RESEARCH AND BUSINESS

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 108, 30 January 1908, Page 6

RESEARCH AND BUSINESS

= MINISTER DRA\\ ? S A" DISTINCTION:' NOT A 'WINE-PRODUCER. Mr. made it very clear to j<n interviewer that the Government does not intend to compete in wine-producing with the trade. Questioned as to' why portions of the grape-vines at Wa'eran'ga had been rooted up, tho Minister replied:— ; "When I became Minister for Agriculturo and looked into the work of the experimental stations, I found that Waeranga was ■veloping into a wine-producing station. The question then arose as to whether the Government was to become a wine-producer or to confine itself to the experimental wprk for wliich the station was primarily established. I considered tho question carefully, and I decided that, in. connection with the experimental stations, the Government was not going to run sheep farms, dairy farms, dairy factories, market-gardens, poultry farms, or, .wine-producing businesses, but that tho stations shoiild be worked as was intended from the outset—for experimental purposes. I found that the work at Waerenga had passed that stage, and that- it, was being, run on a calculation of the receipt, of a. large revenue from the regular sale of wine. Tho work was accordingly cut down to. the experimental stage, and a proposed addition to the plant was not carried out, that already existing being, of course, retained for the experimental work of the station." A POLICY WITH NO FRIENDS. The Minister'further said ,he found that the .station at Ur'ataki, in the Hawke's Bay District, was also developing a winc-produc-iug policy, and .this was altered to a general fruit station. " The schemo of wine-produc-ing in connection with our stations," added Mr., M'Nab, " has no friends. §omo people appear to have, thought that it was opposed only by the Temperance people, but really its greatest enemies are those in the 'trade,' and they, were horrified at the idea of tho Government entering into competition with them. We have no objection, of course, to have the value ofl vines for wino purposes ascertained, but wo are not going into the business as wine-producers." The Minister stated that the fruit-growing portion of Waerenga was likely to bccomo an important feature of tho work of this station. When the orchards were in full bearing, it was proposed to lease some of them' to private growers,' in blocks of, say, 25 acres eacji. , A portion of the land would he devoted to grapes, and the remainder would be planted with fruit trees, principally apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, and plums. Hie first orchard available for leasing would probably be ready in about twelve months' time. TREE SELLING-POULTRY FIGURES. On the subject of State experimental farms generally Mr. M'Nab said that while " experiment " will always be the watchword of the Department in regard to the farms, in future everything produced in connection with these experiments will bo turned to the fullest account. " Hitherto," ho said, "we have been too inclined to pay heed to tho cry that in selling the produces of our farms we are competing with private ( enterprise, but henceforth we intend to sell all we have to spare, and thus assist in making the farms as remunerative as possible." As an instance of what is already being done in this direction, Mr. M'Nab referred to tho Government poultry farm at Milton, in Otago., From this farm, he the management had been for some time supplying tho Dunedin market with eggs. "Wo get," he added, " from Jd. to Id. per dozen more for our .eggs than tho prices gained by private people. - The eggs aro produced at our farm under, tho most favourable conditions, and the State brand appears to carry with it, to most people, a certain guarantee of ' freshness " The runs, he added, wcro now being extended, with the object of raising the number of laying hens for regular sale supply to a thousand. . NO COMPLAINT OF COMPETITION. "Is there any outcry of undue competition with private enterprise?" the Minister was asked. "No, there is none. The small farmers with whom it might be said wo are competing. show 110 hostility towards what wo are doing. In fact, they often come to us for advice, which is very useful to them. W 7 o hopo by the end of another year or two to make the farm absolutely pay its own way, without in any way losing sight of the fact that the main object is that of experimental work."