THE DAIRY FARM COMPETITION

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 285, 25 April 1913, Page 3

THE DAIRY FARM COMPETITION

' THE JUDGES ENTHUSIASTIC. The judges in the Stratford A. & P. j Association's dairy farm competition completed their inspection of the farms yesterday, having spent the greater part of three days in the work. Mr. AY. 11. 11. Young, a member of the executive of the Association, kindly motored the judges from farm to farm. The judges are: Mr. D. Cuddie, (Dairy Commissioner), Mr. C. J. Rcakcs (Director of. the Live Stock and Meat Division of the Department of Agriculture), and Mr. R. Lambie (of Pihama, one of the best known practical farmers in the province). The judges, working separately and in conjunction, took voluminous notes, and have not yet announced their decision. This will be conveyed to the Society, to- 1 gether with a report upon the whole competition, and should probably reach Stratford early next week. Chatting with one of the members of the executive of the Association, the judges were most enthusiastic concernf iiig the farms they had visited, and 1 no less enthusiastic concerning the bene- | fits likely to accrue to the district from j | the action of the Association in promot- I ing the competition. They admitted | that they were astonished at the quality of the land hereabouts. Mr. Lambie particularly expressing his' surprise upon finding that the land here is such as it is, because he had always held the opinioff that it was inferior stud'. Results of farming operations have proved that it is not inferior, but that is by the way. The judges also expressed satisfaction with the amount of improvements effected on the land in recent years, and particularly with regard to the extensive areas now under crop for winter feed for dairy herds. They were inclined to praise the Association for having inaugurated this competition, and prophesied that it would prove of the utmost value, not only to the competing fanners but to the district generally. They expected that when the results became known, farmers fjro'mvall over the district would want tjO' see the winning farms, and doubtless the object lessons provided would be productive of greater improvements in other farms. It was only fitting, they | said, that such a valuable competition should have been started in the heart of "the" dairying district of the Dominion.