VALUE OF TALKS

Press, Volume C, Issue 29516, 18 May 1961, Page 11

VALUE OF TALKS

Mr Hayman’s View

The Minister of Agriculture (Mr Hayman) is in no doubt about the value of fanners’ conferences and the dissemination of information that goes on in association with them. Opening the farmers’ conference at Canterbury Agricultural College yesterday he recalled how a paper given at the Lincoln conference two years ago by Mr C. B. Hercus, manager of the Hakataramea Station, had had an impact on stock thrift on his own farm at Studholme. Mr Hayman recalled that on his farm there had been trouble with thrift in sheep, cattle and horses. The problem with horses had been countered by liming, and with cattle it had been partly cured by better pastures and lime.

For the sheep side of the operation, Mr Hayman said, the rebroadcast of ■Mr Hercus’s address in which he had referred to the possible beneficial effects of sulphur in selenium on Hakataramea had given him a glimpse of the future. He had subsequently asked his local veterinarian to carry out a trial with selenium on his stock. “The use of selenium based on work done by men based on Lincoln College has revolutionised the whole future of sheep farming on our farm at Studholme,” he said. In the 1059-60 season. Mr Hayman said, all but eight of 1400 lambs had gone off fat. This season two drafts of between 300 and 400 lambs and one of between 400 and 500 had averaged 371 b, with fewer than 90 graded as seconds. Seconds in the last draft had averaged more than 361 b. “The most outstanding single factor in the health of the sheep on our farm has.been the increased weight and quality of the wool,” said Mr Hayman. “It would do you all good to see what has been achieved with selenium.”