TARANAKI PROVINCIAL CONFERENCE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 22 May 1923, Page 7

TARANAKI PROVINCIAL CONFERENCE.

CONFERENCE CONTINUES. The conference of the Taranaki Provincial Executive of the Farmers' Union was continued this morning. j Fraser Road Branch—That the ! Government be requested to publish ; in leaflet form for farmers benefit the j remedies suggested for the eradication of Californian thistle. Mr. Dunn moved that the words "Californian thistle be withdrawn, > and the words "all noxious weeds" substituted. Mr. Cleaver seconded. Mr. Buckeridge thought it would be a pity to cut all reference to the weed specified, when that weed might be the one directly' affecting the Fraser road farmers. The president supported Mr. Bucker- . idge's "remarks, and Mr, Dunn with- ! drew his amendment with xthe consent of his seconder. j The remit was carried. I Tokaora Branch—That the Veterinary Department be asked to investigate the causes of sterility of dairy cows and to advise means of overcoming it. Mr. A. Haseltine, in sneaking to the remit, said that the troupe referred to in the remit was general in the dis- ' trict, and farmers did not seem to get any real help from the Department. There seemed to he a lack of research work in dealing with the matter. , - Mr. Cleaver seconded. j Mr. Rushin attributed the trouble to ' the inability of the farmer himself. He contended that the farmer was "a careless coon," and that the animals were not given the proper attention. Mr. Dunn agreed that there was room for research. "It does not show carelessness," said Mr. Vickers, "but a remarkable lack of knowledge on the part of the farmers. He supported the remit. Mr. Kerr also spoke in favour of the remit. whi-\h was subsequently carried. Tokaora Branch (moved by Mr. Johnson)— That the Government be urged, to establish the Dairy School, with a view to the carrying "on of research work. Mr. Johnson said: The idea of an experimental schcol and station in connection with the dairy industry is no new thing. The great need for it has been apparent for years, and at various times efforts have been made- to »et such a farm and station established, lo adequately serve the needs of the industry the experimental school and station would! require: (1) To be equipped with a laboratory for research work in connection with difficulties experienced by butter and cheese manufacturers in the course of their work including bad milk; (2) carry out exhaustive feeding experiments; and (3) to compile statistical information with regard to solids and fat in milk, similar I to the information available in America ! on these points, the question of a ' laboratory for research work has been apparent lately, when reports came to ! hand of New Zea'und cheese containing ■ mysterious black spots, which developed in the cheeee to such an extent that : all cheese affected had" to be condemn- ! cd. The cause of this trouble is not yet made definitely clear, and the black spots have sine© shown up in other factories' cheese. The best* that could be done in the matter under the existing arrangements was for analysis to be made in the Government "Laboratory, and this course was taken. The results, however, were not satisfactory, and undoubtedly there should be a laboratory properly equipped for dealing; with such difficulties. The slimy milk trouble, which is spreading throughout Taranaki, has been prominent for a number of years now, yet nothincr has been done towards a remerW. This would be the work of the laboratory, and who can question its justification even from the point of view of the overcoming of the slimy milk difficulty alone: also the question of cracked rinds in cheese. Regarding the feeding question, the days when farmers could get along comfortably on a butter-fat production of 1401b * per cow are gone. The value of dairy farm lands now demands increased production Great steps have been taken in herd improvement, and of equal importance is the feeding question. An experimental school could exhaustively investigate feeding for production, and the i-esults of the experiments would be invaluable to dairy farmers, the mor«' enlightened of whom realise the possibilities of increasing production by proper feeding, and who are now individually doing their best along these lines. With regard, to statistical information with regard to solids and fat in milk, and varying tests and yields

under different conditions, the recent controversy in Taranaki upon the question of part skim cheese revealed how woefully inadequate is our ascertained information upon these questions As a resuit of the part skim cheese experiment a start was made at the Hawera -Uairy Company's Whareroa factory to arrive at the ratio and percentage, of tat and solids in milk, and this investigation went to show the need for a proper experimental farm and laboratory, where difficulties arriving froir time to time could be dealt with more thoroughly than could be done at any individual dairy factory. The export's Ox uairy produce from New Zealand total £15,000,000 per annum, and it i* amazing that the leaders of the industryhave so .long allowed the present i j «tate of affairs, whereby difficulties of ' ; national importance in connection with , the industry have been either impossible of investigation or left to the care I of tne individual factories or farmers I concerned. The chairman mentioned • bJgar or mi:k yesterday, another avenue ior investigation wcj-k. Mr. A. R. B. Pierce seconded. \ Mr D»nn asked what was wanted ! Mr. Johnstone said he had no defi I w^teT7 ber °f SCh + 00ls in mmd' Sutbe ! wanted to see a start made. men?' uS?™ f that if the Gove™--1 Zll i I * asked to estahlish a dairy ■' Or r€Search work he "<«** sup! toi the whole Dominion, as it was a I mait?r» ofPP om»"«» importance. ' ) Mr. Rushin said that slimy milk came from impure water and bad feed i^d G r. tan£ ed th? <*se of a factory 'nfaL €r-dd^ "Th«; V+£ ker r< moved as an amendment , • fl»t ,th ® Government be asked tn ' establwh a laboratory with a view to« the carrying out of rearch work in con i SaS g^3u^ S Pining to Z j Mr. Rushin seconded. ■ Mr. Johnstone opposed the amend i "'•fnoT *£r' dS "»' a '"^^ Mr Pierce pointed out that the inable iato n tht0 *f .«^»ed mUSt be av^ " able to the dairy factory managers , The managers would tr o to a school I to gam some knowledge, but tW ! would not go to a laboratory y ti™l™S! ment was lost and the ™-