FARMERS UNION

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 48, Issue 156, 13 April 1928, Page 5

FARMERS UNION

PROVINCIAL EXECUTIVE* THE GRADING OF POTATOES. F A.Q. REQUIREMENTS. The Alid-Canterbury Provincial Executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union met this afternoon, the president (Air H. C. B. Wit-hell) presiding over a small attendance.

Mr H. A. Rhine! (Government grader at Lyttelton) who lectured in Ashburton recently on potato grading, forwarded a list of precautions to be taken to ensure potatoes passing the f.a.q. grade. Mr Wilson said that in spite of what Air Rhine! liael said when be spoke in Ashburton, there was no doubt there was a variation in the first grade. Air J. Oarr said the grade, f.a.q., was a fair average quality according to whether a good season or a had season had been experienced. The president said that Air Rhin.d had been most emphatic on the point that _ the grade did not-vary from time to time.

Air G. W. Leadley said the Chamber of Commerce should be asked to set the f.a.q. standard, as fair average quality for each season. ” All- W. Hammond said the Government graders were not Government officials, but were licensed by one Government and paid by the merchants.. They should therefore be influenced by the merchants, who set the gradeLosses Through Dipping.

The Hinds branch forwarded the following resolution:—“ln. view of the large number of deaths among sheep tibs season, tlie meeting considered: that steps should be taken by the Executive to collect information through the branches of the dipping material used and other particulars, with a view to deciding what action should be taken to combat the trouble.” Air Bagrie said there had been a higher death rate this year after dipping than for many years past, and no solution of the cause had been arrived at. Experts had gone into it, but did not come to any decision. The trouble, apparently, did not arise out of any one make of dip. , One man ha!d said the mode of dipping was more a ; t fault, than the actual dip. He doubted if it were advisablg to put the sheep’s head beneath the surface. In the past, however, sheep had always been totally immersed. He lost 4 per cent, of the first mob he dipped this season, and he had' used the same mixture last year. He waited for a while, and dipped 450 more sheep, hut thpre were no deaths and this seemed to be the case everywhere. The deaths seemed to be among the first mob to go through the dip. The dip workers suggested that the dins were improper-, jy mixed. He had heard that the very hot weather had caused the deaths, but thero had been just as hot weather in past years, when there were no deaths. t

The President said he had had deaths this year for the first time, but a second lot that was put through the dip were all right. Air Hammond said he had lost only one sheep, and his mob had been put through three times. Air Compton said he lost eight out of 120, and they all seemed to have lung trouble after the dipping. Other members gave their experiences in dipping. Air W. T. Lill said he thought thetrouble lay with the first ones to o-o through the mixture. It was decided to adopt the suggestion made by the Hinds branch, and to discuss the matter again at nextmeeting, when delegates have gathered, the necessary information from the membei-s of th'pir respective branches. Alr Leadley said ho thought this was an excellent matter for discussion at the annual conference.

Mr Carr suggested that an officer of the Department of Agriculture might be got to come to the County and personally collect information. Mr Hammond disagreed with this. The Executive should’ gather the data,, and then supply it to the Department.

It was decided to invite an officer of the Department to attend the conference, and to get in touch with neighbouring Executives on tiie question. Rural Credit Matters. The Rural Intermediate Credit Commissioner wrote that he would be glad to co-operate with Unions in Canterbury to form Rural Intermediate Credits Associations, and if the Executive would arrange mortgages of farmers, an officer from Wellington wounlbe sent to explain the provisions of the scheme and assist in forming associations. Mr John Brown supported the Commissioner’s suggestion. The Board was doing all it could for farmers. The dairy companies of the North Island s were taking up the matter and guaranteeing their clients up to 20 per cent. ' .The North Canterbury Executive wrote that it would be glad to cooperate with the Executive in an effort to obtain reduction in the cost of superphosphates.