EXPERIMENT FARM.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 3013, 9 October 1908, Page 5

EXPERIMENT FARM.

MR W. C. BUCHANAN'S OFFER. MINISTER INTERVIEWED. The offer of Mr W. C. Buchanan, of Wairarapa, of £6,000 towards the establishment of an experiment farm in that district wa« brought again before the Minister of Wednesday. A representative deputation interviewed the Hon. R. McNab in t»a Parliamentary Buildings. Mr Ilornsby, M.P., introduced the party, which consisted of Messrs D. P. Loasby (Mayor of Grey town), D. Reid, G. Stevens, W. Fisher, A. J. Toogood, Allen Donald, G. W. Deiler, and W. Fuge, representatives of the Agricultural and Pastoral Association, local bodies, and the farming community of the Wairarapa. Mr Loasby said that the establishment for which the money was offered would be of great benefit to the Wairarapa, and might be the means of inducing several other gentlemen to assist in the same direction. The dairying industry must play an im- j portant part in the development of \ the Wairarapa since the Government intended the land should ba cut up into small areas. In the Wairarapa, and in a portion of the Bush district, about 2,000 tons of cheese were manufactured annuajly, and 1,000 tons of butter. There were about 30,000 cows supplying factories. No better use could be made of this money than in showing the dairy farmers how to get the best results from their stock.

Mr W. Fisher (a dairy farmer) said that the establishment of an experiment farm would enable them to discover the best cow for cheese production purposes. Winter feed could also be studied. At present in the Bush districts they were experiencing difficulty in ascertaining; the kind of winter feed to grow. In this respect Wairarapa coull not proceed upon the experience of Taranaki. For these and other reasons an experiment farm in the Wairarapa would be very valuable. Farmers found experiments too costly. Mr W. Fuge, another dairyman, explained that Wairarapa conditions were quite different from those of Taranaki, and ft beginner found it very difficult to :i)3ks a start, Dairy fp.rmers realised that the Output oH their cows wr.s too low, but to make improvements Jnecesaitated the Importation of pedigree cattle, which only the wealthiest of them could afford; Hon. R; Mc"Mab remarked thai the representations were to a certain extent prejudiced by the fact that a decision had already been arrived at by the Government in regard to Mr Buchanan's offer. He agreed with what had been' said as to the advaitagea of an experimental dairy farm, but he -would like to remind his hearers that while there were already four fairly well equipped and extensive experimental farms in he North Island there was not one in the South Island. * This aspect of tha matter had been brought strongly under the Government's notice by South Island people. The objection he took to Mr Buchanan's offer, subject as it was to certain conditions, was that it would necessitate the establishment of another farm in dose proximity to a farm having exactly the same object in view. It had been suggested that such an institution could be self-supporting, but under such circumstances" it wculJ fail to present to the farmers the very things they wanted. Farmers wanted experiments made, and if there were to be mistakes, they preferred them to be at the Government's expanse. He did not think the deputation realised what it cost to conduct an experimental station. The director of experimenial farms, Mr E. Clifton, was asked to give an estimate of what it would cost the country to accept Mr Buchanan'ri offer to give £6,000 towards the purchase of land for an experimental farm in the Wairarapa, and £I.OOO towards the nurchase of pedigree cattle. Mr Clifton, basing his estimate upon the actual results of conducting similar experimental farms in the North Island, reported that the cost would be as follows: £ Purchase of land 6,000 Stock and implements 2,500 Permanent improvements 4,000 Total £12,500

The annual expenditure on the farm would amount to £3,625, but allowing £1,400 for sales of stock, etc., the net annual cost of maintenance would be £2,225. It was with extreme regret that for the reasons he had outlined he had to communicate to Mr Buchanan the Government's refusal of his offer, but he suggested that if £I,OOO was donated for improving the strain of cattle throughout the Dominion, it would have a more benefit than the establishment of a new experimental station in the Wairarapa. There had been several genei"ous gifts of stud stock to the Department, none of which were subject to conditions as to the locality in which they should be applied, and he would be particularly pleased if the deputation would endeavour to induce Mr Buchanan to give what he (the Minister) had suggested. He knew of one gift in regard to the Levin farm which was waiting to have its purpose specified as soon as it was known when the last of these gifts had come in. It would provide all the benefits which had been mentioned bv the deputation if the expenditure was made upon the Levin farm, and it might be arranged that the progeny of the stock purchased by Mr Buchanan's donation could be made available for the Wairarapa exclusively. It might also carry with it a condition that if in the future it was found necessary to locate an experimental farm in tho Wairarapa— and the Agricultural Department was now only in its infancy—the whole of the gift, which would be kept'intact, could be moved over to the Wairarapa. The benefits sought by the deputation could be obtained straight away if the gift was applied as he had suggested. He fully realised the generous nature of Mr Buchanan's gift but he saw the difficulty from the start.