CAMBRIDGE FARMERS CLUB.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 571, 18 January 1876, Page 3

CAMBRIDGE FARMERS CLUB.

The second monthly meeting of the above (Jlub was held at the National Hotel, Cambridge, on Tuesday, 11th iiißt., at 8 p.m. In the absence of the Pi evident. — the Hon. E. Maclean — the chair was taken by the Vice-President — li. Parker, fclsq. The following members were piesent : — Messrs. E. B. Walker, 11. Buttle, G. E. Clark, J. (J. Reynolds, B. Reynolds, F. Hicks, John llunciman, J. A. Douglas, and W. M. Douglas, The miuutes of the pievious meeting having been lead and confirmed, the meeting proceeded to ballot for new meaibei.s. Th« only name proposed at the last meeting was that of Mr W. L. Marty n, who was duly elected. Mr Martyn accordingly took his place. Mr (Jlark suggested that a copy ol the rules should be bent to every member. Some who Kad been absent at the-both meetings wore peihaps unaware that the rules excluded a member, if absent for four consecutive meetings. The secro tary said ho would do so. In accordance with a notice given at the last meeting, Mr Parker read an essay on sheep, of which the following is a synopsis : —

ON BHEEP. According to Pliny, of the original Spanish Mcrmo iheep, tome were black, some red, and others bad a tawny fleece. The remnents of these coloun might now be traced in the black and grey face and lego, and the intermixture of •black tueep. Merinoa are good mutton carriers, and they blao produce a full dote fleece which m not liable to ho destroyed by bruuh or underwood, and they are also well adapted for crossing with long wool*. In England the South Down breed bud long been pre-eminent, but they were principally bred for mutton. iJut here it u uecewarv to hare a breed of-flhoep that will pro •duce both wool and -tallow. Thi Lincoln breed >in a favoured position bas no equal in the production of wool which covers a course grained -alow feeding caicass, but haviug a huge hrcd it is unsuitable for lirst crossing with the Merino, which u a very important point with farmers The principal recommendation of the Leicester h, that it hat more good qualities ?ombiued than any other breed — namely, its beauty, its full 'form, compruiug in the bame apparent dimeuaiom greater weight, an early maturity, end a propensity to iatieu equalled by none ot the other breedi. In fact, all breedera have moro or less, resorted to the Leicester for improvements, which, by admixtuie, has imported the principal value to all other long wools Lord Somervillo observed, "to such an extent was tho extreme perfection attained in the 'frame of'tbia animal, that persons interested were lost •in adinnation at the skill and gooi fortune of those who had worked it out. In fact they had ,prepared a diagram perfect in iticlf and fifing it existence." Having heard it remarked Hhat it would be desirable to do away with crossbred claiies at shows, I beg to lay tli.it I entirely disagree wiili such opinion, lliere are wore larnieia interested in that clans than in any other. Most farmers have to farm for profit, and as they can not all afford to keep up a stud of pure bred kheep, they have to buy Merino ewei and cross with long wooU. la the classe* referred to, farmers have an opportunity of witnessing tho effect ot the various crotses, and •many thus reap the advantage which they expect to get by attending such an exhibition. I sliD'ild also ask of the so-culled breedera of puro sheep, if there u such a thing as a pure bred ? Were we-not all, and properly so too, trying to produce a Leicester sheop with Lincoln wool ? At the allows it would take a very aupeuor judge to distinguish the different breeds, it the names were not primed in plain letters abovo the pens. It has otien been asked, " What sort of sheep do you prefer?" 'ihe answer 1 should gite the quo tion would bo, " It altogether depends upon tho land you intend putting them on." Mr John liunoiuian said that before 'they entered into any diucussion upon the Vice-President's paper, he wished to put it to the meeting whether their remarks should bo repotted " verbatim," or was tho reporter to bo allowed to condense them as ho thought proper. Ho was very much disappointed in the report of their last meeting; ho felt very much annoyed at parta of it which related to himself : .it was full of errors, and altogether conveyed to him a very different idea, of the meeting to that which he had formed at the time. He thought that they should be reported in their own words, or not at all. He said much moro in the same strain, which however was not very interesting. Mr Clark was much surprised at the •charges brought against the reporter. He believed they wero unfounded. He challenged Mr Runciman to point out tho errors spoken ot. For bis part lie was

pleased with the report ; it secmod to him to convey a very correct idea bf ' the meeting. He was sorry that Mr Kunciman should havo attacked the representative of the Press in so underhand a manner. Mr Hicks also spoke in support of Mr Clark, and expressed his disapproval of the action taken by Mr liunciman. Mr John Kunciman feaid that he did not attack the reporter, he only wished to take the opinion of the meeting in the matter. He did not believe that anyone could report a meeting by merely libtening to the conversation, without taking notes. (Your correspondent here obtained permission to answer Mr Runcimau. He indignantly denied his charges, and laid upon the tablo the printed report of their proceedings, ami asked him to point out the mistakes referred to. The report as printed had been taken down in shorthand while the- members were speaking ; in no case was anything inserted in the paper unless so taken down. He was surprised that such charges should have been made, and he felt insulted by the manner in which Mr Kuncimnn had sought to atUin his object. He would certainly sit no longer in the room until some action was taken in the matter by the club.) fl^Mr Martyn said he did not think that any of the members would accuse the reporter of 'wilfully misrepiesentiug them, but a mistake might be committed unintentionally. He thought it would be a good plan for two or three members to go over the notes with the reporter, and if necessary to correct them. Mr Clark said that if a reporter was to be hampered with conditions of thw sort it would bo better to show him the door ; if admitted at all Jie must be allowed to have his own way, the Timks was open to them all if there was anything to correct. (Your correspondent here withdrew. In his absence the following resolution was moved by Mr Hicks, seconded by Mr Clark, and carried) : <l That the 'correspondent of the Waikato Times be exoneratod from all blame in the manner of reporting the proceedings of last meeting, and that he be allowed in future to be piehont and leporfc tit all meetings of the club." Your correspondent, by request, resumed his seat at the meeting, and tin business ot the club was proceeded with. Mr Buttle -aakl they ought to be very much obliged to Mr Parker 'for bin paper, if he was not altogether pleased with it it was not because ho disagiced with any part of it, but because he did not think it went far enough. He tlumght Mr Parker might have entered more fully into the matter, and said something more about the various breeds most suitible for this district. So far mit went, however, ho was much pleased with it. Mr Hicks thought that what we wanted was a sheep which would thrive on the rough feed in the district. In the bouthcrn part of the island there was a breed which throve upon the tern and other rough feud He thought that soina kind of half-bred would answer 'the purpose. Mr Walker agreed with Mr Hicks. He thought that some sort of sheep was wanted which would eat something more than clover and turnips. He had crossed meiino ewes with Lincoln -ranis, and the lambs had turned out more merino than Lincoln. Mr Parker said he attributed this to the rams. He did not think they were sufficiently well bred. Mr Ckik said that pure bred rams should alone be used for breeding purposes. Mr J. Reynolds said that for some years they had used half-bred rams, and their dock had not improved in the least. Last year they had procured pure bred lambs und the result was highly satisfactory, Mr Martyn was of opinion that the cost of pure bred rams — something like £50 or £150 -would prevent many people from obtaining them. Mr lleynolds said that they 'had from two puie bred rams 500 Limbs, and they had in previous years got only this number from ten half-bred rams, ko that the cost of procuring the rams would be about the same: Several members joined in the discussion, of whose remaiks nothing like a correct report can (for reasons stated in our last issue) be given. The Proposed Cattle Show. Mr Clark moved " That it is desirable that the 'Waikato -shall co-operate with Auckland in the establishment and carrying out a Provincial Cattle Show, to be held annually and alternately in Auckland and Waikato." In doing so he leferred at some length to the advantages likely to be reaped from such an union. He wished his motion to be considered in the light df an expression of opinion. Ho did not in any way wish to interfeie with any decision which the delegates at Ohaupo might come to. The resolution was seconded by Mr Hicks, and carried unanimously. In accordance with 'the. rules of the club, Mr John Reynolds being the next in alphabetical Older to be vice-president, gave notice that at the next meeting he would read a paper on '' Labor." This concluded the business of the meeting. —Own Cobklsi'Ondcnt.