EXPERIMENTAL FARMS.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9170, 13 June 1908, Page 8

EXPERIMENTAL FARMS.

SCIENCE FOR THE FARMER. SPEECH BY MR. McNAB. Press Association. Ashburton, Juue 12 The Winter Show opened to-day, when there were record entries. One of the chief features was an exhibit by the Agricultural Department. The Hon. McNab, Minister of Lands, performed the opening ceremony. He hoped that if Parlia--m6llt V/vSiu give me mmconctLj financial assistance the principle of .mat-lug extensive exhibits by the Agricultural: Department would be ■generally extended to country allows, when ituvoiild be seen that even first-class fanners bad much to learn from the selenlisfi and his laboratory. The fanner must turn out produce which w uld stand supreme abeve th' , ‘ all competitors. For that \:s U ■ have knowledge that could > acquired within the ring feucu a ■ A farmer required to call science to his assistauco, and unless scientific men could be brought tp this country and put under the control of the head, of the Department of Agriculture that knowledge could not be made available fpr them. Unless tli© Government of the country brought these scientists to the doors of the people of New Zealand their assistance could not be obtained at all. The Department of Agriculture was but in its infancy, and it would have to grow. They showed that day materials grown on the experimental farm. They wanted men who could put these lessons in concrete form for tho benefit of farmers. £BO out of every £IOO worth of exports from the Dominion came from farmers, and only £2O out of every £IOO from all other industries, trades, and occupations. If they wanted to make their industries more valuable and increase their exports "they must develope along lines which such a Show as theirs represented. He was not able to tell them where the experimental farms of the future would be located, but was in a position to say that they hoped to have within a few years sucli a system of experimental farms that the work would be a duplicate of all agricultural work done in New Zealand. Whether an experimental farm would be placed, in the Ashburton district was a question for the Department’s expert. . The Minister was bauquetted in the evening, when there was a large and representative attendance.