PIO PIO.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XI, Issue 998, 11 August 1917, Page 7

PIO PIO.

Own Correspondent. The monthly meeting of the local branch of the Farmers' Union was held on August 3rd. The attendance was small. In the absence of the president, Mr Hobßon was voted to the chair. Several letters and remits were received from the Provincial Union. First, dealing with the matter of forming a Bub-provin-cial area with Te Kuiti for centre and inviting the local branch to send delegates to an initiatory meeting to be held at Te Kuiti at which the aims of Buch an organisation are to be set forth. It was decided to take no part in this scheme for the'present. Second, calling attention to the need of afforestation, and reminding farmers of the facilities the Government has provided for tree planting. It was pointed out that only the best varieties of trees are being cultivated at Wtiakarewarewa nuraery and that these are being sold to farmers at the lowest rate, viz., 3s per hundred or 25s per thousand. The Provincial Council have made enquiries from Mr H. A. Goudie, the superintending nurseryman at Whakarewarewa and from other reliable sources, and as a result recommend the two species, eucalyptus macarthari and eucalyptus viminatiß as the most hardy and serviceable for ordinary planting. Farmers Who contemplate tree planting are advised that Mr H. A. Goudie will be pleased to further advise farmers as to the most suitable varieties for various localities and conditions. The meeting endorsed the council's opinions and trusts that many farmers will take advantage of this excellent opportunity to make an essential provision for the future, and then this information collected by the Provincial Union will have served its end. The matter of a complaint by the Slaughtermen's Industrial union re sheep being sent

to the freezing works undagged, was taken up by the union and came up before the branch meeting as a remit. The union upheld the slaughtermen's viewpoint that sheep ought to be dagged before being sent on, thus saving time at the slaughtering. It was pointed out that the hanging up of expert butchers like the members of the Slaughtermen's Union through sheep being dirty, meant that the dagging cost infinitely more than if it were done on the farm, besides reducing the output of the works. The meeting unanimously upheld this attitude Bnd urges upon farmers the necessity of heeding this advice. Another remit dealt with the fact that in many districts cattle-stealing has greßtly increased during the past months. The union stressed the point that this evil might become rampant as more and more men go to the war and more farms are left without constant care and attention. The union suggests in this direction that each branch should be a vigilance committee to watch the interests of their brothers who have gone to the war, and that they should at once report to the police any subpiciouß movement of strangera or suspects, such as their driving Btock after sunset. This branch endorsed the union's remit. Copies of the seeds catalogue of the Farmers' Union Trading Company are in the hands of the local secretary, Mr Lambie, Arapae, and may be had from him on application. Only business arising out of the correspondence was dealt with, other matters and questions being held over for a fuller meeting.