BOARD OF AGRICULTURE

Taranaki Daily News, 22 November 1926, Page 13

BOARD OF AGRICULTURE

VARIOUS MATTERS DISCUSSED. A meeting of the Board of Agriculture was held in Wellington recently, when the opportunity was taken of discussing with the Minister of Agriculture a number of matters affecting agriculture. Two questions specially dealt with were Agricultural education and research and the position of farmer freezing companies. FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE. Information was placed before the Board relative to the position of foot-and-mouth disease in Europe. The regulations which have been introduced from time to time for the purpose of protecting the Dominion from the introduction of this disease were review-, ed, and it was decided to recommend that no cocksfoot or other •farmgrown seeds should be allowed to be imported unless adequate and satisfactory arrangements could be made to ensure safety? LABORATORY EQUIPMENT AND OPERATION. It was resolved that at the earliest opportunity the Board of Agriculture confer with the Agricultural College I Council and the Council of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research regarding scientific laboratories and research generally. AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE COUNCIL. It was unanimously decided to nominate Sir James Wilson as the Board’s representative on the Agricultural College Council. I Agricultural economies. The Director General submitted to the Board a brief outline of the progress which is being made by the Economies Branch of the Fields Division in its in-

vestigations. At the present time the work in hand embraces;— (lj A survey of mixed farming in Canterbury. (2) An investigation into the cost of producing wool and meat and their relationship to each other. (3) An investigation into the cost of producing butter-fat. In every case an endeavour is being made to etudy the whole farm as a unit rather than a detailed system of cost accounting. From such a study it is considered that it will be possible to ascertain the per acre produetion of a farm and by careful study the eost may be broken up fairly accurately into its respective departments. Good progress ie being made in Canterbury, offers of assistance are being received from sheep-farmers of the North Island, while the dairy position is being investigated in the Manawatu, Waiiarapa and Waikato. I The Board was advised that some fanners are rather diffident about disclosing their financial position. It therefore considers it wise to point out that the identity of the individual furnishing, information is lost in the Department, inasmuch as each form is numbered and the name of the person supplying the information does not appear on the form at all. In any case all information is treated as strictly confidential, and the Board therefore trusts that all those approached will assist the Departmental officers to the best of their ability, as it is highly desirable, in the interests of producers as a whole, that acctirate information concerning the most of production should be secured and published.