OTAGO AGRICULTURAL & PASTORAL ASSOCIATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 1383, 1 June 1878, Page 20

OTAGO AGRICULTURAL & PASTORAL ASSOCIATION.

A meeting of the members of the above Association • was held on tho 23rd ult. in Wain's Hotel, . There waa not a. la-ge atte> danco. The Hon. Mattdew Holme! ■ occupied tho chair. ' • ;'

The StCRKTARY explained that the business of tho meeting was the consideration of a proposal to form » , united Agricultural and Pastoral Society for the Middle ' Inland., The subject had been montioned at -the . annual meeting of tbe Society, but no action had been decided upon. Tho matter now came before this meeting through a letter received from the Osmnru Society.* The Chairman said it would be in the recollection of meat of those present that he had brought this ' subject prominently before the annual meeting 1 , 'sis' mentioned by tho Secretary. No definite proposition or resolution baa then been come to upon the subject, ho'vever. As president of another similar society at Oamaru, he had since brought the matter before that body, the members of which had universally agreed that it would be highly advantageous to the interests of agriculture throughout the Colony that ' such un Association should be organised and esUb- ■ lishedfortho whole of the Middle Islar>d. His own. impvession was tlwt although the organisation of the • Cvii ter bury Association, as far as it went, was all that could be desiied, it was not sufficient. What was wanted was an organisation that could deal with the Government of the Colony, and could bring to* other " the intclligenco of thoav. interested ia agricultural ' and i amoral mutters. Tho subject had pressed itself up >n his mind from a consideration of the magnitude' ( f the interests involved. At their annual meeting it *ould be remembered that ho had mnde rough calcu- ; 'ations of the agricultural and pastoial B'atistics of the Colony, but. since that meeting he had had access to the Government returns, and had prepare! tho follow.ing statement of tho value of the Agricultural produce of the Middle Island, taking the returns^ compiled in February of this year, and reckoning the . value at what ho thought would bo allowed to be ft low rate : — ' ' 5,006,087 bushels wheat, at 4s 3d ..£1,27*291 - 5,607,103 „ oata, at 3s 4d .. 034,617 550,041 „ barley, at 4s 6d . . 1-3,801 25 994 acres hay, at £6 . . . . 155 964 69,017 tons potatoes, at £2 10s . . 147,643 130,469 Acres other creps, at £5 . . ■ 652,845 748,814 „ English grass, at 10s.. '874,407

Total value of agricultural produce of the Middle Island, as taken in February, 1878 £3,662,060 • In addition to this, there could fairly be brouaht' into calculation the value o' the sheep and cattle fed upon ' freehold lard, in the Middle Island also. The sheep under this head numbered 1,401,810, and the cattle 38,007. He had not valued these, but the figure* ho' had given would be sufficient to give some idea of tho magnitude of the interests at stake, and serve to showtno necessity of such an industry beir g represented by » '■ body which would make itself frit in the wy of carrying out objects connected with it He, believed such a body also would considerably affect for good the health and prosperity of the country. The main object* he thought such a society should lay down for itself <j were— (l) the improvement of thebreedingand quality . of btock ; and (2) encouraging a system ot agriculture " (hit would enable the best crops to be taken out of the ground with the least deterioration. >Buch aa;; association, carrying out such objects, would, be of in- . finitely more advantage to the Bt»te th»n apy other ' which could be established. Taking into considers- 'J t ion the.quantity of land recently soldin Canterbury, the breaking up of large ebtates into small farms which had recently been goina: on, and the land xoldalxotn ' otago, it would be allowed that the c untry was only,f yet in its infancy, and that New Zealand would yet ' become, for its extent, ,one of the first agricu'tuml ' countries in the world. Indeed he had to ailow that it was likely to turn out much better than ever ha uatt oxpected. The soil was better, s>nd the climaio more favourable. Even in Southland, where it Was so cold' ' the r o had b n cn remaikably pood crops, and the who 1 © of the Middle Island might bo said to bo a flrst-claos wheat erowincr ountrv. Ho was of opinion thede considerations justified tho establishment of an Association on a siuri'ar basis to that of the Renal Society of England or tho Highland Society of Scotland, a d every lar^e proprietor Bhould be a subscriber to Mich'' an Association. Union n as strength, and 1/ nil th«different Societies aont their best men to form a Con- . veiition to establish i-uch n boiiv, they would bo doihjj an immense service to the Colony generally. He . thought a subject, of k> much importance cloaei vid il>e be«fc considera ion of evory gentloinon present.—(Applnuse.

Mr John Roberts would move a resolution whL hi. would givo an opportunity for tho veptilatjon ' of the subject. He could only endorse 'ih« able remarks of tho Chairman, a»r| th'ujrrifc i the large amount, of the v^itio \{ i)m agricultural products of theOo'ony jn ■•tic! the lurmation of such a Society. He moved- " h-it, this Association BiiMnply enoorfes fie recommendation ■ fr< m \hn, Nor 1 hf^n Agricultural and P.iatorjl Association, and ■ is willinsr to co-operaio in every »ay with them and ' the oth*r Societies in forming a Niitioiml Agricultural and Pastoral Association for tbe Middle Island."

Mr John Maclean seconded the motion,

Mr W. (J. Smith asked whether there had beon any comnvmicatton from the Sociotieß of Canterbury and Southland.

The mxjrbtahy said there Inrt not. The O.imnru' letter was only dated 13th May, so that if these societies had been also written to. they would not yet have had tinio to consider tho ouhjoot.

The < hairman said ho had had an opportunity of ' ■ conversing- recently with Borne of the leading men of tho Canterbury Society, and ull ho had spoken to, with one exception, were in favour of the movement. Al- 1 though their society was well managed and in a good position, they wero of opinion that a society for ths Middle Island would strengthen their society and be advantageous generally. They had no' less a* 1 sum than £4810 to credit, and, hal, don* much more work than any similar society in New • Zealand Besides their ordinaiy show, and ono for entire horses, they had a ram fair, which was of • excellent service to both breeders, and purchasers. Purchasers oarnd from all part* of tho North Island, ttnd many shoep changed hands They were also com -' piling: a stud-book fur draught homos ; they had a stud-book for thoroughbreds, and a herd-book for shorthorns, end they were commencing a model farm: They wero thus far ahead of Otago. He thought'" action should really be taken. Farmers all over the > country could bo aeon to loSo a great de»l through knowing nothing, for instance, of the rotation <of ' crops, and dissemination of knowledges in this resect , was much required. 'Jhe only one who made »ny objection to tho movi'monv that he had met in Ohrl3t-' • church wag the Hon. John Hall. The editor, ofw the Lyttelton Times had takon the mjuer up warmly, and written in' support of the proposal, and Mr Wilkin, who took a great mtertßt in such matters, • also was in favour "f it. He had every reason f to believo that. Canterbury would enter into tho armngonient willingly with the other districts in the Middle 1 ' Islttnd.

In reply to Mr W. O. Smith, tho Chairman explained that tho national show would be a peripatetic one, never held two years in tho »arno place. It would by' no means be antagonistic to local shown, but would give them force and cne'gv, af was found to be tha case at Home. Besides he believed that such a socloiy could bring sufficient, pressure to bear on tha Lejosla- ■ turo as to got from £1000 to £2000 a your for prizes, (J not only for (.took, but for essays, &c , as well Js hi able to ifot concessions made in "tho matter of railway • faros for slock travelling 1 to s-hows. These were all tho subjectathe proposed fcociety could properly entertain. .,. Mr Koberts's motion was then put, and carried ' unanimous' v. . ..', Mr W. O. Smith then proposed— "That the foreroinsr resolution bo communicated to Christchurch, Timaru, Oamarti, and Southland nocioticn requesting their concurrence " . • Mr A . VV. Oampbbmi seconded the motion. Mr J. Eoberts was of opinion that it should bo »- penoral circular, and HUgRC-.ted that the motion should be siltered to read " kindrud soeietios." Mr Smith felt strongly upon this subject. Fe believed all mimU sociatieß Bhould colUpse, ami full in with the 'ar£;i- ones. He declined to alter his motioD. Mr Hgbbktk therefore moved his proposal n» an amendment. It was unwise to raise a spirit of ni.tv go"lsm ef> tbu ontsot. It was me ely a question of, > timn for the until .societies to callnpsp, but it w«uld . be of no uae to administer a Bnub to thorn while in' li(o ' i

The amendment was seconded by Mr Stronach. ""Mr H Driver asked if this Society were not taking tttoTmuch upon themselves. Tho Oamfcru Society only 'talced them for an expression of opiiion, and it was lor the « Oamaru Society to communicate with suoh other bodies sis it thought fit. v Mr Koßbrts was of opinion tha proposed action by this Society .would aid the Oamaru Soelety in its endeavours to 'attain the object. 1 he amendment was then put and owned, only the proposer and seconder of the original motion votmsr ;A?coifverß»tlou then ensued upon the subject of appojnttug delegates to'ai ton behalf of tho Society in thS'event of action belnftnecess-ry. Jly "decided to leave the matter in tne hands of the iCommittee Of Management of tne Assr>< elation, and the following resolution, proposed by Mr Skiasß Slirnr. 'seconded" by Mr A. W. Campbell, was carried: "That It be remittdti theComm tieo to Tftpppint delegates to attend a convention of the different Societies, and otherwise to cany out tho resolutlbnrarrlved at by this meeting."

OTHER. BUSINESS. f - idhe -Secretary reminded members that it had been ■decided at tho annual meeting to incorporate the "Society under tho " Agricultural and Pastoral Societies Act 1877." The signatures of at least 59 of the members were required to a document signifying that it was their *iah so to incorporatu the. Society, and the prosent would be a good opportunity of getting signatures, and putting the thing in motion. -The- members present tben signed the document prepared by tho Secretary. Thia was the whole of the business, and with a cordial vote of thanks to the Chairman the meeting concluded.