YOUNG FARMERS’ CLUB

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 December 1940, Page 7

YOUNG FARMERS’ CLUB

MEETING AT CARTERTON. WORK OF AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT. The montnly meeting of the Carterton Young Farmers' Club was held at Carterton on Tuesday evening. The chairman (Mr A. Fisher) presided over a small attendance of members. The members of the Club debating team, Messrs B. Brasell, A. Fisher and W. Campin, were congratulated on winning the district debating contest. Mr A. Fisher also secured third place in the judging competition at the recent Carterton Show. Mr G E. Allen, advisory president, is to address the next meeting on the subject of "Dips and Dipping.” Mr N. Lamont, district secretary, addressed the meeting on the functions of the Department of Agriculture. He said that the Department consisted of the head office in Wellington, which co-ordinated all the activities of the various divisions. The Department was divided into four divisions, the Livestock. Dairy, Horticultural and Fields. The work of all divisions consisted mainly of research, administration of various Acts and the giving of advice. The Livestock Division controlled outbreaks of disease and was responsible for the inspection of meat, the control of noxious weeds and rabbits, ticks and lice in sheep yards, and the testing of animals for tuberculosis. Also under its jurisdiction were the Wallaceville laboratory and quarantine station. Pedigree sow recording had now been taken over by this division, which is also concerned with wool and sheep husbandry and poultry. The Dairy Division was concerned mainly with raising and maintaining the highest quality of butter and cheese. Factory management and the supervision of grading was covered as well as herd testing. The Horticultural Division instructed orchardists and small fruit farmers, as well as controlling all epidemics in fruit trees. The speaker said that the Fields Division was essentially an advisory service. It employed 50 or 60 officers throughout New Zealand. It was divided into four districts with superintendents stationed at Hamilton, Palmerston North, Christchurch and Dunedin. Seed certification, experimental work and manorial (rials were within its scope, as well as the giving of advice where required. Its sources of information were contacts with various practical farmers, and experimental work in districts elsewhere in New Zealand and even overseas. For the Hist few years, too, the Young Farmers' movement had been taken under the wing of this division. The clubs were an admirable organisation through which the Department

could instruct the farmers of the future in the best means of running farms economically and efficiently. Mr Lamont was accorded a hearty vote of thanks for his address.