Young Farmers Visit Plant Research Station

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 67, 20 March 1936, Page 2

Young Farmers Visit Plant Research Station

PARTY FROM WAIRARAPA.

Upwards of 200 members of_ the Young Farmers’ Clubs in tho Wairarapa paid a visit to Iho plant research station’s plots, adjacent to Masse) College, yesterday. The party, which came by cars and buses, included members of the Maugatainoka, Ballance, Masterton, Carterton, Greytown, Mai tinborougk and Featherston clubs, as well as a number of boys from the Masterton High School.

Speaking on behalf of the visitors, Mr S. Freeman, of the Fields Division of the Department of Agriculture at Masterton, and secretary of the Wairarapa Provincial Council of the Youug Farmers’ Clubs, said the movement had come to stay in the Wuirurapa, as was evidenced by the number making the trip. Some had travelled over JUU miles.

A welcome was extended to tho visitors by Mr 11, B. Tcnueut, director of the Fields Division of the Department of Agriculture. Visits of this nature, ho stated, must result in nothing but good. The Young Farmers' movement was one of tlie most progressive movements that had ever been inaugurated in Now Zealand, and the Department of Agriculture was right behind it, because it offered untold advantages, it was to tho young farmers that tho Dominion looked lor progress. lho movement had ‘started in the boutk Island three years ago in a small way, but through the excellence of its objects it had swept through the island, and now there were many clubs doing excellent work. The movement fil'd later spread to the North Island, and Mr Freeman had done very valuable work in the Wairarapa. Naturally, the department wanted tho movement to extend uud desired to help it in whatever way it could. He regretted that, owing to the season of tho year and the short time at the disposal of the visitors, they would not be able to got an .idea of all the activities of the plant research station, but he hoped that what they would see would prove instructive.

Mr U. H. Perry, of Masterton, president of the Wairarapa Provincial Council of the Young Farmers’ Clubs, thanked the department for makiug the visit possible. He was confident that the Young Farmers’ Clubs movement would be a great success. Mr B. Roberts,-AI.P., also thanked tho ofiieials of the plant research station. New Zealand, he suid, was about to start on a new period of expansion, and he believed that, with tlie investigations going on, there would bo wonderful development, lie believed the lessons. learned at the plant research station would have to be carried on to the farms. The Agricultural Department had an enormous amount of knowledge in its pigeonholes, but under tho old regime it had seemed impossible to get it into operation. The Young Farmers' movement, ho believed, was the mcaug bv which the. Dominion would get progress, and he was confident there.would

be a great transformation in tho next 20 years. He hoped the visitors would carry back to their home farms lessons to be put into practice. The party then spent tho next four hours, with a break for lunch, inspecting station activities and having explained to them various phases of the work, ilessrs J. 0. Neill, E. Chamberlain and W. D. Reid dealt with plant diseases, and Mr J: W. Hadlield with breeding work and field crops, whiie Mr E. Bruce Levy handled tho pasture side of the work.