BRITISH FARMING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22933, 11 January 1938, Page 11

BRITISH FARMING

PASTURE AND STOCK MR. L. J. WILD'S TOUR CONTROL OF DISEASES Two striking current developments in British agriculture were noted by Sir. L. J. Wild, headmaster of the Feilding Agricultural High School and president of the Royal Agricultural Society of New Zealand, who returned by the Aorangi yesterday from an eight months' tour of Europe and North America under a Carnegie Corporation travelling fellowship. "One development is the policy of grassland improvement, encouraged by subsidies on lime and phosphates for top-dressing," said Mr. Wild, in an interview. "The object of this policy is also related to the all-important matter of defence. Soil fertility in England has been lowered by years of post-war exploitation. One aim of the present policy, initiated in 1937, is to restore soil fertility and build up a reserve, which incidentally may be converted into corn or other foodstuffs should the need arise.

" The observant New Zealander comes to the conclusion that British grasslands are susceptible to great improvement as regards management as well as in regard to the character of the pastures. Jn view of what 1 have seen abroad and of the news received from New Zealand since last winter, I would say that our grasslands and grassland management are now definitely ahead, on world rating, of our IHigb.y football. For this we must give some credit to a beneficent climate, but some credit goes also to the skill of our farmers." The other striking British development that he had in mind,' Mr. Wild continued, was fhe campaign against stock diseases. This would involve an increase in the strength of the veterinary service and an extension of legislative control. In the matter of equipment for investigation and control of stock diseases New Zealand was behind other countries in which the livestock industry was similarly important. It was to be hoped that immediate developments would follow the report of Dr. John Hammond, of Cambridge, who had just arrived at the Government's invitation.

"We need a more specific organisation for research into problems of animal health," added Mr. Wild, "and the organisations should provide facilities for the recruiting and trailing of our research workers. We also need an extended veterinary service for the control of stock diseases. The . time is coming when our overseas customers will include some guarantee of freedom from disease infection in their specification of quality, other than tliat which mere pasteurisation confers. In this respect some States of America are ahead of us."