FARMERS’ PROBLEMS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XX, Issue 160, 26 June 1930, Page 4

FARMERS’ PROBLEMS

SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION OPENNESS IN CHEESE LOSS OF BLOOM IN MUTTON WbMlagton, Jun« 25. **Atiyona who has to do with present-day farming in New Zealand will realise the important part science and scientific investigation will play in the farming of the future,” eaid Mr. W. Perry, president of the New Zealand Royal Agricultural Society, in his address to the annual conference to-day. They had many problems to look into, Mr. Perry said, some of which wpuld be solved quickly, while others would take years of study. To get useful results they had to look more than ever to the scientist for assistance both in growing and preparing produce for overseas markets. At present a number of different varieties of wheat introduced from all the countries of the world was being tried at Lincoln with a view to acclimatisation and to finding some particular variety better suited to Now Zealand conditions than were the present established types. The Wheat Research Institute, Christchurch, bad co-operated with the Plant Research Station in the development of wheat breeding, seelction and field experimental trials, but the initial wheat breeding experiments had not given such promising results as were hoped for. The results clearly indicated that the experiments must be carried on at a much greater massed scale than hitherto.

The Dairy Research Institute of Palmerston North had been concentrating largely upon solving the problem of openness in cheese. Unfortunately no great progress of a positive kind had been made toward devising means for overcoming this difculty. Similar efforts were being made to improve the quality and value of butter and wool. Arrangements had been made for Mr G. K. Sidey, of the staff of Lincoln College, to proceed to England, where he would take part in an investigation of the quality of New Zealand wools, ascertaining the uses to which they could best be put. During the year the most comprehensive technical examination of New Zealand mutton and lamb ever carried out was undertaken at a number of selected freezing works throughout the Dominion. The main object of the work was concerned with the loss of bloom and the loss of weight occurring in New Zealand lamb and mutton. It was anticipated that the report on these investigations would be issued early in the spring. Quick freezing was also being investigated and might result in radical changes in the present system of retailing meat. Reference was also made to the development of the pork industry, and the president said it was very pleasing to note the improvement shown in the following export figures: 1927: 86,227 cwt., value £333,381. 1928: 121 658 cwt., value £406,010. 1929: 169/480 cwt., £633,027. FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE. N.Z. RESTRICTIONS. GOVERNOR-GENERAL’S COMMENT. Well'ngton, June 25. *‘l have one great ambition—that when I am leaving New Zealand five years hence the Dominion will be in a more prosperous state than it is to-day, and more confident as to thi future of industry than it was when I came.” Thus said His Excellency the Governor-General, Lord Bledisloe, when opening the annual conference of the Royal Agricultural Society of New Zealand this afternoon.

His Excellency was given a warm welcome when introduced by the president of the society, Mr. W. Perry, and in acknowledging it, said it gave him encouragement to hope that he might enjoy the confidence of the agricultural and pastoral community during his stay among them. He hoped the increased turnover in dairy produce would somewhat mitigate the effect of low prices. While the depression was world wide, there was reason to think it would be shorter lived in New Zealand than in most countries. He noticed that some of the remits on the order paper involved considerations of the Government policy, in which respect it differed from tlie society in England! where they were rigorously excluded from the discussion of anything that savoured of Government policy or political controversy. That did not refer to animal diseases which the society had made its own province and care.

It was with some hesitation, said His Excellency, that he touched upon another subject, but he felt is was only fair to the Royal Agriculture Society of England that he should do so. While he believed that many of them were anxious to obtain pedigree male stock, they were reluctant to allow animals to come into New Zealand from other countries, and particularly Great Britain, for fear of foot and mouth disease. If they were really afraid of the risk, he would not press them to take it, but Great Britain had the finest stock in the world of every description and had exported stock to every country in the world for the best part of a century, and there was no record of any case of foot and mouth disease being conveyed to any country in stock so exported. There was no country in the world where the restrictions on the spread of foot and ruouth disease were more drastic, and with ths quarantine station in London it was practically impossible for any animal suffering from the disease to pass in or out of the country. He did not ask oi expect farmers in New Zealand to accept those views, but he would be insincere if he did not present things as they saw them in the Old Country. In conclusion His Excellency ex-p-essed hig readiness at any time to give the farming community any help and advice m his power.