AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 October 1915, Page 2

AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.

THE PAST YEAR'S WORK. FUTURE OF THE SOCIETY. The animal meeting of the Taranaki Metropolitan Agricultural Society will be hold at the Town Hall, New Plymouth, on Saturday, at 1 p.m. The annual report states: — "The report we have to place before members for the period ending August .'sl, 1915, is not a cheerful one, due no doubt iu a great measure to the terrible war our Empire, is at present engaged in, and which shows every indication of occupying our minds for a long time to come. We have endeavored to carry out our programme as in previous years, believing it to be the right thing to do, and had all members done their share, our position would be much more satisfactory at the present time. The sale of the Coronation Hall to the Defence Department has been completed, and a portion of the Rew Rewa. rifle range property secured for show ground purposes. Mr. C. Street was appointed early in the year as outside organiser, and has worked hard in the interest of the Association in getting new members and entries for the Shows. Members' privileges have been increased, and will now compare favorably with those of ' any other society. During the year addresses have been given by Mr. Stanley Hill, of Moumahaki, on "The Growing of Summer Green Feed for Milk Production"; and by Mr. McTaggart, of the Government Agricultural Staff, on "In tensive Cultivation in Taranaki." Our Autumn Show was held on February 24 and 25, in good weather; and as a dairy show compared favorably with any show in the Dominion. It showed a. financial lobs, however, of £173, as . £l6O last year. The utility features were the semi-offieially tested cow class, and the green feed class for milk proi duction. The Winter Show was held on ' June 10, If, 12 and 13, and was opened by the Right Hon. W. F. Massey. There was an excellent display of field roots ; and poultry, but in many respects the Show was not up to the standard of past years. An interesting feature was the specimen photos from the field acreage competitions of swedes and mangels, as t also was the painted patchwork quilt made by £he ladies, and raffled to such good advantage for the funds of the Society. A conference with representatives of the sister Associations of Stratford and Egmont has been held during the year, and matters of mutual interest discussed, 'and an agreement entered into to work in harmony with each other. The death of Mr. H. H. Street has been a great loss to the Society, for he was one of our foremost workers. "The membership of the Association, despite all our efforts, has continued to ' dwindle; and this year, although we * have had almost a hundred new mem- ' bers, less than ever paid up. The financial position of tho Society became so h seriously affected through this lack of J support, that the committee deemed it advisable to place the matter before the members, and this was done on Saturday, June 20; when Mr. Watson, in ac- % cordance with notice given, moved (to •' test the feeling of the members): 'That no stock show be held in 1916.' After very full discussion, consideration was . deferred until the date of the Annual S Meeting, with a view in the meantime of getting an expression of opinion on the. subjest from the farming community, and this we have endeavored to do in the limited time at our disposal. A scheme for the future carrying on of the Society has been outlined and submitted to farmers wherever possible for consideran tiou. It embraces the erection of buildg ings and yards on the new grounds at an estimated cost of £2,000. To carry I out the scheme satisfactoryily wo stipulated that our membership must be increased to 600, and that we should have cash donations or debentures taken up to the value of £1,500. We can say thai the required membership has been obtained, but the lack of donations is still an obstacle to success. The generous offer of the Taranaki Jockey Club of £IOO cash oiid an additional £SO per annum 1; for five years if we go on, is worth strivu ing for, but we are sorry to say that r donations outside that amount do not e exceed £IOO. If a number of the more 3 well-to-do of our members could see r their way to help the Association in this f respect, there would be a reasonable ~ hope of establishing the new venture on I a satisfactory basis, and seeing our af(l fairs as prosperous in the fuhire as they „ have been disappointing in.the past. We v commend this matter to the thoughtful ' 3 consideration of our well-wishers. To ( j those who have helped us in any way we tender our sincere thanks."