LIME SUPPLIES.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIX, Issue 283, 30 November 1915, Page 7

LIME SUPPLIES.

REQUIREMENTS IN MARYBOROUGH.

The following letter from ?...r J. »• •Yrouting. secretary of the L^^i Farmer? Onion, - was read a* thf irulrterly meeting of the Marlborough Chamber of Commerce last night.— "I am enclosing a communication ie-c-eived from the Department of Agiiculture ro the establishing ot a lime kiln in Marlborongli., As wejjjeistand that there» arelarge deposits of limestone near Fiaxbourne, and that vouTciiamber lms been moving in the matteV w~e would suggest that your .Chamber arrange to have samples of the limestone analysed, and also Spies of Mil. We would gladly cooperate with you m this matter, as the present cost of obtaining lime is PrThe enclosed letter, addressed to the Member for the district, was signed by tho Hon. W. D. fe. Mac Donald. Minister for Agriculture. It read as follows: — "With further reference to your letter of 9th July last in regard to the communication received by you from ihe Linkwater Farmers' Union, in ' which Government assistance is asked for in connection with the establishment of a lime kiln in Marlborough, I have the honor to inform you that ihis matter has now been fully gone into, and-the'Department regrets that it -is unable to see its way to accede to the wishes of the. union. As you are no doubt aware, there is a great difference of opinion existing amongst farmers as to the utility or otherwise of extensive liming? on New Zealand, lands .and although there are unquestionably many instances m which tn-eat benefit'has been derived by. the use of lime; the Department has not yet been aJSte to conduct and accurately record' sufficient experiments to enable it. to express a definite opinion on the subject as regards all districts throughout-the Dominion. It will doubtless bfe found that, while certain- lands are greatly benefited by the application of lime, others arc-not appreciablyaffected thereby. lir the circumstances, it is suggested that the best course for, the Marlborough farmers to pursue would be1 to make extensive experiments throughout their district to satisfy themselves beyond

doubt as to the value of lime on thdir land^?. If the results^ over large areas prove strongly affirmative the Settlers s:hould. then form a co-operative cornpan v- to> acqiiire arid work suitable deposits. The assistance the -Department is prepared to render in this connection would be in\the. direction of advising as to the nature of the experiments, and where they should be ■•undertaken, and in. analysing and reporting on samples of lime." , Mr J. J.- CJorry ■ thought that the letter was an absurd one. He surprised that such a communication should be Issued by the Minister for AgricuHure—more' especially as the Government carried lime on its railways free of charge. If the Agricultural Department had not yet made up its mind that a plentiful and-clieap supply of lime was advantageous to the farmers generally it had better send its experts over here to get a lesson.

Mr W. I>. Pike said there was not the, slightest question that lime was necessary for many lands in Marlborough j as in other parts of the Dominion. Generally speaking, it was true the soil in this district had responded • generously to cultivation without liming, but that was not to say that ,the extensive use of lime would not be of great benefit. In some localities the application of lime was absolutely essential. The farmers had not taken advantage of the railage concession to the extent that it deserved, but that was probably beeaiise of the cost of obtaining the lime under present conditions. The letter justr-read was. hardly one that might have been expected from the Minister, foi AgriculturtC" The subject was referred to a committee consisting of the president (Mr U. W. Parker, vice-president (Mr J. M. Ligbtfoot), and Messrs Cotry, Gnriv and'-Pike-, to confer with the presidents of the A. and P. Association, the Farmers' Union, and the Horticultural Society. ■