NURSERYMEN’S ASSOCIATION.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 3573, 24 February 1914, Page 6

NURSERYMEN’S ASSOCIATION.

ANNUAL CONFERENCE

[PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.] AUCKLAND, Eeb. 23

Fruitgrowers from all parts of the North Island attended' the seventh annual conference of the New Zealand Association of Nurserymen held this morning. The President (Mr Alfred L. F. McDonald), in opening the proceedings, observed that tlie Association had made progress all along the line, both the membership and the balance sheet being satisfactory. On the subject of the formation of district councils in the various centres, the president said that since the last conference a District Council had been launched in Auckland to deal with purely local matters. There was no reason why there should not be councils in Dunedin, 'Christchurch, Wellington, Hastings, Napier ami New Plymouth or Wanganui. It would then be possible to hold interchangeable conferences. He suggested that the next conference should bo held in Palmerston.

The Executive’s annual report stated that a net gain of five members during the year brought up the list of associated nurserymen in the Dominion to over 80.

“Notwithstanding strong representations to the Government,” proceeded the report, Pit has been found impossible during the year to get the necessary amendments made in tlie various Acts to enable the registration of nurseries to be effected under the regulations mutually agreed upon with the Agricultural Department last year.” They hoped to obtain definite action in the matter of establishing a certification board, standardising the names of fruits, establishing standards and grades for trees (with a view to securing equal prices for equal values in nursery stock) and the setting up of local Nurserymen’s Councils in all centres possible. The questions immediately concerning the executive were (a) The cost of production in relation to retail production, and (b) The problem of the credit trade.

The Conference proceeded to elect officers as follows: President, Mr W. S. Johnston (Ponsonby); vice-presi-dent, Mr G. G. Macltay; committee, Messrs D. A. Hay, F. Bennett, W. W. Gleddon, Richardson, E. Allan, and W. E. Lippratt; lion, secretary and treasurer, Mr G. A. Green; auditor, Mr W. W. Gleddon Richardson • district vice-presidents were re-elected with the addition of Messrs E. C. Gibbons (Christchurch), A. Thompson J. Ninimo', G. Howden, and S'. Cousins (Otago). A long discussion on the subject of grading nursery stock ensued upon a remit from the executie recommending the conference to adopt the American Nurserymen’s Associations definition with such necessary alterations as New Zealand conditions demanded. In the course of the discussion it was suggested that the vice-presidents in the different districts should be asked to give their views on the matter, while Mr T. W. Kirk (Director of the Orchards Division of the Department of Agriculture) with other speakers strongly urged that there should be some system of grading trees.

Mr D. A. Hay attributed the necessity for grading to the inferior trees sent out by Australian nurserymen. The conference decided to endorse the principle of grading and formed a committee with power to act which will communicate with the various centres and subsequently report their recommendations.