The Lincoln Conference

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30442, 16 May 1964, Page 9

The Lincoln Conference

r FHE Minister of Agricul--1 ture, Mr Taiboys, will open the Lincoln College farmers’ conference on Wednesday morning. On the morning of the first day attention will be focused on farm exports and after Mr Taiboys, Professor W. E. Candler, of Massey University, will speak on incentives to achieve the national farming targets. After him will be two farmers with experience of rapid farm development—Messrs D. G. Tomlin, of Whitecliffs, and J. L. Steel, of Pleasant Point.

In the afternoon, Dr. P. C Barclay, of the Grasslands Division, will read a paper on new pasture species which he and his team are develop ing at Palmerston North. Mi P. B. Harris and Mr W. R Lobb, of Winchmore, will tell farmers of the fertiliser mix ture they have developed foi lucerne. Finally Mr J. M Kelsey, of the D.5.1.R., Lin coin, will be giving farmers advice on how to cope with pasture pests under the new regulations. The second day will open with the question of shearing out of season. Professor A. E. Henderson and Mr G. Frengley, of the college, will discuss wool quality and farm management problems associated with this

growing trend in New Zealand farming. Professor A. L. Rae and Mr R. A. Barton, of Massey University, will also give papers on sheep and beef breeding. In the afternoon there will be a tour of the research, mixed cropping and Ashley Dene farms.

On the final day, Mr N. Roberts, of the Wool Research Organisation located on the

college campus, will tell farmers about the organisation’s plans for research. Then Dr. J. D. Stewart and Mr D. A. R. Haslam, of the college’s farm management department, will interpret the results of a financial survey of irrigation farms in Canterbury. They found that irrigation was no more profitable than dry land farming—a surprising result which has caused considerable controversy. Afterwards Mr W. R. Lobb, superintendent of Winchmore irrigation research station, will outline possible future developments in irrigation farming from research work which he and his team have done.

There will be two papers on weed control. Mr T. D. J. Holderness, who farms on Banks Peninsula, has tackled gorse in

two ways. One way works, the other does not. He will tell farmers of his experience. On arable farms there Is a growing interest in suppressing grasses with herbicides to get greater yields of white clover seed. Mr W. F. Leonard, a senior scientific officer of the Department of Agriculture, will be giving a paper on this topic together with information on other new weed killers for arable farming.

The Department of Agriculture has invited Mr O. G. Williams, of the United Kingdom’s National Agricultural Advisory Service, to advise them on the organisation of the farm advisory service. Mr Williams will give a paper describing the advisory services in the United Kingdom.

Finally Mr J. W. Calder, who was a professor at the college and has spent the last five years in the United Kingdom advising farmers, will speak of arming developments there.