UNIQUE COMMISSION.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 61, 7 March 1912, Page 5

UNIQUE COMMISSION.

AGRICULTURAL STUDENTS FROM URUGUAY. VISIT IX) MOUMAHAKI. The Uruguayan Agricultural Commission, consisting of Senors Carlos Prad'ea’i, Juan A. Alsarey, Kilario A. Urbina., Jorge Mullin, Carlos M. Ssvralegui, and Samuel M. Acosta, arrived at Moumahnki by yesterday afternoon’4 mail and were driven to the State Farm, says yesterday’s Paten “Press.” With the party is Mr E. ■Clifton, Director of the Fields and Experiments Division, and Mr Montro Bustamante, President Consul for Uruguay. On “copy” bent, our representative ■ visited the farm last night, half expecting to find his quarry to bo proudlookrng Spaniards with broad brimmed hats and Spanish garb, hut this conception of our visitors was very far from the mark. They might have been ■a band of New Zealand students as ■ far as appearance went—young, handsome and intellectual and anything but foreign looking. A casual obotsrvei; would most certainly have taken them for colonials until they spoke in the pleasing, mellow tone of their natilv© Spanish. All, however, know French, and Mr Clifden, who acts as interpreter, is a lluent French speaker, there is no difficulty about the language. Their Quest. Nine months ago the Uruguayan Covoranvent isent out the commission on a tour of the world, to find out What Uruguay does not know about ‘agriculture in all its branches. They . are all graduates of the Uruguayan University of Monte Video, and are

it® ibl'igilitestl' They are term;•'J'"leil: ip their ;tongue* 4 ‘agricultural engineers,” or what we call expert®. All of them being under 26, it is clear | they must possess exceptional talents V pt Mey woufld not bave been chosen \ for so important a mission. | Uruguay is a fertile country that / has in the past been devoted more Y to pastoral than to agricultural pury and where the land has been [ hold by a comparatively few owners, I the holdings or estancias running from I 200,000 to 100,800 acres. Xu recent I years there has been more interest I shown in .the direction of raising ] cereal crop®. The dairying industry ■A (k ialsb-'heginhiUg'tO: attract laitentio*, ‘wnsequently the large estancias arc I ■ being subdivided, and before long it is > expected that the wihol e prospect of gaming conditions Will be reyolutiqn- ’ isyd. In' view ( of the coming , change, 1 ; ,|the , State, [has ,commissioned a small delegation of; its intellects to toxir. r 'lthe world; -hi order that they, may relt/i xtii4r fully equipped with modern fenow- , ledge of the procedure -fin vogue in the most 'advanced countries as regards production, manufacture, and distributibn of primary products. The com* mismioners left’,Uruguay' in July 'last - .and have already completed' a ■ tour 1 • -of England, Europe, and Australia. r , leaying New Zealand {heist’’Fri-, { ;*]>end some,time ip Oajith«rUnited States, and com* ; 'pieto the'tour At the 'end of June. In original programing New Zea- , uitand," was not included, but their plans Were altered after they had ex- *’>; amrned the Dominion’s exhibit <at the ’Crystal Palace, and had read some of the literature relating ,to this country, They regret now that only a very limited' .space of time can bo spent in I Zealand, because the' forms,of ag"r riculture practises! here are the nearest akin to those for which their otto, land is, best suited. It is very probable" that New Zealand will come in for a ■ more comprehensive study than the present rush cf eight days will permit. Plan of Campaign. The plans for collecting information are decided practical, each member being responsible for gaining particulars of special features such as stock, implements and machinery, fodder, crops and orchards, plantations, rural industries, and so on. Every evening each prepares his own report on the V* day’>B experience and a general report covering what he has seen. The 4 ‘boys” were busily engaged at this work when our representative called bust night. At convenient intervals the commission holds a meeting to discuss the problems peculiar to each tour in a general way, the compilation of the 'Several and conjoint 'reports ibeimg completed during the yn-o-gress of the journey, so that when the whole tour is finished tlhb results will ho in readiness for presentation to the authorities immediately on arrival. The majority of the members are prospective fanners, but before embarking <m their own account each is re* quired to give two years to the State .' in (the capacity of instructors, so as to disseminate the knowledge gained during their travels amongst farmers throughout their own country. The commission left Wellington on Monday morning and spent the day in the Manawatu, coming on to Mr E. (Short’s homestead, Feilding, in the evening. Yesterday morning they inspected Mr Short’s famous stud of Romney®, Hereford®, and Clydesdales. The visitors were much struck with the stock, and promised to recommend alt to their people. Mr Short rose to the occasion and most generously presented the Uruguayan Government with a handsome Clydesdale colt, the pick of this year’s breeding and one for which he had been offered 300 guineas. The animal is sired by Bedord Breaker (Royal Treasure) the dam beifotg Lady Graceful. Tins generous offer may he productive of much good between the stock owners of New Zealand and Uruguay. : v Owing to the .shortness of the time available for Mourn ah ak i—one even-ing—-the commission' were only able to make a casual survey of the place. They proceeded to Hawera. to-day ; where they will bo the guests of the

| A. and P. Association, 'i .icy ret an: to Wellington on Thursday, and will I leave on Friday for .Van I’ f.uu mco.