EXPERIMENTAL FARM

Evening Star, Issue 23130, 2 December 1938, Page 8

EXPERIMENTAL FARM

ESTABLISHMENT IN SOUTH URGED

NORTH ISLAND WELL CATERED FOR

MINISTER'S PROMISE RECALLED

At a recent meeting of the Southland Executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, a resolution was passed urging that the' Government he asked to carry out its promise to establish a fully-equipped experimental farm for Otago and Southland. Inquiries revealed that representations made by the various farming organisations in Otago and Southland, the Minister of Agriculture (the Hon. Lee Martin) gave a definite promise when speaking at the opening of the Winter Show in June, 1937, that the Government would establish a fully-equipped experimental farm for Otago and Southland. This would complete the chain of major experimental farms which have now been established from Auckland to Lincoln College, in Canterbury. No fewer than 12 to 14 experimental farms and institutions had been established in the North Island, but .apart from Lincoln _ College and the work which was being carried out at the Cawthron Institute, Nelson, no major experimental farms had been established in the South Island. The single possible exception was a small farm at Winton, which was receiving an annual grant from the Government of £IOO. Some time ago, the Government set up a special committee to report and make recommendations in connection with experimental work in the south arid on the special work in the establishment of a farm. It is understood that this report has been in the hands of the Government for some time, and the farmers of the south are anxious to learn what the recommendations were and when they are likely to be put into effect.