INTERESTING LECTURE.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume VI, Issue 260, 19 October 1916, Page 2

INTERESTING LECTURE.

BY MR. E. CLIFTON. Mr. E. Clifton, ex New- Zealand Commissioner at the Pacific Exposition at San Francisco, delivered an address in St. Matthew'.- Hall, Hastings, last night. Air. F. W. Williams, president of the A. and P. Society, presided. There was only a small attendance, which was niui'li to be regretted, considering the importance of the subjects to be dealt with. Mr. Clifton spoke for an hour and a half and intensely interested his hearers. He gave his personal impressions of farming and horticultural methods of the United States. He dealt at some length with the live stock industry, which, he said, was undergoing a serious transition stage at the present time. He traced back the early history of the country, when a vast extent of land was overrun with the Indians and wild herds of buffalo. He spoke of the friction that occurred in the settling of the vast plains between the sheep and the cattle man, and the jealousy that existed as to the relative methods of both industries. Tq-day there were 37,000,000 sheep in that country. He compared the difficulties that existed in farming as between America and New Zealand. New Zealand was blessed with a marvellous climate, so good, in comparison with the States, that we in this country were often termed ‘‘sun worshippers.” In some parts of the States they had seven months of winter, and the thermometer was often 30 degrees below zero. Climate was New' Zealand’s greatest asset. During the winter months in the States store sheep were kept under shelter and artificially fed, requiring enormous quantities of fodder. Store sheep were bought by the feeders at prices ranging from G to 8 cents per lb. live weight. They were then fattened and sent to market, selling at an average price of 12 cents per lb. live weight. There was a great endeavour at present t<> increase the sheep production and the Government was encouraging the industry by sending out instructors and professors throughout the country. This method had increased the interest of the people considerably. The price they were receiving for their wool now was 12. but six years ago they were only obtaining 9d per lb. The merino was considered the most preferable stock, as being more easily shepherded, and the weight of the fleece averaged about 711bs. The interest in beef was much greater than in mutton. They went in fpr

tne very early production ot beef. Cattle was very often slaughtered at 20 months and the carcases averaged about 61 cwt. The king crop of America was lucerne in some form or other. To his, the speaker’s mind, why lucerne was not more extensively grown in NewZealand was on account of having any amount of grass available. More extensive growing of lucerne, he thought, _ would be considered more in the future. In some parts of America lucerne was grown at an altitude of 8000 feet and as low as 230 feet below sea level. The lucerne crop in America was estimated at 20,000.000 dollars yearly. The lecturer then dealt interestingly at some length on the' fruit industry. The fruit grower in California took the greatest pride, in seeing that his fruit w’as displayed in the most attractive manner. The area under Cultivation in California was 266,000 acres. He thought a lot of good would result if people introduced more imagination into rural life, which would tend to make the conditions of life happier. Mr. Clifton touched upon many other important subjects of the farming industry, road making, etc., but we regret space prevents us giving a more full report sufficient to say the subjects dealt -with were of vital interest and were handled in a masterly way. At the conclusion of his address, Mr. Clifton was accorded a very hearty vote of thanks.