PROPOSED STATE FARM.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 91, 17 April 1912, Page 8

PROPOSED STATE FARM.

WATMA'iE PLAINS DISTRICT. On Wednesday morning the Premier and the Hon. G. W. Russell visited Mr T. McPhillips’ farm at Manaia, and'inspected his dairy coves. As with the Uruguayan visitors, Mr McPhillips very carefully pointed out to the Ministers the relative value of his cows as hutter-fat producing animals, and demonstrated the advantage ol aiming at liner strain milk-producing Jerseys, as against nondescript and less profitable larger-framed cows. He then took advantage of the occasion to urge upon the Ministers the desire aide ness of the Government establishing a State dairy farm in some central position on the Wairaate Plains, and the groat advantage such an institution, if properly conducted, would be to the district and the Dominion as a whole. On such a farm only the very best stock would bo reared, and the young hulls distributed throughout the district. Pro-, per tests and records would he kepi or. the farm to prove the butter-fa 1 producing value of each cow, and i; tin’s way the whole of the herds of tlx districts would very soon bo vastly improved. To illustrate what thi: would moan, ho mentioned that, an av erage increase of only 401 b of butter fat per cow per year would mean ai increase of If- millions sterling to tin Dominion, and this increase of but-ter-fat was a very moderate estimate to expect from increased qua!it;., in the herds. Such a farm, too. would be invaluable to farmers in. tlx way of fertilising experiments. The experiments carried op' at Moumahak. were (said Mr McPhillips) really use less to Waimate Plains farmers—con difcioiis and soils were not similar, aiu in the very near future the-Southern Taranaki farmers must fertilise Pier grounds much more than they havi been doing in the past. But the farmers/ were not in a position tc experiment, and some such experimental farm work to be conducted b; the Government was now fully needed. The Ministers, in reply, warmly aj> proved of the suggestion, admitted the desirableness of such an establishmoni and agreed that it should do a greal deal of good to the dairy industry. Tin great difficulty was one of finance, they could not he sure if the Opposition in Parliament would hack them up in such an undertaking. Here the matter rests for the present.— Star.