BOARD OF AGRICULTURE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 246, 15 October 1917, Page 3

BOARD OF AGRICULTURE.

i r_ The Board of Agriculture held several lengthy meetings in Wellington recently, at which important matters concerning the agricultural and pastoral industry: were discussed. There was a, large attendance of members, and the president (Sir. James G. Wilson) was in the chair. The question of the shipping and storage space for meat and dairy produce and other matters were fully gone into with the Hon. W. D. S. AfacDonald, Minister of Agriculture, who was present at the meeting. It was pointed out that although the latest sheep returns show a large increase in the North'lsland; there has bee* a heavy mortality amongst hoggets, and the lambing in many districts is much below the average, which would probably do away with a considerable percentage of the surplus, yet the Board thought it would be in the interests of the country that farmers should be advised that owing to the shortage of shipping it would probably not be practicable to freeze and find space for all the stock coming to hand, and to urge them to provide winter feed wherever possible to rear any lambs that might be left over. It was "also decided to recommend that farmers should retain the best .of their lang-woolled ewe lambs for breeding purposes; and that arrangements should bo made to tin a number of .second-class fat old ewes, and in order that this might be done to request the Government to make inquiries as to the possibility of securing a good supply, of British or American tin. .plates for "the purpose. The Board al*o. recommended that, to ensure the freezing space being occupied to the fullest extent with the privnest meat, it was desirable that the inspectors passing the meat purchased by the Imperial Government should be more strict as to the quality, so that only finished animals should be killed and sent Home.