BOARD OF AGRICULTURE.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 February 1918, Page 6

BOARD OF AGRICULTURE.

QUESTION'S OF NATIONAL IMPORTANCE. , DRIFT OP FARM LABORERS FROM COUNTRY TO TOWN. The Board of Agriculture held lengthy meetings last week, when many matters of national importance were discussed, reports the New Zealand Times. There was a full attendance of members at tile meeting, and the president, Sir Jaiues U. Wilson, was in the chair. The Hoard had a lengthy conference with the National Elliciency Board, and discussed with them the provision of accommodation for married men on farms and stations. the training and settlement of returned soldiers on the land; seed growing; and tion-RE-AFFORESTATION. The question of forestry was discussed by the two Boards, and it was decided to again address the Prime Minister on the necessity for the creation of a separate forestry department under a scientifically trained forester. It was pointed out that the great work in front of him would 'he to develop a policy of conservation of the small remainin? area of native forests to be left ill New Zealand, and the regeneration of such portion of land which hftd been bush and was now useless for settlement; to underplant bush where suitable areas are available, and to continue the planting of other areas suitable for the purpose. At. the close of the meeting a joint deputation of the Board of Agriculture, the Council of the Forestry League and others waited upon the Right Hon. the Prime Minister to urge that something should lie done on the lines suggestedACCOMMODATION FOR MARRIED MEN. The question of providing better accommodation on farms for married men with the view of reducing the drift of farm labor from the country to the town was very exhaustively dealt with, and it was pointed out that owing to the large increase of indebtedness and other burdens that have been taken by the Dominion the only chance of maintaining the standard of living would be by a rapid and sound expansion in the productivity of the country, and that a married man provided a suitable house with moderate conveniences, having a plot of ground sufficient for a vegetable garden, and land sufficient to keep a cow, pigs, and fowls, is comparatively well off in rural districts even if only .earning'a small actual cash w*(fe. A 'scheme to facilitate the erection of cottages for married men on farms which had been drafted hv Mr. Hunt on similar lines to the provisions as to workers' dwellings in the town was adopted, and a further proposal to initiate some small village settlements in the back blocks was formulated with the view of securing advantages of friendly intercourse and mutual assistance bethe families living in the village, and so that the individuals occupying these cottages would not feel tied to a single employer and would, within moderate limits, be able to carry their labor to the iiest market, or at any rate, would have the feeling that they could. Village communities of this class might have the advantages of having a cooperative store, school, and hall accommodation. and other facilities which would not lie obtainable by those resident in detached cottages situated on their employers' properties. TKACHIXf; SOLDIERS FARM WORK. The joint Boards also discussed ttopening up o| Crown and Native land, the cutting up of private estates, the best tenure for leasehold lands, and the purchase and sub-division of suitable land for the settlement of returned soldiers. Tile question of how to meet the case of relumed soldiers'who prefer to live in the country and who were willinr to take up some light farm work but were unable for health reasons to undertake very heavy work, was also carefully considered- Various suggestions as to the best methods of helping men of this type were put forward, and it was finally decided to make a strong appeal to the fanners through the National Efficiency Boards of Trustees and the various committees of advice throughout the Dominion to take returned soldiers without farming experience, and enable them to gain a knowledge of general fanning work. SEED-GROWING. The question of growing seeds in the , Dominion was also discussed at great length Mr. Brown, Director of the Fields Division, and Mr. Coekayne, Biologist. of the Department of Agriculture, joined in the discussion as to what might be done in this direction. -Mr. Cockayne pointed out that the practicability of obtaning seeds depended largely on th€ duration of the war, and the unsettled period that might follow, but it was evident that the difficulty of securing adequate supplies at the present time was very acute, and it was quite likely that prices for such seed would remain high for some time after hostilities had ceased. Various members of the Board of Agriculture detailed their experiences in the growing of seeds, and expressed the opinion that in spite of the competition of Europe this branch of farming may be made a very remunerative one. ft was decided to request t'lie Department of Agriculture to pill lish some more information in the Jonnal of Agriculture as to the best methods of growing and collecting the particular kinds of seeds for which there was a demand in the Dominion- It was also agreed that the Government should be recommended, for the purpose of encouraging the growth of red clover seed, to import a number of the very best class of bumble bee, particularly the red-tailed bee and one known as the bronze bee. IMPORTATION OF JTJTE GOODS. It was reported to the Board that as the result, of enquiries which had been made in regard to the shipment of wool packs and corn sacks to the Dominion the Union Steamship Company had written stating that a vessel had already left Calcutta this year with corn-sacks and wool packs, another was leaving at an early date, and that altogether there would be six sailings during the year, so that there was every reaso# to believe that, there would be an ample supply of both wool packs and corn sacks for New Zealand requirements. It was hoped that nothing would interfere with the arrival of wool packs earlier than last yearBRANDING STOCK. This question was also discussed, and a sub-committee was set up to report on the scheme subni'tted bv the Live Stock Division for the Department of Agricul-

|ture for the ear-marking and branding of stock. Amongst other subjects dealt, with were:—Uniform stud books and National Live Stock Record Association, proposed legislation to piohibit the ex iiortation of inferior sheep from the Do minion, arrangements for the present meat export season, desirability of having the judging of live stock at shows taught 011 the various experimental farms, the wheal;, question, organisation of women labor for farm work, proposed board in connection with scientific and industrial research and Kitchener memorial scholarship.