THE A. AND P. ASSOCIATION.

Press, Volume XLVI, Issue 7268, 26 March 1889, Page 3

THE A. AND P. ASSOCIATION.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE PRESS. Sir,—l hope you are not going to forget the A. and P. Association, and the statements made by President and Treasurer at their annual meeting last Thursday. No doubt you observed that the Treasurer, Mr Craig, stated he hoped the Press would take notice of them and help them; certainly you would confer a great kindness on the Association, and on the public In general, if you would criticise their management, and endeavour to bring people to take more Interest In their proceedings. We all know that our Association has been most successful with its annual cattle show, and I suppose there is nothing like it in !New Zealand, or perhaps in Australia, but its great- fault seems to be what I have always said, -halt pays such exclusive attention to stock to the neglect of agriculture. It depends almost altogether on the gate money at the Show, and when a downpour of rain causes that to fail they lament the small number of annual subscribers without ever thinking how that small number (I see there were only 304 subscribers' names on the books last year, of whom 84 had not paid) might be increased from hundreds to perhaps thousands. Perhaps, if they reduced the annual subscription to ten shillings, it would answer. But, above all, let them show our farmers that they would get something for their money by subscribing —something more than assistance in the extirpation of weeds. Certainly, there were two lines in the President's speech —that he thought prizes for the best managed small farms would increase the popularity of their Association. There ia something more than that however, prizes ought to be offered for a great many things that would directly benefit the ignorant and struggling farmer, and which would show nim now to make a, little more money. For instance—Result o_ experiments in the use of artificial manures, on fattening sheep and cattle with something better thangrass, or on the value or supply of the different sorts of artificial grasses, tares, Bee. The treasurer has, I see, proposed to borrow £10 from each of the members, but the most of them will certainly reply that they will do nothing of the sort, but that the proper thing for the Association to do is to get an increased number of subscribers.—Yours, Sec, _____ D. B.