WAIRARAPA EXPERIMENTAL FARM.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9583, 1 September 1909, Page 6

WAIRARAPA EXPERIMENTAL FARM.

MR BUCHANAN'S OFFER. DEPUTATION WAIT ON MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE.

Some interesting remarks on the subject of agricultural development were made at a deputation which waited on the Hon. T. Mackenzie, Minister for Agriculture, yesterday afternoon. The deputation represened the local bodies and A. and P. Associations of South Wairarapa and was concerned about an offer by Mr W. C Buchanan, M P.. for the district, to give a large sum of money towards the establishment in Wairarapa uf an experimental farm Mr D. P. Loasby, Msyor of Greytown, apologised for the absence of Mr Buchanan, who considered that, as the pers:n making the offer, he should rot be present on such an occasion. Mr Hogg, M.P., was also unavoidably absent. The main question they had to bring forward was a most liberal offer made by Mr Buchanan to the Government of a sum of £5,000 to buy land and £I,OOO for stocking an experimental station in Wairarapa, on one condition, that a farm should be established in Mr Buchanan's electorate, south of the Waingawa River. Mr B. R . Bunny pointed out that this was an offer of £6,000 to establish an experimental farm. I'he land purchased need not be very expensive. It would need tu be second-class land, so as to show chose who took up that class of land the best way to work it. "I recognise," said the Minister in reply, "that the offer made by Mr Buchanan is a most generous one. It has been said that the matter is one of £ s. d. That is the case." ]t was, he remarked, pointed out that they would require an area of about 400 acres, which it was estimated would cost about £ls an acre. Buildings and stocking would bring the total cost up to about £12,500. The cost of upkeep, deducting credits, would be about £2,225 a year. At the present time the Government had no money to spare. The offer was a splendid one, but it only covered half the initial cost. The object was to help the small farmers, who, he agreed, were largely the backbone of the country; at any rate, they assisted materially what was bein dune in connection with the mutton industry, and enabled the country to carry a large population. But the establishment of a dairying experimental farm in the Wairarapa looked like what the Government had already established not far away. They had at Weraroa an establishment that was now doing good work, and the Government was adding considerable stock at its own cost, and was also increasing its stud stock. Within the last few weeks the Department had purchased ten Holstein cows and ten heifers, and eight Jersey cows, all of high reputation, and it was also about to purchase a number of bulls of reliable milking strains. The department had also a herd at Ruakura, and it seemed to him that they had reached the time when they should go in for specialisation. If they established another farm of the same description in the Wairarapa it would mean, perhaps, no widening of experience and a large expenditure in addition to Mr Buchanan's generous offer. They could not help feeling that in making such a generous offer Mr Buchanan had the right to stipulate his terms; but one could not help feeling that it would have been of much wider usefulness if he had given the Government the

money, or even half of it, for specialising purposes. They had erected splendid appliances at Weraroa for carrying on the dairying work, and to establish another similar institution would look like neglecting their opportunities. Of course, if the offer could be accepted without a great sacrifice of money, he should be glad to recommend that it be accepted, but he knew that the responsible officers of the department did not favour that view. It was a regrettable fact that the department had not sufficient money to buy 3tock. If the Government had more money to carry out a system of testing, and to give small farmers the use of reliable bulls from milking strains, it would be greatly to their benefit. "Even if we only had £1,000," said the Minister, "I am sure we would do wider good than by establishing a State farm in the Wairarapa, whatever might be done later on." Another thing that he thought might be the subject of experiment was the growing and testing of grasses and cereals. It would be a good thing if Mr Buchanan would entertain the idea of establishing a farm for the purposes of seed culture and testing. He thoroughly appreciated Mr Buchanan's offer, and he would place the matter before his colleagues. "If," he remarked in conclusion, "Mr Buchanan can see his way to allow his'generous offer to be used for specialism? in seed culture he will confer a great benefit on the agriculturists of the Dominion. To my mind, a good farmer is not necessarily thp man who has made money in agriculture—he may have harried the soil, robbed the land, and made it poor for his successor. But any man who lea-ves behind him better seed, and cleaner fields, and richer soil, and a knowledge of wider systems and more economical methods nf management, does for agriculture and the race a r.oble service, and I should be glad to know that Mr Buchanan contributes his quota to such a service.—"Post."