ON THE LAND

New Zealand Tablet, 12 June 1919, Page 43

ON THE LAND

OTAGO A. AND P.fASSOCIATION : WINTER ? -'V .V SHOW. - Favored by beautifully fine weather, which fortunately continued throughout- the week, the 27th annual Winter Show of . the Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Association, which opened on Tuesday and closed on Friday of last week, was among the most successful undertakings of the kind of the many now placed to the credit of the association. Very large numbers of people were attracted to Dunedin for this annual exhibition, and, as a consequence, the attendance on the opening day established a record. Brydone Hall and other annexes to His Majesty’s Theatre, where the Winter Show is housed, was continuously thronged with interested spectators of the fine, varied display. The entry of exhibits totalled 1433, as against 1338 last year, all displayed in perfect condition. The official opening by the Hon. W. D. S. MacDonald, Minister of Agriculture, took place in the Victoria Hall on Tuesday afternoon. In prefacing his address, the Minister told his crowded audience how deeply he appreciated the opportunity of meeting them all at the opening of the Dunedin Winter Show. He had (he said) been asked on four different occasions to come to Dunedin to open the show, but owing to war matters he had been unable to attend. He was delighted to be able to accept the invitation that day, and he wanted to congratulate the people of Dunedin and Otago on their magnificent show, which was an absolute education, especially to the younger generation. The old pioneers had taught them an education faithfully and well, and he wished to say that during the recent great world crisis the farming community—the producing community—had been a great factor in winning the war. The men, women, and children of this country had risen to the occasion, and had done their very best. In concluding an interesting address, the Hon. Mr. MacDonald said we were on the eve of a new era, weaving a nation upon the loom of time, and we wanted the new nation built on liberty, justice, and sanity. He congratulated the people of the province and the city on the excellence of the show, and had pleasure in declaring it open. (Applause.) The arrangements made for the show by the energetic and obliging secretary (Mr. H. V. Fulton) and his staff of able assistants, were most satisfactory in every detail ; ample evidence being given by the happy crowds as to their interest in, and enjoyment of the attractions provided.

TREES OR SETTLEMENT. An important) memorandum on the forestry policy of the Dominion was submitted by the Minister in charge of the Forestry Department (Sir Francis Bell) to the conference of Commissioners of Crown Lands which had been sitting, with' the Minister of Lands (the Hon. D. H. Guthrie), in Wellington for the whole of a recent week. The point at which the policies of the two Departments may infringe is in determination of the use of lands now bearing forest. The purpose of the Lands Department is to settle bush lands if it appears that the returns from farming will be greater than from the

timber that may be grown upon them. The policy of the Forestry Department is to save timber trees, except on such areas as are suitable for farming. The two Departments may come to the same conclusion in most cases, but they will approach the questions always from different points of view, f It .may: be remembered 'that the suggestion of Sir .Francis Bell was in . effect that all forest lands should be given, to the Forestry ; Department, and that this Department should decide the future use of the lands. The other point of view, which was put to the conference, was that the Lands Department should retain control of the areas, handing over to the Forestry Department only those areas of bush which it might not consider profitable at present to cut out for closer settlement. ,V - } ? : . The memorandum was very fully considered by the conference, and it was generally approved. But the point was made in the course of discussion that the Crown Lands Department would have to be exceed-, ingly careful in these times when there was such a great, and only partly-satisfied, demand for land, about making any provisional proclamations placing under the control of the Forestry Department lands which might be suitable for settlement. IMPORTANCE OP WINTER SPRAYING OF FRUIT TREES. Fruitgrowers -are reminded that from now until the buds begin to break is the time to clean trees covered with moss or lichen (says a writer in Farm, Held , and Fireside). The fruit plantation or orchard must be kept in a thoroughly sanitary condition if insect and fungus pests are to be controlled; in the first place, because the growth of moss and lichen has a stunting effect on the trees, and makes them less resistant to diseases, and secondly because the number of insects which can hibernate actually on the trees is greatly reduced. A thorough drenching with a caustic soda solution (11b caustic soda to sgals of water) is the most satisfactory manner of ridding the trees of moss and lichen. On trees which are not very foul, but which still require cleaning, lime wash or lime-sulphur solution (winter strength) may be substituted. Lime washing should be deferred until as near the end of the dormant season as possible,; the attacks of aphis and similar pests are thereby controlled by the coating of lime preventing large numbers of eggs from hatching. In fact, the most effective applications are made when the buds are just breaking and showing green. Lime-sulphur (winter strength) can be used for cleansing the trees, whilst they are quite dormant, and for this purpose 3 quarts of concentrated lime sulphur solution (1.3 sp. gr.) should be diluted with lOgals of water, or as the buds are just breaking, when the strength should be 3 pints of concentrated lime-sulphur to the same quantity of water. Before the application of any of these washes, all dead branches and diseased wood should be removed from the trees and burnt. After using a lime or lime-sulphur wash, care must be taken to clean thoroughly all valves and internal parts of the spraying machines before putting them away. If a lime-sulphur wash is used, care should be taken not to use a machine with a copper container, as the copper and sulphur will re-act and render the machine useless for . further work. •