BOARD OF AGRICULTURE

Evening Post, Volume XCIII, Issue 43, 19 February 1917, Page 2

BOARD OF AGRICULTURE

1-UPORTAXT MATTERS DEALT WITH.

The Board of Agriculture conducted some important business at its meeting in Wellington lust week. Many of the matters discussed are reported upon separately in this issue.

According to the official report supplied to the press the question of a minimum price of wheat for next year was discussed at some length, and it was agreed to write to the Minister of Agriculture on the subject. The board also considered the regulations in regard to the carriage of lime for agricultural purposes on the railways, in respect of which a report had been drawn up by Mr. W. D. Hunt, a member of the boavil After a lengthy discussion it was decided to write to the Taranaki Executive of the New Zealand Farmers' Union, asking that foody for information as to the cost of sea-borne lime to farmers in its district, so that further representations could be made to the Railway Department oii the subject of the concession granted by it in the carriage of agricultural lime. With regard to the noxious weeds question, a further conference with the officers of the Department of Agriculture took place, and a report that had been drawn up by the committee appointsd ior the purpose of suggesting amendments to the Noxious Weeds' Act was read. A lengthy report was also read by Mr. Cockayne, Biologist of the Department, giving a precis of the information contained in the "weed census" that had been received by the board in reply to^ ''ts circular a-sking to bo furnished with particulars in regard to the worst weeds in the various centres of the Dominion. Consideration of both reports was adjourned until the next meeting. The board also discussed with the Departmental officers the practicability of obtaining legislation at an enrly date to control the importation of agricultural seeds.

Amongst other matters dealt with were the following:—A soil survey of New Zealand ; the improvement of handling of fruit on wharves, etc. ; the duty on timber imported from British possessions for box-making purposes ; the suggested prohibition of the export of white pine timber, and the publication of the results of agricultural experiments.