OTAGO A. AND P. SOCIETY

Evening Star, Issue 17062, 5 June 1919, Page 8

OTAGO A. AND P. SOCIETY

ANNUAL MEETING LAST NIGHT

MR GARDINER PRESIDENT.

Sixty or seventy members of the Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Society attended the annual meeting held in the D.J.C. Board Room last night, Mr R. A. S. Cautrell (president) in the chair. The committee reported that since the annual meeting, 1318, a number of changes had occurred in the list of governors and members. The committee deplored the loss of Mr William Patrick (lion, life governor) and Mr G. H. Gilroy I'hon. life memb-ir), and Messrs Donald Reid and Lauc'liktn Maclean, the two last-named having been associated wdth the society in the early days. The deaths of 13 annual members had been reported. These and filler chugc biotcrht 1 e to tl numl t, cf mcmoei n \\ n the i gi I r b 9 j t\ c 'u«,i\ e < t omc 33 memb rs ib enl at the ftou' \ ho ait still a*.vottat d \ '} the -iciet> 111 t lc \ in B membei i ueie appoint d to st its on tin committee +o fall \ k un to-, puist ant to the society s rule —Mr \) \f I in nil 1 i| mill < ti-ict; and Mr A. Davidson, for the fraiti O ro Mng ~>t Centi il O ago lhe i-n>nnt l i cd it the \\ mtei how and 1 li ndid T%t to the Otago Wjmen s Patra otc \ ociatnn % as £266 o- u l Othir itnateiiil «i->tmco wis tend cd in t' ii biudablc connection. Tlie Winter Show was in limn n p«cts i ti tactoi% ten ture, the wool and fruit exhibits being ' ture= n an n tore d srla\ Hi I Horse Sho this \ei w s tbind tud ovtinj, to thu dm lut on in too diman i foi dt til hi/ btoik The \ titbit tephen n Chilian c Cup w c mp ttd I i in the c ci um t mrc ut t e Summer Slow Flu Sl mn i mok \ ii «, ii tlie influtii/ i tpi c mi had tt b p stpuuti un il Januarv and 23 131° 11 lu Hon D li Guthne I m e ol 1 i 1 md thi. Hon \i D b M (.Don \l N'mi'ste of lire Wv,re m dot t> the rii w as the „utst ot the rcict\ i"h i no (.umm ot 1 \uv a\oi aDi% v th the pitcehng %( i \ faicntrt \\l /> ecc % ed *oi the Jim and Two i i 1 t d n tl 1 owin 0 to a rombi nati )ti f -o i ii* id the , ti v obt nitd % tit onb n ( Ili i i nit p 'pi "■ U)) n the tit" i nan? mm oil' 1 fix un i n de u ibl 1 as n c rn i st i b mc r m < anl Iso hj ilclnit, silo d t«o t n s i mil i i u % i buna i a 1 hj n ma nt mi d it gc od ototr It hi 1 t i n '«■ u eot rcth b% ue Defence utnontie fiee ot hj i V li 1 plot i f 1 ie i ha been ftrmptcn m no of the i p pa-'dod «i hj t i pi pec if u e b Die p uud which oci \ pic smill i i o tl e "round app„ixi 1\ til i It tig feh Ijctl lepntemtn* ind his g%in f 'notion under the control of the care- + al i Durn , tie ear the seciet% as net i id witn o ae c tr? m auons m pi iug u; n the C % nrnent tat mpntinie o tuith n„ th pra\tr t 1 eh cleprotnt o hj% tto eltc i n rs% the setting up of a ifm in an > i jo t on land t nures m Ot ij,o th m 1 in cf not endangering the di pei-bal r t tl 1 al etoa me ino tud flock V depi tation from (his oci?t% il r % -itted rn thi Tlunoihn C t% Ciuncl in enr ttton i th \ hit th % d tm p-ce i\ e cha'™ on tie trmi L ntttia Paik in 1 eoplo r r >)\ or tli Shy « but without i ai 1 I u hj r j if ent itiou leqi ie t be m iJt Io iih\t a mange in tht desii d di tin ncii ri'y m fan ne s to tht ->i rt\ but m ji tiee t> Dm edin citi en At too out et the PitMdint a kid mem b is to t md i r a moment ti vpic thi ir it pert: to th m met% ot Mi \\ Patrick Mr( H fil-t% Mr Donald Peid Mi I died duiint, th %car and it was ie oived ] i t i Mai o ie% ol 1 nheld in it»pect o< the lea I -y ii I 1 In Pi hj ' ut aid ht did not p po ,t> cr nmtnt in tl itp>it and I i an i liett-ihe %\oit , 3 lc ae that t) tht ihm i mm ci the ) manto Committee—'nt hi vu ned to re o to a ft v. cu icnt a^u eultuiil qu ti These %\eu a numb i tot p <>eti i 1 n letted [nmar% tnoi stn \tbuh mi o lit will i_ d ] be „io ing ot the flax pi nt ot hns~-»d oil and filio might be tittd ' lom th" fihiw the fin st linen anl could be manufactured, %vhile the .seed — known a* linseed—was one of the most ton entrdtd and lit/lening ot ttock fo d ind the oil w is th cluer hil, e-di nt of most paints, and the by-product linseiMi cake. There was to-day a world-wide shoiticit t flax products In Rush (rtimmy IV_mm \u tna and lune the flax industry flourished in pre-war days, but t'hey mijyhfc be considered shutout for a long period. Australia imported annually £300,000 worth of lin6*"xl and to d t\ hei prodnetis x,6 a ton for crops of standard quality The growing of agricultural and vegetable seeds for export seemed to offer prospects of profitable work. Some agricultural grass seed-s were certainly at present exported ; but there %%-ere other field crop? t-hs se*d of %vhich had never been harvested for purposes of export. Something might be made of the growing <- r sugar beet and the tobacco plant. We could not go on indefinite!; 1 delivering %vool, rneait, and dairy par ducts without depleting the soil oi itr fertilising ingredients, unless wo adopt"'" scientific methods. But to farm well ' farmer must be well iraformed. In som respects a -man going on the land to-da' faced more difficulties than our pioneerinr settlers. For one thing, the land cc-'d more to hold, and in many instance' had been depleted of its %drgin fei'tility. and althoug'h he got more for his product/ there were many more insect and fungoid pests and animal diseases to cope with. Dairying %vas of the first importance in this coun-fcrv. It wa« not suißcieutlv real- I

ised that the too general use of mongrel bulls was flhe cunse of the industry. Otago's butter.-fat output per cow waa meagre. There wane V 93,000 dairy cows in the Dominion at the present time, averaging 1611b butter fat per cow per year. Otago's cows, according to the late Mr Healey, averaged 301b to 401b under the Dominion's average yield. There were < jwa in the Dominion yielding round about 6001b butter fat ~er cow, and outside New Zealand- they had .touched over I,ooolb butte* fat in 365 deys. If it were realised that every increase of 101b butter fat per cow over the total Dominion herds meant an added revenue to the industry of £600,000 per year, some idea of the great possibilities of the dairying industry might be gathered. If we could raise the Dominion average to 2001b butter l fat per cow—not an impossible matter—it would mean an increase of over £2,500,000 per annum. Legislation in regard to fertilisers sold to producers was on the Statute Book, and farmers were more or less safeguarded; but what about seeds, animal foodstuffs, s*h r,» dips, etc? "New Zealand," said Dr Cockayne recently, "is one of tim ii>w dependencies of the British Empire that does not possess a Pure Seeds Act." Legislation was required to effect this. Guarantees should also be demanded in respect to the purity and germination of all imported agricultural seeds. So, too, with seeds grown in this Dominion and ox ported. Why leave a channel for dumping? Why not safeguard present export trade? We in Otago might well take more interest in the Board of Agriculture, and endorse members' endeavors to map out a definite and sane policy in regard to- the teaching of agriculture, and in this connection insist on a fair division of the moneys spent on experimental forma in the Dominion. An experimental farm was a need of the times in Otago. Mr Can troll concluded by formally moving the adoption of the report and balance-sheet. Mr John Loudon seconded the motion. Ho referred to the flourishing portion ol the society. The surplus of assets over liabilities' was £8,042 12s 7d. The income for the year was £3,795, a decrease of about £l6O. Now that the _ war was over, the prospects of the society were exceedingly bright. In the North Island a number of similar societies had adopted the practice of asking persons intimately associated with the agricultural and pastoral, industries to provide contributions towards the prize fund, and the. committee of the society bad decided to adopt a similar couree. The idea was not tc have a cadging canvass, but to appeal to men who were interested. A dozen parsons who were spoken to yesterday had offered: to contribute about £OO. The outlook was very satisfactory. The motion was carried without dissent.

Mr W. Gardiner, jun,, of Papakaio, was elected president without opposition. In returning thanks, lie eaid the time was opportune for members and officers to put a littlo more ginger into the work. Mr Edgar Hazlett was made vice-pre-sident, also unopposed. Mr E. F. Dut'hio consented to accept the treasurership for another year. The elections to the committee resulted thus :—Dunedin district, Messrs Jas. Beg;?, George Black, G. R-. Ritchie, and Henry Turnbull; Taieri district, Messrs David Andrew and Thos. Gawn; Waikouaiti, Mr W. 0. M'Kellar; Bruce-Tua-peka, Messrs H. M. Driver and Walter Murray; Central Otago, Mr W. M. Wilson,

On the motion of Mr T. Ritchie, a vote of thanks was accorded Mr J. A. Roberts, who now voluntarily retired from the committee in accordance with his own idea that every member should retire after serving three years. Mr E, F. Duthie moved, Mr D. Murray seconded, and it waa resolved, that- M" James Ross (of Palmerston) and Mr James Smith (of Greenfield) be made honorary life members, in recognition ol" their lengthy services to the.moiety.—Mr Smith, in acknowledging the compliment, said that he first acted as a class steward 42 years ago. Barr, Leary. and Co., %vero re-elected auditors.

Messrs C. J. Reake, W., D. Snowball, W. D. Blair, and J. Daihskin wore reelected lion, veterinary surgeons. Votes of thanks wwo accorded the judges, the visiting exhibitors, the newspapers, the stewards, and tho retiring president.