BOARD OF AGRICULTURE.

North Otago Times, Volume CVII, Issue 17748, 11 March 1927, Page 6

BOARD OF AGRICULTURE.

- FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE. DEGENERATION OF WOOL. / The Minister of Agriculture attended the last meeting of the Board of Agriculture and addressecl the board -at considerable lcngth on the various questions submitted to it for its consideration, particularly the present position as regarcls the establishment of an Agricultural College and the arrangements- necessary for continiiing existing research worlc and developing further research Avork to tlie best advantage of the agricultural and pastoral interests. The board went exhaustively into these questions and will submit its conclusions tn Ihe Minister.

AVhile the information furnished by the Iligli Commissioner through tiie Department of- Agriculture indicated that during Ihe past few months the number of outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease had not Jieen very large, a most disturbing feature Avas the widespread natnre of the infection in England, the disease liaving been reported f^'oni N orthamptonshire, M (iddlesex', Shropshire, Lancashire, Kent, Wiltshire, Sussex, Essex. Norfolk, Chester. Derbyshire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire and Staffordshire. In the circumstances the board 'decided that it could not advise any relaxation Avliatever of existing precautionary regulations. Information placed before the board indicated beyond doubt that deterioration was taking place in some of the •wool grown in New Zealand, Two contributing factors appeared to be the use of inferior rams and a tendency to export too many of the best ewc lambs. It was resolved to hring the matter

u n der the notice of the various hreed societies and io suggest fa) that s1ut!l ilocks be more rigidly inspected,. and (b) that no cull rams famongst Flock Book sheen) he allowed to be sold for breeding purposes. It was further resolved to request the Department to instrnct its inspectors to make special efforts to induce farmers to retain their best ewe lambs for breeding pnrnosos. The Drinciple of stainihg imported cocksfoot, white clover and lueerne seed^to distingnish it from locallv grown seed was approved and the Department requested to have the necesary legislation drafted and circulated to members of the board. The president reported having dispatched the following telegram to the University Council: "The Board of Agriculture considers that agriculture should be an integ'ral part in the general system of education and urges that it should not be eliminated from maxriculation subjects." The act of the president was endorsed unariimously.