WAIRARAPA A. & P. ASSOCIATION

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 168, 9 April 1908, Page 2

WAIRARAPA A. & P. ASSOCIATION

.'. SHOW DATES DISCUSSED.

NEW REGULATIONS FOR VISITORS., A monthly meeting of the General Committee of tho Wairarupa A. and P. Association was held at Carterton on Tuesday.' There was an attendance of 37 members, "he President, Mr. H. M'Phec, occupicd the chair. ' Finance. ./ The treasurer submitted a balance-sheet for the year ended March 31. The total receipts were set down at £1520 2s. 9d.; expenditure, £1794 13s. Id., leaving a debit balance of £27-1 10s. 4. Tho chief items in' tho_ receipts: were: Subscriptions, £483; donations, £419'25. Gd.; entry fees, £256; and privileges, gates, etc., £231 14s. lid. In tho expenditure: Prizes, £538 9s. Gd.; permtiliont improvements, £303 12s. 2d.; manage-ment,-£221 Os. -Id.;. general show'expenses, ;£153 18s. 4d.; advertising and printing, £106_0s. lOd.; general and sundries (including judges £39 lis., and luncheon £5G),' £293.35. 9d. Tho Association commenced t"lie year with a credit balance of £233 19s. 2d. Tho liabilities, of the Association were £20 135.; against which there are outstanding subscriptions (£36), donations, and fees,, totalling £107 lGs. . . ' Shov; Dates. ' ' • Correspondence was received from various A. and: P. . disclosing',the following show dates :-tv. H?.wke's Bay.—October 21 and 22i Manawatu.; —November: 4; 5,. and '6.; . Cliristcliuroh.-T-Noyember. 11, 12, and-13. Wanganui.—November 13 and 14. Mr., A. Anderson moved, and Mr. A. Donald seconded,' that it be reeoiiimeiiiled to tho annual, meeting that the Wairarapa show, hold its show on November 25 and. 26. Mr. W. C. Buchanan, thought that these dates were much too lat'o toihold a success-, ful show.. They could not.do-without.outside exhibits,, said ,Mr. Buchanan,' and lie was sure, that .if. tho' show were held late, in November it would, not liave. the sjime'chances'' of, a big gathering ojTstotk'and..public as :i if it were held earlier. He moved, therefore; that the:'shbw' bo held oil October 28 and 29.', amendment was , seconded' by 'Mr. J. M. Liglitfoot. ; , Mr. W. Perry expressed himself in favour of holding the show about the. same time as last year. It certainly pleased local ; exhibit .tors to. hold tho show .at a later date than; that suggested by Mr/ Buchanan; 'While, as for the, statement that much would be gained,, that would depend upon'the Hawke's Bay exhibitors. He could -state that the Hawke's Bay breeders \vould.not'show.in the Wairarapa uagain until there was,only one-show. Further, lie. had letters in his .possession !to prove •the truth of .Ins statement.' , ■ . Mr. Buchanan said this opinion was .a surprise to him:' He had always understood that the Hawko-s , Bay breeders were satisfied so long as the. dates of the show suited them. ■ . . .., > ' , ... ,'!. Mr. J. Strane ssiid that was the' case-for-' morly, but the Wairarapa A. and P. Association had. since changed'its dates, and since that time the Hawke's Bay breeders, hajl changed their, minds. , : The amendment was lost by 16 to 14. The motion was also lost.. Several members did not vote. Mr. Buchanan suggested .thaV.the' mutter should be left to the,annual, meeting,' and this suggestion was carried. , ■. 'CARRIED. The 'following recommendations. ,of ./ the Ground ■. Committees,-were'.-tioii- of' Mr.-,H. R. Bunny,' seconded .by Mr. A. -AndersonThat , two; turnstiles, lie, erected at. .the; front gates,, arid,, ths.t'.uo phsfe be issued; that' boxes for the sale"of.tickets'' bo. erected 20 feot'"•from 1 the turnstiles'; .that at,the grand'starids"all tickets, escept'.nipmbers'' tickets, ;be taken, by the' gatekeepers and punched on admittance,, and a pass given on..going otit;:.'that a .special access, be pro-, .videdf. to., the stewards';, luncheon room. , so.' that those who ,go there not having ,a stand tickot shall'not be able to get ,on .to'"the lawn or stand. l ; . PLANT BREEDING. ;"c - •■■•, WORK FOR OUR SPECIALISTS. Tho creation of now varieties of economic plants is a work of great importance, and onb that a-Government can, of course, more fittingly undertake thanla. private, (individual. .' It. is satisfactory therefore to. learn that'theDepartment of . Agriculture '.contemplates' carrying out crossing experiments' at AVeraroa with, the various varieties of Zealand hemp vthat h'avo been : classified there: In regard to tho, commercial qualities of hemp' loaf, the millers, of New' Zealand possess welt defined, ideas of what they want, and there should'be no difficulty experioricedn'n laying down definite aims for tho work. Hybridising will* find a virgiii field in New Zealand homp° and; if tlio schemo be filially put. into oncration, tho ■ operators in . charge will have a fascinating task..' - 1

There is, however, just as, much' room, perhaps,' for godd work in plant breeding in relation •to fruit, vegetables, grains,, and other farm plants l as there is in the hemp plant. Wo want aphis-proof apples of superior commercial qualities, '.good pears,'that are -proof'against-black spot, oranges.that suit our climate, and are thin-skinned, sweet, and , seedless,, poach , trees 'tjiat resist their worst fungus diseases, potatoes that are im-. mune to blight, cabbages that are safe from fly and aphis, wheat, oats, and other.grains that possess superior qualities, and do not rust or smut. Some, of these tasks, .no doubt, dismay the most experienced nybridiscr, : and, no one expects even a Government to do what is impossible. Some good work, however, has already been done by private New Zoalanders and foreigners in somo of tho directions indicated—notably by Mr. E. Sharp, of Auckland; the "apple king"—and if " the Government, with its superior facilities for scientific work, could give the farmers, of New Zealand even one plant per annum that is superior in some respect to plants now grown the work would be greatly appreciated. Jn the past the experiment farms have been largely demonstrative on well-known lines. But recently tho Minister has shown a desire to introduce work of a more scientific and original character. It is therefore possible that the work wo have outlined'is already, to some extent, embraced in the programme of the future. . . ,

PIGS ON SKIM MILK. v "FIFTY PER .CENT. BECOME TUBERCULOUS. Of a large line 1 of skim-milk fed pigs recently slaughtered at a i North Island abattoir (says tho Departmental contributor' to tho "Now Zealand Farmer.") fully 50 per cent, were condemned for tuberculosis. .