BOARD OF AGRICULTURE.

Taihape Daily Times, 16 October 1917, Page 6

BOARD OF AGRICULTURE.

The Bosrd of Argieulture held sevcrr! lengthy meetings last, week at which important matters concerning the agricultural and pastoral industry were discussed. There was a large attendance of members, and the President (Sir .Tames G. Wilson) was in the chair. The question of the shipping and storage space for meat and dairy produce and other matters were fully gone into with the Hon. W. D. S. MacDonald, Minister of 'Agriculture, who was present at the meeting. Export of meat: It was pointed out that although the latest sheep returns show a large increase in the North Island there has been a heavy mortality amongst hoggets, and the lambing in many districts is much below the average, which would probably do away with a considerable percentage of the surplus, yet the Board thought it would be in the interests of the country that farmers should be advised that owing to shortage of shipping it would probably not be practicable to freeze and find space for all the stock coming to hand, and to urge them to provide winter feed w r herever possible to rear any lambs that might be left over. It was also decided to recommend that farmers should retain best of their long woolled ewe lambs for breeding purposes; and that arrangements should be made to tin a number of second class fat old ewes, and in order that this might be done to request the Government to make enquiries as to the possibility of securing a-

good supply of British or American tin plates for the purpose. The Board also recommended that, to ensure the freezing space being occupied to the fullest extent with the primest meat, it was desirable that the Inspectors passing the meat purchased by the Imperial Government should be more strict as to the quality so that only finished animals should be killed and sent Home.

Price of Sheep Skins. A member of the Board called attention to the fact that butchers and farmers were complaining that the prices they were receiving for sheep skins was under that arranged for with the Imperial Government ™d it was decided to request the Minister to make inquiries as to whether some steps could not be taken to remedy the complaint.

Exrcitation cf Inferior Stud Sheep The Board discussed the advisablenen.s ef the Government taking powers to prohibit the exportation of inferior stud sheep and arrangements were made to obtain a report from the Department of Agriculture ?.s to the best method of coping with this troub.e

Collection of Sheep Statistics.—"A number of suggestions were received from Mr E. Hardcastle, Agricultural Editor of the Christchurch "Press" in regard to the date of collecting sheep statistics, pointing out that if the statistics could be obtained earlier in the season farmers "would have a better idea as to whether it was desirable to retain more ewe lambs and ewes suitable for breeding instead of killing and freezing them, and prices would then automatically rule the position. It was decided to communicate with the Government Statistician and to ascertain how far it would be practicable to give effect to this suggestion under the present stress of work entailed on that Department in consequence of the war.

Wool Packs. —It was reported that the wool packs required by the sheep owners would probably arrive in the Dominion in time for the present season's shearing #

Electricity on Crops. A report was received from Mr. E. Parry, Chief Electrical Engineer, Public Works Department, with regard to the application cf electricity to the stimulation of crops and the results obtained by Professor Blackmail, Professor of Plant Physiology, and Pathology, South Kensington, for which a special grant had been made by the Development Commissioners in England. It was stated that.in 1916, an increase of about 50 per cent, in grain and S 5 per cent, in straw on a crop of oats was obtained as a result from over-head electrical discharge. Mr. Parry, however, doubted whether the grain to be obtained wolud be so great in New Zealand as in England, where they had much less sunshine than there is in this country; but he expressed the opinion that there was no doubt a field for its application to the stimulation of special crops such as garden crops and fruit, and hoped to be able to, make arrangements for testing the application of this method to the purpose named.

Among?t other matters dealt with were the High Commissioner's WeeklyMarket Cable: ear marking and brand-ing-of stock; "draft'/ on wool the importation of grass seeds; organisation of female labour for farm work; prices for next season's butter and cheese; rural housing; the Scott Kilburn Process for direct fixation of atmospheric nitrogen; and development of the poultry industry.