AGRICULTURAL CONFERENCE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXIX, Issue 7242, 30 July 1907, Page 3

AGRICULTURAL CONFERENCE.

Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, July 30. The Agricultural Conference opened to-day, Mr J. G. Wilson presiding. In the course of his address, the chairman said that the dwellers in the Dominion could fairly congratulate themselves on continued prosperity, based xipon the increased output from agriculturists and pastoralists, and the enhanced values. More interest, he said, was being taken in the scientific side of dairying, and the Minister of Agriculture was of opinion that the people were sufficiently educated to accept the Government inspection of herds and milking sheds. It was certain that any inspection which the dairy companies had instituted had entirely failed to have the milk of all the suppliers brought in proper condition to the factory, and although it was a fact that, by careful ripening cream and the use of the freezer, the butter-maker was about to turn out a first-class article, yet it was obvious that the milk in a doubtful condition must have a. deleterious effect on the manufactured article. Dairying jjeople^ll hoped that they were nearer to a dairy experimental station, but as yet there were no signs to justify the hope. The president referred to the necessity for educating the farmer, by recording the experiments taken by agricultural and pastoral societies. He mentioned that the exports had reached £9,000,000, and the revenue nearly £8,500,000. There was every reason to expect more remunerative prices for produce than were the case some four years ago, 3ven if they did not reach up to the present level, and it was possible, with !;ood land laws, to break in many million acres of virgin land. There was also room for expansion in the export of wool. Halfbred wool was still in wonderful demand, and any land which grew this wool well must be highly remunerative, as this class of New Zealand wool seemed to have an elasticity which was unprocurable in any other country in the world.

The Conference decided that efforts should be made to secure simultaneous poisonings for rabbits and small birds throughout districts; that the Government be urged to take more active measures in dealing; with rabbits on unoccupied and native lands; and that the Government be urged to cope with tho spread of noxious weeds on all unoccupied native and railway lands.