BOARD OF AGRICULTURE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3142, 21 July 1917, Page 10

BOARD OF AGRICULTURE

COOL STORAGE OF DAIRY PRODUCE IMPORTANT RECOMMENDATIONS.' ■ '' '- i " - ' • The Board of Agriculture held several lengthy" meetings last -week, - at which luattcye;.' o£ considerable interest to the farming'community were dealt with. cThere was a' largo attendauce of members of the board, only one member being flbseift through duties connected with the sitting of a Military Service Appeal ißoard. Cool Storage for Dairy Produc:;. The .board held a lengthy consultation in regard to the provision of cool storage for dairy produce, and in c< niunctlon with Mr. Cuddie, Director of the (Dairy ' Division .of the Department of Agriculture, weut most exhaustively into tjie question of the cool storage for butifer and cheese at the various gazetted gradiiig-stores in tho Dominion, and the ..possibility of extending some of these places to provide accommodation for larger quantities of dairy produce should there be a further diminution of our shipping facilities. The board also cisoussed . the question with Dr. Keakos, Director of .the Live Stock Division of the; Department of Agriculture, in relation to.the storage of frozen meat, and thfi immediate and future prospects for ejiipping. is a result of the board's !lcliberation of these matters, it, was decided to convey to the minister of Agriculture their recommendations in the Biattsv, which are as follow, and- to request that they receive tho Government's • earnest and immediate attentiou, a; (he Bubject was. one of extreme urgency:—

. That the Government should, if possible, try to secure for the carriage of butter, say, about G per cent. iof the shipping space available; unci rlso to consider' tho practicability of adopting eoine method of assisting some of the .■ smaller dairy-farmers should "they need financial help in the event of their being uuable to ship their butter. The opinion was also expressed that it is imperative, that additional fr«ez- ■ ing stores be built as soon as possible in view of the probable shortage < of jslrips, and that -the Government should subsidise the building of these stores, if necessary, after consulting with the freezing companies and obtaining from -them their views as to ■the most suitable 'locality, and the best method of ftn'ancing the proposals; also that a portion of such extra storage.should be made available for the storage of dairy produce. With regard to the'cheese question, the •board pointed out - that the New Zejland Government is in honour bound to see that all cheese is properly stored at a low temperature, both for the sake ot the British .Government and for the reputation of New Zealand cheese, and. in ■support "of this submitted tho following facts:— ''•....■ 't. The 'outlook for shipping is absolutely, uncertain. . j

2. Without cool storage cheese will not keep. 3. Cool storage for. cheese can lie erected at a cost amounting to, approximately, 5 per cent, of the value of the prou\ict, and the storage fees paid by tho Imperial Government would recoup a laitfe .proportion of the cost. ' i. .'Uter the war this storage nill probably "be required in tho ordinary course of trade, but even if not recjuired for storage l or for somo other purpose—and Qi no vtilue afterwards, which is highly improbable—the expenditure would only jnCan an. insurance policy of about o per tent, on \\he year's output of cheese; 9/ In order to expedite the dispatch of TCfeM?!" so us 0 rafl ' io tlie greatest possible U33 of them, a large central store in is urgently required. TJin board therefore strongly recomniend tk f, ' :ol ' a o e accommodation should bo provide "'> "'hich, with the storaje now available would amount to a total of 000,000 crate. ,, an , cl tllat ' the Wellington Harbour liofc vd ! mvl "B o"'"' 01 . 1 , ,\° tommence tlie erv otlon ,?': a building for (iU.WX) crates, on conation that the dov- ■ eminent subsidise th ,°, <*P e i"!i tl "'e by A-aaau, this oiler flh..» uld be promptly accepted, so that stoiV may be •"•tillable tor the incoming sea*™ commencim: m September. This nmtV the toard re- J gard as one of extreme i Wool-packs. v i A. communication which idv. r iQen r€_ i ceived by the board asking itrf v ro -' Jpei'ation in insuring that the neced.sar>' Slt !P 3 be taken ,by tlie Uovetnment to exj, e " lte . the' arrival of the coming season's sV 'I'" ment of wool-packs from Calcutta lu\ (1 full consideration. It was pointed out that this matter was one of great importance to the fanner, and that stvious inconvenience and loss had been occasioned hist season owing to the delay in tho arrival of the necessary consign-, ments. Qu account of tlio urgency for action, it wts decided to make immediate representations to the Minister asking for the assistance of the Government in diverting a transport on its way to . Australia to call at i Calcutta to pick up/the shipment. The Minister vas interviewed in the matter, and promised that it Mould receive the attention of the Government, and that, if such a procedure were practicable the" necessary steps would be taken in order lo Rive effect to the board's representations.

The Poultry Industry. The board had ,-a lengthy interview with the executive of the New Zccland Poultry Association regarding the presejit condition of the poultry industry ai'-u its future possibilities, '.''lie executive brought before the board the foU lowing matters: —The appointment of a' commercial agent for the. Dominion; the prohibition of the- entry into New Zealand of Asiatic yolks; the stamping of cold storage eggs; the appointment cf a resident poultry instructor for the Auckland district; the instruction of re- ■ tiirncu soldiers in poultry farming. "Alter carefully considering these natters and consulting with the Secretary of Agriculture (Mr. Pope) and Hie Chief Poultry Instructor of the Department of Agriculture (Mr. Brown), the board agreed io place before the Minister the recommendations that had been made, and to take steps to further the interests of the poultry'industry as far ss practicable.

Supplies of Rape and Turnip Seed. The position concerning the supply of rape and turnip seed, regarding which the Home Government had placed restrictions on exportation from Great Britain,- was brought under the notice of the board. It was decided that, in order to- obviate as far as possible auy difficulty in procuring supplies for tho Dominion's requirements, representations be made'to the Minister of ■'Agriculture to communicate with the High Commissioner in London, requesting him to endeavour to obtain the necessary exportation .permits.

Experimental Work on Pumice Lands. The board considered a, lengthy report from Mr. Brown, Director of the Fields Division of tho Department of Agriculture, which had been referred to them by the Minister, of Agriculture in c< lihectioit witu the experimental work which had been carried out up to the present by the Department on some of the pumice areas in , the North Island. Mr Brown suggested , that in order to arrive at satisfactory conclusions as to the economic potentialities.of this class of country, important operations \ would require to be conducted on a considerable scale. The board agreed / that such txperiments would be of great, assistance to the settlers already on such lands, and for their future development, but taking all the circumstances into consideration thcught that it would be better to await the end of tne war belore commencing them.

Ownership l of Meat in Store, tn connection with the question of the British Board of Trade assuming the ownership, of the frozen meat now lying in the freezing works in New Zealand, it was mentioned to the board that .a cablegram which had been lecoived by the Minister from the High Commissioner, London, announced that the Board o? Trade had agreed to assume the ownership of meat while in store,

but npt to pay for it until it l.ad been placed on'board ship; it had also agreed to bea.r additional storage charges and h're insurance after a certain date.

Stock-breeders' Associations, in response to a Tequest ma<le by tlio Now Zealand Council of Agricuiture, tho .jo'ard 'held a meeting with tho r<preseni tatives of thtt various ilock, stud, and I Herd-Boot uufc'horities to disouss the advisability of fanning a national live stock record association. After a vtry exhaustive discussion on the subject, it was decided i.o recommend that in tho opinion of tt.e meeting, whicli was representative iof the various breeders' associations, there should bo not ir.ore tliun one association for each distinct breed of horses, cattf.e, sheep, or swine; and it was agreed that the board communicate this resolution to tho different breed Eocietie3, an.d invite them to appoint delegates to a iurthe'r meeting in connection with the ronttcr to bo held in November next. Tho meoting also agreed that it would be advisable for the board to send out notices -to the various breeders' associations, suggesting that they discuss the question of the establishment 'f a national live stock record association as the governing body of all the assodatious at tlie nexjc general meeting of their members. In connection with the prohibition of the export ol' inferior sheep, the meeting passed the following resolution: "That this meeting of representatives of breeders' associations request the Board of Agriculture to ask the Government to take power to prohibit the exportation of inferior sheep for stud or flock purposes." These recommendations were subsequently laid before the Council of Agriculture, and adopted by that body. Miscellaneous. Amongst other matters dealt with by the board were the following:—"Tare draft" on wool; endowment (if a professorship of forestry in one of tlio University colleges; instruction to scholars ill Bi, unary schools in the best methods of 6o4'k-l;eeping for fanners; and publication of tlie results of agricultural experiiJieiV.