FARMERS' CLUB.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1800, 29 September 1884, Page 2

FARMERS' CLUB.

Thrbe was a good attendance of members at the meeting of the above Olub on Satcrday afternoon. Mr Dags, the President, occupied the chair and thanked, the members for the. ; honorthey had done him in electing hi« as their flrat president. He also congratulated them on the oho|ce they had made of. Yice-President and Seoretary, and the strength the Club had already attained. It was a sad reflection that in a district of this sort such a club had not been formed before, If the club succeeded in what it aimed at It'.would prove a benefit to the community. ■ The land was nature's storehouse nod they'held the key that would unlock it and produce the fruits of the earth, That -key was an intelligent system of agriculture, the use of fertilisers,; &c. In .new countries farmers were apt to rob the soil of its nitrogen by successive cropping, He instanced the case of the.Pilgrim Fathers in America, also the farmers'of the South Island of New Zealand. The club they had formed would guard against all such evils. He referred to the olub in all its aspects—the better acquaintance ofws members with each other, the formt|Sro > of neighborly friendship, and the advancB 'g ment of the oomrnon good. %

A circular was read from Messrs Ingram' and Co, of Auckland, upon*" The utilisation of 'the. products of the colony," dealing with the Bystem known as the " American Factory system," and offering to give all the information in their power upon any matter the club may require. The - Chairman said the subject was impo'tant, and would,, I ,require, to be dealt with exhaustively.;' ..Dairy farming had proved a success in;other places, and was now oh trial in the Wairarapa Valley. No certain results had- r 'aS yet been obtained, and at a future meeting the question might he discussed, the members iu the meantime making themselves conversant with the subject. It was resolved, That the Clu'i take up the subject of dairy farming at Us next meeting.

An apology was received . and accepted from Mr Kunimer for his unavoidable absence through sickness. ■

The tollowing were ballotted for and duly elected members l-Messrs J. Boss, M. Caselberg, H, Jones, A, Elkms. It was resolved that the;subjects for discussion at this meetini'be until the next regular meeting. Mr Guild snid he would like to see discussed the important to farmers viz,:reapers and binders? They could get better information from' the people who had them in practical use than from Held-trials. Also shckmg-the different modes of threshing—the cost of production, reaping, suwinc and harvesting in the different soils and localities, , and the expenditure connected therewith. He would like each member when the season came round to make a collection of the different grasses with full information as to their production, &c., and classify and arrange the same in their club room. The Chairman said they hoped by and by to get a suitable place for meeting, where they could have an agricultural library and papers on cereals, agriculture, vine culture, and kindred subjects. Mr Hessey said it would be a good idea to obtain a case to contain the. different samples of grain with the name of th& producer and the price attached when funds permitted.

Mr Johnston said most people had a " book" knowledge of the different grasses, but they wanted a " practical" knowledge} of tbem, and what lands each variety SB best adopted for, They should be ' growing. Mr Heasey referred to the increasing couch srass nuisance, which he suggested should be taken in hand by the Club, The following were proposed for raem» bership, and will be ballotted for .at the next meeting Messrs W. Monson, D. MoLachlan, W. H. Beetha'm and H. vVilliamß. This concluded the business.