The Stratford Evening Post. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 1913. THE EXPERIMENTAL FARMS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 79, 10 April 1913, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 1913. THE EXPERIMENTAL FARMS.

Since the publication of Mr Pope's report on the Experimental Farms of the Dominion, a good deal has been said and written with regard to the matter, and in some instances anything but justice has been done to the work of the ex-Minister for Agriculture, the Hon. Thomas Mackenzie. It is

perfectly true that when he, as Minister in charge of the Department, took control of these farms, they were in an unsatisfactory state from a variety of causes, which the Minister set himself to rectify. He insisted at once that a proper balance sheet should be prepared each year, and by this means ho obtained the figures he required, and which, it will bo remembered, ho found useful in placing before the public the real value of the work being done. On making due enquiry we find that last year's balance sheet for the Experimental | Farms—including those farms that were very expensive to work, and which yet were showing little commercial result but good work in the way of demonstration—showed a credit balance, after payment of all expenses, of about £2OO. In other words, .tho Department carried on all the demonstration work at these farms and made very valuable improvement in Die herds at no cost to the State. It might also be noted that if the present value of the farms were taken into consideration on the one hand, and all the expenditure—wise and otherwise—which has been incurred in their upkeep and experimenting on the other, very little loss, if any, would bo shown. This is, of course, entirely apart from the great and admittedly practical value of much of the work done on these farms. We .have every reason to believe that the balance sheet for this year, when issued, will reveal a still greater profit, chiefly by reason of the great success which has attended the Holstein dairy herd which the Hon. Mr Mackenzie established at Weraroa. 'The sale returns on last year's young sleek quite exceeded expectations and were n revelation of what stock-breed-ing on right lines may mean. For instance, one cow purchased by the Minister for CJO has produced three calves since becoming the property of the State. If we remember lightly, her first calf was sold for 150 guineas; the second for a similar sum; and the third calf realised no less than 290 guineas ai the last Palmerston Show sale. 11 must also be remembered that in tho meantime this

cow has boon giving milk, her total quantity for the last year being 21,733 lbs weight, with a butter-fat value of from £35 to £4O. li is quite rea-

sonable to assume that this particular cow could be sold for from 300 to 350 guineas if the Department wished to part with her. The initial herd at this farm consisted of twentyfour cows purchased under Mr Mackenzie's instructions, at twelve guineas each; eight other cows for which £-10 per head was paid, and the bull—; Sir do Kol, which cost .100 guineas. IL will be seen that one cow in this herd has paid the whole capital cost of the herd and more. Within the last twelve months other Holstein cows have been added to the herd, but their stock it not yet on the market. The surplus young stock sold from this herd alone realised £IBOO, and many of the youngsters were not offered for sale at all. The above is the result of oite year only, but the Department lias had three seasons' calves from the herd referred to. In this matter, at anyrate, no fault can be found with the work done or the judgment displayed. Of course it was never contemplated or intended that experimental farms should show a direct profit on their working. 11 would be almost as reasonable to expect our Primary Schools to show an immediate profit to the State: that must corao in the fulness of time. It is possible in looking at this matter that some may discover that no rent value has been debited against these farms in the balance sheets issued tinder the Hon. Mr Mackenzie's direction, but on the other hand notning has been set down to the undoubtedly increased value of the lands. Had this increasing land value been set down to credit 'an dthe rent value to debit, the result would have been still more favourable to the ex-M!n-ister's administration from an annual balance point of view. There are, oi course, always fault-finders ready to criticise, and destructive criticism is such an easy line to take. As to the honesty of such criticism that is quite another matter.