Involvement

Press, 11 March 1983, Page 23

Involvement

This year’s president of the Mayfield Agricultural and Pastoral Association, Mr David Earl, is probably in little need of introduction to Canterbury’s Corriedale breeders. “Corriedales are an easy sheep to look after in dry conditions. They can take a pinch and come right again,” was how Mr Earl summed up his attitude to the breed in which he specialises. “Pentallon” is home for Mr Earl (“Ding”, rather than David — that nickname given by “big brother” has followed him) and his wife, Zilpha. It is 133 ha at Westerfield on which 1300 ewes and 450 hoggets are carried and of which about 90ha is irrigated from the Valetta scheme. The Earls moved from North Canterbury 10 years ago. Mr Earl had managed a farm at Hawarden and had been active in the A. and P. there. His interest did not wane when he shifted to Mayfield, and he has been a member of the Mayfield association for seven years. He has entered sheep in the show for the past nine years and not without some reward. Last week he won the Corriedale section of the association’s flock sheep competition — the fifth time in nine years. He is a great believer in showing his stock at A. and P.s: “If you leave them at home and never compare them with other people’s stock you never know how you are going.” Farmers in many parts of Mid-Canterbury are in their second year of drought, but speaking from his own circumstances, Mr Earl said that this year had not been quite as bad as last. One of, the reasons was

that lambing percentages had been down and those able to irrigate had achieved better results because of much overcast weather and fewer nor’westers. “But I know some of the people on the dry land have had it as bad as last year,” he said. One of Mrs Earl’s main interests is gardening as a visit to the farm reveals. She is a member of the Mayfield Garden Club and golf club “though I don’t play very well.” And she is a member of the National Party’s Women’s Electorate Committee. Mr Earl, too, belongs to the golf club but describes himself as a “social member” of that, rather than an aspiring champion. He similarly enjoys membership of the local collie club. He is a chartered member of the Mayfield Lions Club and a member of the pest destruction board, but counts his activities with the A. and P. Association as his biggest interest. He has enjoyed his period as president and is appreciative of the voluntary efforts and gifts that go into it. An example was a successful crop of wheat grown at the association’s car park this year. The manufacturers of Round-up herbicide had donated enough of that to spray the area, and the spraying was done free of charge by a local contractor, ’ Colin Bryant. The Von-tar direct drill syndicate drilled the wheat, which had been donated by Jack Allan, who also headed it.

Arid a good crop it was, yielding 55 bushels, or about 4 tonne a hectare.