HON. MR HAWKEN.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18969, 6 April 1927, Page 13

HON. MR HAWKEN.

YISIT TO ASHBURTON. "With the object of inspecting the wheat-growing lands of the /Ashburton County and to b© shown the agricul- [ tural possibilities of the district, the Minister for Agriculture, the Hon. Mr Hawken, arrived in Ashburton. yesterday morning by the first express from the nprth, on a two-days' visit. The Minister was accompanied by the Director-General for Agriculture (Dr. C. J. Reakes), Mr A. W. Hudson (Instructor in Agriculture for Canterbury), and the party was met by Messrs H. C. B. Withell and G. Evans (vice-presidents of the Mid-Can-terbury Provincial Executive of the New Zealand Farmers', Union), Mr J. Brown, a member of the executive, Mr J. Shearer (president of the Ashburton A. and P. Association), Mr A. Brown, a member of the Association, and Mr H. Christian, secretary of both bodies, and Mr J. H. McKay, manager of the Experimental Farm. They were entertained to morning tea at the Arcadia. An inspection of the Experimental Farm, comprising 136 acres, and controlled by the Department of Agriculture, was the first part of. the programme. The Minister was conducted over the area by Mr Hudson and Mr McKay, who pointed out various experiments which were being carried out. While at the farm it was pointed out to the Mirister that the land was unsuitable for experimental work, and a smaller acreage would he sufficient, provided that the right class of land was obtained. Mr Hawken was taken on :i tour through the wheat lands of the Waknnui district.