FARMERS’ UNION

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20728, 11 February 1939, Page 13

FARMERS’ UNION

SUBSIDY FOR VETERINARY CLUBS FUNGUS CONTROL FOR RAGWORT (Special to Times) MORRINSVILLE, Friday At the quarterly meeting of the Southern Thames sub-provincial executive of the Farmers’ Union at Morrinsville last evening Mr E. Palliser, of Springdale, presided over delegates from all over the Piako County. A request for a subsidy of 40 per cent, for farmers’ veterinary clubs w’as made in a resolution which the Southern Thames sub-provincial executive will send to the Government. For some time the Farmers’ Union has been urging that the Department of Agriculture should do more in the way of providing veterinary services. It was recalled that as a result of the efforts of dairy companies in establishing their own system of farm dairy instruction this work is now subsidised by the Government to the extent of 40 per cent. In the opinion of the meeting a veterinary service for farmers was just as important as the regular inspection of dairy sheds now subsidised by the State. Fungus to Control Ragwort The opinion that experiments should be made with the control of ragwort by means of fungus parasites was expressed in a resolution passed at the meeting. On the motion of Mr R. A. S. Browne it was decided to write to the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research stating that, while the meeting appreciated what had been done in New Zealand in recent years in the matter of experiments with insect control of ragwort, it. appeared that fungus control might give better results. A worldwide survey of species of fungus likely to deal with ragwort, was advocated. Delegates agreed that insect parasites had not been as effective as they had hoped.