AGRICULTURALAND PASTORAL ASSOCIATION.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 10268, 10 February 1899, Page 3

AGRICULTURALAND PASTORAL ASSOCIATION.

'■♦ The general Committee of the Canterbury A. and P. Association met yesterday afternoon. Present—Messrs W*. Recce (president) in ■ - the- ch_ir, W. Boag, R. M. Maedc-ald, H. P. MurrayAvnslev, E. G. Staveley, W. F. M. Bucklev, Wm. Henderson, H. Overton, S. ; Garforth, P. Duncan, C. Withell, F. A. Archer, G. E. Rhodes, Geo. Gould, J. Ander-1 son, Sir Geo. Clifford. Dr. Levinge. j Au apjlogy was received from Mr J. Deans. ] The Poverty Bay A. and P. Association wrote, enclosing a cheque for £1 Is towards j the Conference" prize, and forwarding particulars in connection with the aggregate ! prize for slieep classes, with a view of getting tbe Canterbury Association to consider their j method of awarding champion prizes. The Chairman stated that with the Association the championship medals did not count for points, not being class In addition, only six points could be awarded in any one class, so that champions did not count" points. The Poverty Bay Societymade classes for their champions. The Secretary had written accordingly to the Poverty *Bay Association. The Poverty Bay Association* had a singular way of looking at the matter. They made a separate class for champions apparently. Mr Boag said there was a class for champions in Dunedin. It was an unpractical idea. It would be a foolish thing to see a medium beast marked with a medal while a better one had no medal at all through not being entered. The letter was referred to the Sheep.Committee, with ~ower to act. The Canterbury Trotting Association wrote, drawing attention to the unsatisfactory manner in which the turnstiles worked at their-..me&ting at the Show Grounds, and asking that they should be attended to. The Chairman said the Grounds Committee should see that the' new turnstiles which the Association had obtained were in good order. . The turnstiles complained of were not the property of the Association. It was resolved to leave the matter to the Grounds Committee to deal with. Tho Secretary lor Trade and Customs (W. T-. Glasgow) wrote, in rejjly to the Association's letter, asking for a refund of duty on a cattle weighing machine, regretting that as there was no legal authority for remitting the dut- the Commissioner could not accede to the request. The Chairman said the question arose wheiuer they should apply to the Minister. The amount of duty was £10 or £11. It was decided to write direct to the Minister. Mr Anderson pointed cut that the machinery imported lor the local School of Engineering, on which the duty had been remitted, constituted a precedent. A letter was received from the Manawatu and West Coast-A. and P. Association, stating that a resolution had been passed that the Minister of Agriculture be requested to introduce a iiill during the next session to prevent persons styling themselves veterinary surgeons, unless they hold a diploma from a recognised college of veterinary surgeons, and that other A. and P. Associations be written to, asking their co-opera-tion towards the same object. They requested the Association to deal with the matter. Mr Staveley thought the object was a worthy one. He moved that the resolution be supported. Dr. Levinge seconded it. As the Government were getting so many veterinary surgeons they would have no difficulty in getting good men. Mr Rhodes moved an amendment contravening the motion. He knew of good men who were not qualified. He employed a man without a diploma whom he would not change for anyone else. : Mr Chamberlain seconded the amendment for very much the same reasons. Mr Boag asked if the Bill was passed whether unqualified men would be prevented from practising. The Chairman said it would only prevent them from calling themselves veterinary surgeons. Mr Boag said-some of the "men in Canterbury (he instanced two), who were u_- : qualified, were highly successful men. Mr Gould said that there was a penalty already for men who put the letters M.R.C. V.S. against their names when they were not entitled to do_ so. The Chairman pointed out that it was intended to stop incompetent men from performing operations. Mr Buckley opposed the motion. Sir George Clifford supported it. It would not prevent men of known experience from practising, but it would prevent imposture and men performing operations on valuable animals whom the farmer would know had not been through the proper course of instruction. Dr. Levinge said numbers of people employed men who had the letters V.S. after their names, simply because they had the' letters there and took no trouble to inquire. The motion would stop this. Mr Murray-Aynsloy said he would like it to aoply only to future cases. It should not be allowed to interfere with men who had been practising for years. Mr Overton would not like to see useful men prevented from obtaining employment. Mr Boag thought the farmers could take care of themselves. The amendment was then put and carried by 10 to 5. Accounts amounting to £46 8s 9d were passed for payment. The Ram Fair Committee reported that registered flock rams should be sold first, registered stud rams second, unregistered rams third, registered stud ewes fourth, and unregistered ewes fifth. Sir George Clifford thought it would be a I" t 3 r .*o. aiter the present rule. Each class should be taken separately, viz., Lincolns or whatever the breed might ber Mr Murray-Aynsley referred to-an instruction from the committee last year, which this instruction sought to alter. The Chairman.thought it would be a pity to be continually altering these instructions. Mr Archer thought it -would be better to have all the flock rams sold consecutively, and not have stud rams in between. He moved that in each class registered flock rams should be sold first, unregistered flock rams second, stud rams third, registered ewes fourth, and unregistered ewes fifth. Sir George Clifford thought that whatever breed was drawn should be sold right through. Mr Overton thought, in fairness to the Flock Book, which he would" like to see supported now it was established, he would like to see the registered sheep all sold first: Sir George Clifford moved a further amendment —"That each breed, both registered and unregistered, should be sold right tlirough before the next breeds were offered." Mr Macdonald seconded this. He thought that the suggestions in the report, if adopted, would be unduly hampering buyers. Mr Boag was*opposed to the sheep being sold in classes. If the registered sheep were not to have any privilege, it would be useless registering them at all. It would also confuse matters to sell a few stud animals and then some flock animals. After some discussion Sir George Clifford's amendment was then put. and carried. The sub-committee appointed to consider the question of a drilling machine competition reported that it had been resolved to recommend that a trial be held in September next for drilling machines for manures and seeds, the first prize to be £25 and the second £5, the prizes to be awarded for a drill that will in the most efficient manner sow from £ cwt. to 6 cwt. per acre of manure, from 6oz to 14oz -of turnip seed, from 31b to 101b of mangolds, from 31b* to 81b J of rape, and from 2 to 4 bushels of beans, ! peas and oats. The ability to discharge all the seed in the machine to be considered, and the machine to be either force or spoon fed. Mr Staveley and Mr Boag both suggested that there should be no limit as to quantity. " Mr Macdonald suggested that ' ample range should be given, and the makers not limited in any way. It was decided to fix the entry fee at £1 and the prizes at £25 and £5, as recom-. mended by the committee. The date was fixed for the last week in September, and it was decided to defer consideration of the quantities to be sown by the machines.' It was resolved not to buy the poultry pens offered by the Sydenham Poultry Association. The question of fixing a site for th»

weighbridge on the Show Ground was left to -the Ground Committee. The. Chairman reported that the annual meeting would be held on March 16th. Tbe meeting then adjourned.