A. AND P. ASSOCIATION.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 9364, 13 March 1896, Page 5

A. AND P. ASSOCIATION.

The annual meeting of the members of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association will be held this evening at the Caledonian Society's rooms. The following is a precis of the annual report to be presented. After referring with regret to the decease of the Hon. Ernest Gray, the report notes that; fifteen meetings of the Geueral Committee, twenty-five meetings of Sub-Committees, and two general meetings of members had been held during the year. The capital of the Association was shown to be £4,471 lie lOd, or £638 13a 4d less thau at the corresponding period last; year, but the Committee had deemed it advisable to write down the book value of the land and improvements by the sum of £945 12a 6d, which shewed chat the Aeaooution's working profit for the year has been £306 I9a 2d. Respecting the " Herd Book " of other breeds of cattle than Shorthorn, the work was completed early in the year and contained pedigrees of 44 Hereford bulla, 538 Hereford cowa and heifere, v lo7 Polled Angus bulls, and 163 Polled Angus cows, 62 Jersey bulU, 152 Jersey cows, 19 Ayrshire bulls, 67 Ayrshire cowa, 1, Highland bull, 5 Highland cows, 3 Devon balls, and 9 Devon cows. After reference to the New Zealand Country Journal, the horse, parade, the ram and ewe fair, and the grand stand the report went on to speak of the arrangements for the holding ot the winter chow, which promised to be thoroughly sncoesefol. A premium catalogue bad been prepared and distributed, reference to whioh would show that all kinds of farm aud garden produce had been included. A model dairy would be one of the attractions, in connection with a trial of dairy cowa. The prizes offered by the Association are on a liberal scale, and it was hoped that the private prize sheet would be largely added to in money, medals, or kind. Several attempts had been made by the Legislature to produce an effective Bill dealing with the important subject of noxious weeds. Aa yet, however, they have not snceoede:l, and noxious weeds continue to increase and multiply ,to the lasting detriment of Jthe farm and pasturelands of the colony. Some of the clauses in' the proposed Bills were so drastic aa to be quite nnworkable. The Committee were atill of opinion that an Act should / be .passed, the chief features of which should be to prevent the spread of seeds of noxious weeds, rather than the ci indication of them, which, in many cases, would be utterly impossible. Macbioery for cleaning all kiade of seed* had now been brought to such perfection that there was no excuse for sending out or sowing infested seeds of any kind. The Committee resolved to send to England a small shipment of fat cattle and sheep, which were selected from the prize-takers at the November Show, the object being to afford the dealers and others in the Old. Country an opportunity of seeing alive the class of stock which suppHe* the frozen mutton and beef sent from this colony. Unfortunately, however, no suitable steamer could be found sailing from Lyttelton to London direct, and thus avoiding quarantine regulations. The project had, therefore, to be reluctantly postponed nntil a favourable opportunity presented itself. The Committee were pleased to note that the Flock Book had been issued by ihe Coanoil of the New Zealand Sheep Breeders' Association. It embraced the great majority of flocks of note in the colony, being a uaefal record of their history >nd breeding. The work was well got np, aud had been generally well received. It was anticipated that ifc would prove of great value and eoavenie'nce to aheep farmers generally. In addition to the grand stand erected by Mr Macdonald, the Committee had found it necessary to add to the horse stalls and boxes by the addition of twenty boxes and forty-fpur stalls. Farther improvements were still required, especially in the matter of pig pens, vrhioh it ie hoped the incoming Committee m»jr «cc their way to carry one. v '