AGRICULTURAL BULLETINS

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20956, 9 September 1933, Page 18

AGRICULTURAL BULLETINS

WORK OF CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SUBJECTS AND MANNER OF PREPARATION A list of the 50 bulletins on agricultural and pastoral subjects issued by the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce shows that many important aspects of farm management have been dealt with. Special attention has been given to the feeding of stock and to the. development of pastures, while the breeding of stock is the subject of several bulletins. The fiftieth bulletin is as follows: For the last four years the Agricultural Bulletins of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce have appeared month by month, and the publication of the fiftieth bulletin seems a suitable time at which to pause and review their origin and progress. The wide circulation of the bulletins and' the generally complimentary references to their quality, encourage the hope that a description of the mod** m which they are prepared and of the subjects that they have dealt with will prove of interest. As the result of an informal discussion in April, 1929, between members of the staff of Canterbury Agricultural College and some members of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce, the latter body was approached m regard to publishing Agricultural Bulletins and readily agreed to cooperate with the Canterbury Agricultural College in the issue of bulletins dealing with matters of interest to farmers. A joint committee was therefore set up to finalise the preparation of the bulletins. The Chamber of Commerce representatives on this joint committee comprise representatives of the Farmers' Union, Agricultural and Pastoral. Association and the Sheepowners' Union, together with other members of the Chamber of Commerce. A member of the board I with the principal and several mem bers of the staff represent Cantcrburv Agricultural College. Circulation and Aims. The bulletins circulate widely throughout New Zealand as well as in other parts of the British Empire, viz, Australia, Canada, South Airica, and various parts of the British Isles, in the United States, Japan, China, and Russia. Over two thousand copies are printed each month, and reprints of several of the earlier numbers have been necessary. The subjects for the bulletins are selected by the joint committee from recommendations by the principal, and are prepared by the staff of Canterbury Agricultural College. A copy is then forwarded to each member of the committee, which later meets to determine the final wording of each bulletin. The object of the Chamber of Commerce in this work is to show its interest in country life by helping the Canterbury Agricultural College to place at the disposal of farmers the very valuable information and results of research work available at Lincoln. This aim is well defined by quoting from Bulletin No. 1. "It is mainly for the furtherance of scientific farming that Colleges for agricultural research and agricultural training have been established in New Zealand. Canterbury has at Lincoln, near Christchurch, the pioneer of these agricultural colleges, where for over thirty years scientific investigations of many farm problems have been made." These bulletins "attempt the wider dissemination of the knowledge gained from such research in the hope that it will aid farmers in securing bigger and better production at lower costs, and at the same time inform others of changes and developments in farming which may concern them more or less directly." Research and Practice. There are numerous agricultural research stations in the British Empire, and as many more in other parts of the world. In each of these trials are being made with the object of increasing production or cheapening costs and the total output of reports reaches a volume that no single man can cope with. Much of the information published is quite inapplicable to New Zealand conditions, a little of it is directly applicable, but the great mass of it needs sifting out and experimenting with, to see if it will suit our circumstances. In addition to this there are problems in agricultural production that belong to New Zealand alone, and in which no lead can be given by workers overseas. There are problems of soil conditions and cultivation, of crop production and plant breeding, of animal breeding, nutrition and disease, of wool growth and preparation, of insect pests and parasites, and of farm costing and management. To keep pace with the progress in all these branches of science, to try out their findings under local conditions, and to make original investigations in them requires the efforts of a staff of trained men. Such a staff is found at Canterbury Agricultural College. To come to conclusions regarding scientific problems relating to agriculture is, however, only half the battle. The other half is to get the conclusions put into practice. The staff of Canterbury Agricultural College is fortunate in having a large farm on which to test the conclusions arrived at, but there still remains the necessity of spreading the information obtained, so that it will be adopted in the practice of the countryside. This is the function of these bulletins—to present well sifted and thoroughly tried information in a form that is free from technicalities, easily understood, and easily applied in general farm practice, under the conditions existing in New Zealand. Subjects Dealt With. (a) Grassland Farming.—ln the first bulletin a broad survey of the trends of production was made, and this showed that development was taking place chiefly in grassland farming and in livestock production. The second dealt with pasture management and controlled grazing. As a result of the publicity given, this method of grazing was widely adopted, with the result that much better use has been made of the flush of grass growth. Other aspects

of grassland farming, such as top-dress-ing, harrowing, hay and ensilage making, have been dealt with in subsequent numbers. The third bulletin dealt with some of the problems of pasture establishment, and stressed the importance of sowing seed grown from known sources, which were free from weeds and diseases. The dissemination of the information on the differences between Danish and Akaroa cocksfoot has resulted in the decrease of imported cocksfoot from 700 tons in 1926 to 9 tons in 1932. Other aspects of pasture establishment have been dealt with in later bulletins. As a result of these, there are distinct signs of a generally improved procedure in the laying down of land to grass. The question of grass seed production generally was dealt with in Bulletin No. 30, which stressed the possibility of developing a regular export trade in New Zealand certified Cocksfoot, White Clover, Ryegrass, Ch'ewings Fescue, etc., and showed the advantage of using only certified seeds. Feeding and Accounts. <b) Stock Feeding.—The problem of provision of feed to supplement grass Eroduction was dealt with in a numed of bulletins. The bulletin entitled "Utilisation of Surplus Farm Produce" was specially written to provide information at a time when there was a supply of both wheat and potatoes above normal requirements, and that on " Winter Feeding of Sheep in absence of ordinary Winter Feeds was published at the request of the Farmers' Union at a time when, owing to drought conditions, most of the turnips and green feed crops m Canterbury had failed. The important problem of the provision of minerals and a list of feeds that are deficient in lime, or phosphate, or both at certain periods of the year, was dealt with in Bulletin No. 6. In many of the bulletins the use of meatmeal was stressed, and as a result of the publicity given to it, meatmeal is now made and used right throughout New Zealand. Before 1929 meatmeal was little used, except by poultrymen; it is now a popular addition to the food for calves and pigs, and is also coming into vogue as a part of the winter ration for sheep. (c) Farm Accounts. —The methods of keeping farm accounts and of forming Farm Accounting Associations are set out in Bulletins 8 and 24. Over 7000 farmers have obtained account books, and four of the Farm Accounting Associations formed have attained a total membership of oyer 50th (d) Farm Costs.-A farm budget form is provided m Bulletin No. 21, and- this bulletin has formed the basis for a great deal of personal advice given to farmers, in compiling their own budgets and adjusting management to suit changed conditions. The nroblem of overhead charges on .he farm, possible methods of reducing these charges, of determining, the producing value of land, and. increasing net returns are discussed m Bulletin No 34 Horse, tractor, and various other farm costs are dealt with in other bulletins. Livestock Problems. (e) Livestock.—A complete bulletin has been devoted to a discussion of the general principles of livestock breeding. The proof of a connexion between insufficient winter and early spring feeding, and the low production of many dairy cows, the production of slow maturing second quality lambs and various stock diseases, such as dopiness in sheep, has been set out in various bulletins along with directions as to the ppropmte method of preventing these ill-effects. The endeavours of many dairy farmers to turn bobby calves into true veal may be largely ascribed to the results of the bulletin on calf rearing, prepared bv Canterbury Agricultural College, and the increase in pig production may be traced in part to the bulletins issued on the proper methods of pig feeding and breeding. (i) Crops.—Numerous crop problems have been dealt with, as for instance, those on twitch control, regular sowing of wheat, linseed growing, and crop diseases. The increase in baled hay that has occurred throughout Canterbury can be set down in large measure to the information given as to the convenience and relative cheapness of this method of saving hay. General Topics. (g) General.—Among the general problems dealt with one bulletin discussed the making of concrete on the farm. This bulletin gave detailed specifications and costs for fencing posts and other farm structures, and many of the concrete posts about Canterbury can be directly traced to the influence of this bulletin. The bulletin on sodium chlorate gave publicity to this method of killing Californian thistle* A suitable layout of shelter

belts for a farm homestead which should provide a useful guide for many years to come, is set out in the bulletin entitled Farm Shelter Belts. Those farmers situated within a moderate distance of Canterbury Agricultural College who require direct advice on problems connected with their own individual farm, would be well advised to read Bulletin No. 32, entitled "Improving Farm Returns.' A very large use indeed is already being made of the individual service provided. , , Subiects for bulletins are selected from time to time from the material available. Special care is taken to choose subjects at a time when it appears to the committee that they will be o£ the greatest assistance. ine success of these bulletins depends upon, the co-operation of farmers in. reading and criticising them and m offering suggestions either as to subjects tor further bulletins or as to mode of presentation of the facts. In order to provide a ready reference to bulletins already issued, a numerical list and an index of subjects dealt with is printed on the next page. In order to keep the bulletins in good order and so that this index may provide a useful reference, it is recommended that a suitable folder should be used.