AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL ASSOCIATION.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LVII, Issue 6534, 4 February 1882, Page 6

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL ASSOCIATION.

An ordinary meeting of the Committee of the Agricultural and Pastoral Association was held yesterday afternoon, when the following members were present: —Messrs J. R. Hill (President), Norman, Wilkin, Henderson, Brace, Ferguson, Sutherland, Boag, Duncan, Tabart, and others. FINANCE. Accounts to the amount of £347 5s 3d were passed for payment. NEW ZB All AND CHEESE. The President made the following report : It will be within the recollection of most of the members that I, as President, sent by the Opawa, about the end of August, Mr 0. B. Candy’s cheese to England, with a view to test under proper conditions of ripeness and packing, if there was any difficulty in sending this prodace of the Colony to England in such a marketable state as would ensure its being purchased there at a price that would pay producers. Mr Candy was good enough to select one of his primest cheeses, about nine or ten months Old, weighing 79flbs, and the manager of the Shipping Company, with commendable liberality, allowed the case to be taken free of charge. The cheese was packed in a small piece of common calico, and placed in an ordinary deal box with about two inches of sawdust between it and the wood. It arrived in England about the middle of November in splendid condition. Through the courtesy of Sir Daniel Cooper, whose zeal in forwarding the interests of all the Colonies is so well known, the cheese was distributed amongst various representative gentlemen, and the' general verdict was that it was of very high quality, and quite equal to the best cheddar; and the praise was_ so general that there is every reason to believe that the cheese viewed by comparison with the high-class ones which are placed upon the London market, may be said to be quite in the front rank. I am permitted by Mr Coster to say that he was present at a tasting of it, and he endorses all that has been said in its praise. What concerns the shippers most is the knowledge that if this product be properly matured, (assuming that it was made with the necessary skill and care in the first instance) and packed with some non-con-ducting material like sawdust, there can be no apprehension as to it reaching England in a marketable condition. Experts have given Sir Daniel the advice that the heated hold of a ship loaded with wool, Ac., is not the proper place for it to be stowed, but it is assumed that there need be no difficulty on that head, as, if the product became an article of regular export, no doubt the vessels would provide a proper place for stowing it. I am sorry that I was unable to obtain a reliable quotation as to the price snob cheese as this we sent would be saleable at in quantity, for though Sir Daniel sent a sample of it to Messrs Cadbury, the great cheesemongers of London, and to Messrs Fortmxm and Mason, the grocers there, both of whom spoke most highly in its praise, it could hardly be expected they would quote a price for it. However, sufficient was learned that if similarly good cheese were sent to England, and reached there in good condition, there would be no lack of purchasers for it. The thanks of the Association are due to the Shipping Company for their courtesy and care in connection with it, and specially dae to Sir Daniel Cooper for the great trouble he took in distribnting it to a large number of representative and influential people, who thus had the opportunity of learning that New Zealand was capable of producing cheese of such a high quality that it would meet with a ready sale in England. In reply to a question, the President said that the cheese had been in a case in the hold, but apart from any wool. Mr Wilkin moved—“ That the thanks of the Association be given to the President for his action,” The motion was agreed to item, con, BBAFBB AND BINDBB TBIAL. The President, in the absence of Mr M'llraith, presented the report of the subcommittee on the recent trial of reapers and binders, and congratulated the Association on the result. He thought that trials by farmers did not give a fair test of the merits of the respective machines. In this trial the care taken by the sub-Oommittee was calculated to give the most accurate judgment. The fact was that all the machines were of very great value to the country, and there was no such thing as one being first and the others nowhere. It spoke well for the verdict that there had been no protests, and no doubt the criticisms exercised would be confirmed everywhere else. Mr Wilkin moved —“That the thanks of the Association be accorded to judges and marshals and others connected with the late trial of reapers and binders held by the Association on Jan. 19, also to Mr Boag for the use of his paddock.” Mr Sutherland seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously. ANNUAL HEBIINO. The Committee fixed the annual meeting to take place on Friday, March 10, a special meeting to be held on the Friday previous. Messrs Hill, Henderson, and Wilkin were appointed a sub-Oommittee to prepare the annual report. _ _ 1 Mr W. Norman moved—” That Mr Thomas j Wilkin be written to, thanking him for the 1 handsome present of a portrait of the Clydes-

dale * The Prince of Wale*,’ and he be presented with a life member’s ticket. Mr Henderson seconded t he motion. Tho President thought the compliment fully deserved by so generous a gift. Tho motion was unanimously agreed to. Mr B, Wilkin, on the part of his brother, acknowledged the compliment. Ho was sure that his brother would be, extremely pleased.

liBATB Or ABSENCE TO THB BBOBBTABT. The Committee gave tho Secretary a fortnight’s leave of absence, on tho motion of the President. Mr Murphy thanked the Committee. Mr Henderson thought that some steps should be taken to present tho portrait of tho late Mr Duncan to his widow. He suggested that Messrs Norman, Hill, and Sutherland should wait upon her. ■ , Mr Sutherland said that he believed that Mrs Duncan would rather no deputation waited on her. It was resolved that Mr Norman and the President should take the portrait, the President accompanying it with a suitable letter. This concluded the business of the meeting.