AGRICULTURE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 110, 17 August 1910, Page 7

AGRICULTURE.

VALUE, OF CO-OPERATION. SPEECH BY THE GOVERNOR. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, Tuesday. In opening the Winter Exhibition yesterday afternoon the Governor (Lord Islington) said that as an agricultural man himself lie realised what a great deal the agricultural and pastoral industry had .meant to the past prosperity and how much it must mean to the future progress of the Dominion. Too much importance could not be attached to the great value of up-to-oute and scientific appliances in the great business of agriculture, which not only effected a saving in time and the eo»i, of production, hut also immensely improving the quality of the articles manufactured. In the Old Country it had I been found somewhat difficult in the past to impress on farmers tlie importance of applying science and machinery to the natural conditions of the earth, which had appeared to them to db ihe only essential element. The two leading essentials of successful and profitable modern farming were firstly organisation and secondly education. He had carefully read the last annual report of the New Zealand Department of Agriculture and he did not remember having read a report of so useiul practical a character. It contained admirable statistical information and also a critical description ol what was going on h the various districts. At Home in the past the absence of organisation had been one of the principal j disabilities of farmers. /ears he had advocated a system of co-uperauve organisation in regard to the dairying industry in the district from wnlcu he had come, and it had now Deen Drought about. They had already realised t'he importance of co-operating in dairying matters in New Zealand. Ii: regard to their butter that went Home, he was glad to say it was second to' none.— {Hear, hear.) The moment that a farmer allied himself with his neighbour by working under the co-operative system one of the greatest of his uitficulties was removed, as he wns men enabled to sell his produce not at cutthroat prices but at advantageous prices at regular times during the year. The old fallacy that in order to be successful one must try to get tiie belter of his neighbour was by degrees being exploded at Home, and he was pleased to notice that in New Zealand it nad already been exploded.—(ttear, hear.) The success of one man need not depend upon the failure of his neighbour The co-operative system snould be apj plied not merely to tne sale oi the tanners' produce, but also in the purchase [on a wholesale basis of his stock and equipment. The principle had already been adopted with success in some parts of England, Ireland, and Denmark. He had known farmers to obtain discounts ranging from 15 to 40 per cent, on vneir manures and feeding stuffs uurcussett m this way. The old principle of swung' on the wholesale basis and buying on a retail basis was gradually being discarded. If a farmer sold his produce at wholesale rates he should at least make his purchase in accordance with Jie same ' system. —(Applause.) In regard to che second essential, education, Lord Islington said that was being supplied in New Zealand by .he skilled instructors who were appointed by the Government. The farmers were thereby enabled to produce their crops under the most scientific conditions. He had been much impressed by the table in the Government court showing the importance of maintaining good strains of milking cows. This table, which Should be taken to heart by every farmer, showed the enormous disparity between inferior and superior iws, *nd that it was more profitable to give a little morei for a superior cow than to no on with an inferior beast. A few years ago their u-aighbours in .Australia' had invited them to- allow themselves to be absorbed in the Commonwealth, but they had elected, and he thought wisely, to retain their own destiny—(Hear, hear.) They had all the natural conditions essential to success upon their side. They had the power to increase their export trade not only to the Home markets but also to all "the States of the Empire. He hoped that in years to come they would establish a good export trade with Canada. "Use every effort you can," added Lord Islington in conclusion, "and I push your trade for all you are worth. Push in large and increasing volume yoilr mutton, your lamb, your wool, your butter and cheese and vegetables. You will, I hope, in a few years also hafe a large export trade in iruit. If you do this, I confidently predict that v e w Zealand, although her stature may [be small compared to that of tile sister I States of the Empire, and although you may be situated in a remote turner of | the world, will nevertheless be aDie to take her ulace with distinction amongst j the great " States o? the Empire."