ROYAL SOCIETY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 176, 25 June 1935, Page 7

ROYAL SOCIETY

AND EXECUTIVE COMMISSION. A COMMON PURPOSE. (By Telegraph—Special to Standard.) (WELLINGTON, June 25. “The Executive Commission of Agriculture meets your society on common ground, for it joins in the common purpose of aiding and stimulating the attainment of improved standards of quality,” stated the .Deputy-Chairman ,or the Executive Commission of Agriculture (JSir Francis Frazer, in opening the annual conference of the Royal Agricultural ■society of New Zealand in Wellington this afternoon. Malting his first public,, address since the assumption of his new responsibility, Sir Francis went on to remark: “The Royal Society pro,vides the educative stimulus, and the Commission aims at supplementing this aspect by administrative and regulative methods, and translating into practical effect the efforts of the, society. “The society encourages the breeding and growing of suitable types of Stock and agricultural produce, and the Commission, with the assistance of the different produce boards, aims at maintaining high standards of quality and efficiency in the production, processing and marketing of the commodities that our country produces.

HIGH-CLASS SHEEP. “The Dominion owes a debt, the extent of which is perhaps insufficiently realised, to the Royal Agricultural Society and its affiliated associations for the extremely valuable service 'they have performed in raising the standards of New Zealand stock and demonstrating the most suitable .breeds and types for our soil and cli--Janatio conditions. I have been told H>y experts who have travelled- widely. . and have had opportunities of forming a considered opinion that the display of sheep at any of our Royal •Shows makes one of the best exhibits to be seen anywhere in the world, and it must be recognised that such au achievement is very largely due to the good work of your society and the local associations of which it is the national head. As a single example of the work that has been done in New Zealand, I may instance the Corriedale sheep, which is of course a distinctive New. Zealand product. It is well-known that it is a difficult matter to stabilise a new breed, but the difficulties have been overcome and the Corriedale is now soundly established. It has proved the justness of the claims made for it both as to quality and as to suitability for New Zealand conditions, for it is an excellent dual purpose sheep, producing good wool and good mutton, and it possesses a strong constitution and thrives on fairly high country. We have even built up an export trade, not large, but still useful, in live Corriedales. Similarly we may. expect to proceed with the development of the most suitable breeds and types of beef and dairy cattle and other stock for the widely differing areas of the Dominion. The possibilities of the chilled beef trade demand that closer attention be paid to the development of suitable types of beef cattle for different localities so that we may be able to take the fullest advantage of the market. The export of frozen pig meats is an important and rapidly developing branch of the activities of the dairy industry. Your society can, I feel sure, render valuable assistance by giving special consideration to classes of exhibits illustrating the best types of pigs, particularly haconers, for export, and so encouraging breeding along right lines.

VALUE OF SHOWS. “In Great Britain and in other parts of the Empire the Royal Shows provide a means of bringing together tlie best of the stock and produce in the country. The cream of the exliiibts at the local agricultural and pastoral shows are assembled at a -.Royal Show, and there is thus provided an exhibition that is invaluable to the breeder and to the tanner. The educative value of such a show cannot be over-estimated, and the imfiortance of the competition that is oste-red among breeders and growers is in no way related to the mere monetary value of the prizes and trophies offered. The fact that a breeder or a grower has won a prize at a Royal Show is a far greater matter than the prize itself, for it lias given his work a hall-mark and lias established him as the holder of a blue ribbon in the agricultural world. Hence he and his fellow competitors are stimulated to still further efforts to the common good of the whole 1 arming community and the country generally. ... “I suppose that we all visit a picture theatre occasionally and that we have all seen films of the Roya) and National Shows in other countries. We must have been impressed with the important part these shows play in the life of those other communities and with the immense interest they create in their respective countries. It occurs to me that moving pictures of our New Zealand Royal Shows might well have an advertising value for New Zealand and New Zealand products in other parts of the world, particularly if supported by an instructive running commentary. I do not know whether this form of publicity has been considered or tried, but I throw out the suggestion as being possiblv worth while.” IMPROVEMENT OF QUALITY. Referring to the Royal Agricultural Society of New Zealand, the speaker said it had been in existence for only a little more than a decade. Perhaps its period of existence had not been sufficiently long to enable it to be recognised as fully as it deserves. It was, however, eminently worthy of support, and he was confident that greater recognition would come with the years, as had been the experience of similar societies in other parts of the world. “We in New Zealand depend for 9/ per cent, of our income from exports of the products of the soil. It is, therefore, of paramount imprtance that generous and wholehearted support should he given to the organisations that stand for the continued improvement of the quality of our produce. and that that support should be forthcoming not only from the farming interests but from all sections of the community, for all are of necessity vitally interested in the success of our agricultural and pastoral industries. Your society is the head ana front ot the agricultural and pastoral organisations, and its principal object is to encourage the development of breeds and types that will make possible the efficient production of exports of the highest quality. The agricultural poiov of New Zealand, which has been successful until recently, 'os been along the lines of continually incieasing production of exportable commodities of high quality Tins has Sen -really aided by the efforts of your own society and its affiliated bocM ow that the competition foi markets overseas has become more in-, tense and has been accompanied by a

policy of restriction of importations, so tliat an element of uncertainty has arisen as to the possibilities of a greatly increasing export trade, it is more than ever necessary that we Should concentrate our energies on the work that your society exists to encourage—the development of the most suitable breeds and types that will enable us to make the best use of our natural resources in supplying our markets with the highest grade commodities that it is possible to produce. “T have pleasure in declaring this conference open,” Sir Franc.s concluded.