TARANAKI AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 May 1917, Page 3

TARANAKI AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING. A meeting of the general committee of the Taranaki Agricultural Society was held on Saturday, the following members being present:—Messrs J. S. Connett (chairman), T. Smellie, A. P. lister, C. W. Ruebe, J. Allison, A. T. Moore, W. Hall, H. C. Sampson. H. Benton, J. R. Rowlands, J. IP. Hill, A. Turnbull and G. Longstaff. The chairman reported that lie had conferred with Mr. H. H. Sharp, district engineer of the Public Works Department, and Mr. L. C. Sladdcn, with reference to the erosion at the Waiwakaiho river, and that they had promised to prepare a report on the matter at a later date. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE'S REPORT. The action of Mr. Brown in making sanitary arrangements was approved. Messrs J. Connett and H. J. Okey -were appointed to represent the association at the New Zealand Council of Agriculture, the question of remits being left in the hands of the chairman and Mr. Okey. It was decided to' ask the Citizens' Band to play at the winter show for the first four nights on the same terms as last year. Messrs G. W. Browne, C. Hoskin and C. Dobseon were appointed a space committee with power to add to their number. The secretary was instructed to ask Sfr. T. Smellie if he would again provide an animal for the guessing competition. <

A vote of thanks was passed to the Hunt and to Mesdames Smellie and Connett for generous donations of special prizes. It was decided to ask Messrs Duncan and Davics to supply pot plants for decorative purposes. It was decided to ask Mr. H. J. H. Okoy, M.P., t'o open the show. The president and secretary we authorised to interview Mr. Wooller with regard to catering arrangements. The offer of a number of ladies to ran raffles was accepted with thanks, the society to provide funds for the articles raffled for. The opening ceremony was fixed for 2 p.m. on Wednesday, June 10, ' A letter of thanks was- ordered to be forwarded to Mr.\J. Forbes for. his donation of £2 2a towards procuring a gold medal for next autumn show. It was resolved that Mr. G. W. Browne be general superintendent of the winter show as usual. A vote of thanks was passed to th« High School and Technical College boys for the,ir able assistance as stewards at the recent stock show. It was .decided to recommend the Grounds Committee to ask the services of Messrs C. Goodson, W. W. Smith and Saunders in formulating a scheme for planting and beautifying the new show grounds. Accounts amounting to £B4 14s lid were passed for payment. SUBJECTS FOR DISCUSSION.

Tho chairman stated that with a view to providing suitable subjects for discussion during the show conference he had spoken to Mr. Robert Browne, director of agriculture, on the matter, and lie had hoped that Mr. Browne would bo at the meeting; He (Mr. Browne) was, however, in Hawera, but Mr. H. G. Sergei was in attendance in hi? place, and doubtless had some suggestion to make. Mr. Sergei said he had eommmunicated witli Mr. Browne by telephone, and his suggestion was that, following hist year's lecture on soft turnips, a short one might be given on lucerne as an autumn food—short so as to allow of ample discussion afterwards. In ad-, dition he (Mr. Sergei) suggested that in connection \ with the boys' coV-judg-ing a short lecture might be given on the selection of a dairy cow. A conversational discussion ensued, in' which various other subjects were mentioned, such as planting fruit trees, shipping facilities for farmers, and the dairying industry. The chairWn suggested that Mr. A. Morton should be asked to deliver an address on dairying matters generally, and that if ho consents the programme be as follows:—Wednesday, Mr. Morton's'address, discussion on shipping and marine insurance; Thursday, green feed (introduced by Mr. Browne's address on lucerne), discussion on co-operative lime works;' Friday, Mr. Sergei's lecture and demonstration on pure-bred cows, from a dairying point of viejw. Wednesday's programme was left 'in the hands of the chairman, with power to act. Mr. Moore moved that on Thursday the subject be the growing of green feed for milk production, based on Mr. Browne's address on lucerne, the Carrington Road Settlers' Association to be Invited to afterwards, open a discus, sion on co-operative lime and calf-

meal works; and that on Friday a .demonstration on the selection of a typical dairy cow be given for the benefit and instruction of boys. The motion was seconded by Mr. Hill and carried.