Associations. Herd Testing and Breeding Societies and Dairy Companies I should la' asked to assist in an active ■ propaganda against the use ot inferior • 1 animals as sires and the discouragement ■ |'i| I lie sale oi cows as milkers u lien • they had been found In he iinprolilj able. A u article by Mr A. R. Young. M.R. C.\ S.. on (lie ipiesl ion ot the disposal i ot these animals was carefully eonsiilj ered anil appreciated. | I’ROITKSAL TO ESTABLISH KARA! SCHOOL. j Lengthy ■•nnsideratinn was given to | the i|iie : .: am ~f the I raining In be j yi'cu at. and of Hu- -I;,rf n"ecsN;ir\ p r j a I* "I 111 Sellnnl. winch i( was hoped Hie : Minister of Agrieulfuro would be able to <"-t: 1 1,1i s1 1 in the Non ii Island wh- n : 1 i- Gina" i.il eiuniil i-'u of the Dominion | "airan:, ,1 (lie expenditure. FFRTI USERS. j v Gatenienl was placed Ijefote the i ibi’inl showing t!i" importations of ; Nauru and Ocean Island phosphates up : t” .•list. December. IP:?'!. Tin's slalel tuent showed that there had been a pro- | gressive im i-eas in importations, and j that lasi ye-r Hie Domini ni iineorled I practically 111 per rent of flic year's i output. : ADMINISTRATION OF NOXIOUS j WEEDS ACT. j d lie question oi County Councils tuk- | ing a more active oart in Hie adminij strut nm of Hie Noxious Weeds Act was Hie Ilex I .s'lbieei dealt v, ill. the Mi ,i----having expressed a wish to secure an cxpicssioii of the II aid's opimun t'eieoa. \ recommend.ition was faun, eo! on i lie lines ol County Cuuneils l,e‘'""’’led ", abminisiei the control ol noxious weeds. ('< > NTISOI. oi ' i>;kki: !i ■ i» ns. In respnnse to an invitation to lie repusouied at a Conference to |„. at an early dale regarding Hie int liiul- lo he adopted in dealing eli'cetn«l\ Hill, tile increase in deer herds, the Roil'd elected Messrs .1. Ibigg (South Island), and F. I). .McLennan (North Island) as its representatives IUBIMT XCISANCE ACT. A further letter was received from Mr A .C. Morton. Ohingaifi. bringing '"Kler notice suggested amendments to the Rabbit Nuisance Act. After discussion it was decided to reply as follows (1) The Hoard concurred in I lie suggestion i hat elections of Trustees should be held on the same dav atbo Countv elections. (-’).- I be L'oard did not cniicur in lb" proposal v.itb respect to dill'erential rating, and (H).~-The Board is in favour of Be ■ b ing formed from I lie begin:' in ; on cither '‘Raleable vein •" or ",:e!V:M.-"" basis. ECONOMIC TREATMENT OF DRIFTING HANDS. I’lie Director-, .'(■uaral wrote Ridiculing that the question of Llie economic treatment of drifting sandhills, as brought up by Mr K. W. Dalrympl". was re, oi vine: the attention of |l" Doi)n!• tn:*• *.ll. ! In* necessity of <_*:i\*il l lc farmers advice as to the proper methods j to be adopted in farming those lands i was sn- ad. "iid it was decided to re- ' quest t'e Direei.or-Oeneral to arrange . for an ollicer to visß the district for I the purpose of dealing with mis parti- . eular a.-ncri of the question. 1 MDA SEED I ARAL A letter was received from the Aloa Seed Farm .Association covering news-- , paper extracts dealiii": briefly with the I operntimi.s nf tl" 1 Jfn? Seed Farm. Mr ' • I Begg, who is a member of the Asso- - ciation. amplified the information and acquainted the Beard very fully with j details (if l.be work being carried on, which was considered very satisfactory. VIRGINIAN OCAIL. The opinion of the Board was solicited concerning an application f"i' permission lo imo-irt I ‘ i brace ot A irginiau (,)iiail. it ■ was decid'd to secure further infer nation before making a definite recoinnu iidatiou on the sub-

AGR ICLLTURA h EDUCATION. A letter v. a- received ft out ' •gistrar of the N.Z. University indicating that the Senate could not agree to t Board's suggestion that students proceeding to b'gl'or education in cultural • ioc e- ■ b.-uld be from the . t in -lude a .rt. i language in the Matriculation Iwaiuin-i tion. In view of the fact that the personnel of the Board might undergo some changes as a result of the forthcoming elec 1 i o' (he President. Sir James Milson i h. the opportunity of thanking members of the Board, and the Direc-tor-General of Agriculture, for the as-

sistanee they had always given him and for the thorough and capable manner in which they had dealt with the many important questions vvnich had come before them. Air Begg. speaking on behalf of the members ol the Board, intimated the pleasure it had been to them to be associated with Sir James ’Wilson, and expressed their appreciation oF u.e ser-1 vices he had rendord to the Dominion j in the important position lie held as I President of the Board. In conclusion I lie expressed the hope tha t those mem-j hers of the Board who were returned | would again have the pleasure of being j associated with Sir James. j Dr Hcakes returned thanks to the 1 President ami tlie members of the J Board for the kindly references to him-,-clf, and expressed his appreciation of the assistance which the Board had been to the Department in the handling of the many difficult problems with which it had to deal. Owing to being unavoidably detained in the South Island by important engagements the Minister, to his regret, had been unable to be present at the meeting.