BOARD OF AGRICULTURE

New Zealand Times, Volume XL, Issue 9173, 13 October 1915, Page 11

BOARD OF AGRICULTURE

mSCtfSSiONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.

The Board of Agriculture held ft meeting in Wellington recently, all the members -. being present, The Minister of Agriculture .(Hon. W. D. S. MacDonald) I attended the meeting and was. welcomed by the president (bir Jambs Wilson) who said that the Dominion was to be congratulated upon having a Minister.for Agriculture who had all his life been connected with the land. Sir James also said that the board would do everything possible; to second his efforts in' the cause of_ agriculture, the primary industry of Now Zealand. In his repiy, the Minister stated that he was especially glad to meet the members of the board, who were recognised as representing the.farmers cf the Dominion. Mr MacDonald also said that he proposed to visit, the Government experimental farms as soon as possible after the close of tho session. A number of subjects of a confidential nature were discussed, and on leaving for, his Parliamentary duties the Minister- was thanked for his comprehensive address. ■ The-New-Zealand Sheep Breeders Association .wrote- pointing out that the reputation of New Zealand stud sheep was being injured by the exportation of inferior rams, and recommending that an examination as to merit should be enforced before such animals wore allowed to 1 leave tho country. , As the department,had no statutory power to give effect to this recommendation, it was suggested .that something might he done by the’ Breeders’_ Associations themselves, on similar lines to those adopted by-the Romney Marsh Association. The board, however, decided to make further inquiries amongst the various associations throughout New Zealand, ’in order. to ascertain their views on the subject. The board had' a lengthy conference with tlie Secretary of Agriculture (Mr Pope), 'Mr Brown (Director of -Fields), and Mr Aston (Agricultural Chemist) •as to the' best , way ' of assisting the fruitgrowers and the local agricultural raminitteos sot up on the recommendation «t the Council of Agriculture to : carry out useful experimental work in different centres. The matter of carrying out experiments to determine the most effective substitute, for basic slag, the price of which has been greatly increased owing to the war, was also carefully gone into with Messrs Pope, Brown, and Aston, and arrangements were made to commence experiments - in different localities, from which it is expected that- valuable information will be obtained. -

The Secretary of Agriculture reported that, acting upon the advice of the hoard, the Minister for. Agriculture had accepted the offer made by the Board of Governors of the Ashburton High School to hand over to the department for experimental 'and demonstration purposes an area of 120 acres near the school. . Mr Brown -had met the school authorities and arrangements were being made to start work at an early date on the lines agreed upon. The board discussed the proposals made by the. Labour ; Department to meet the probable shortage of labour during the-coming harvest, ft was resolved to write to the Secretary for Labour expressing satisfaction with the arrangements made to organise the supply of farm labour available. The date of the collection of the sheep returns was discussed with the Government Statistician, Mr Eraser. It was pointed out that the most accurate means of ascertaining th'e number of sheep in the Dominion was to take the number actually shorn and the number of lambs tailed, ajid it was agreed to alter the headings of the collectors’ forms in order to obtain this information. A number of exhaustive reports from various members of the boards regarding the experimental farms were

discussed at considerable length, and a committee was formed to draft a ; complete report for the Minister givf , ing the board’s views as to' ‘ the ,'best - policy to be adopted* in regard to each farm, and as to the experimental, and research work throughout the .Demin- ' 1 ; ion.- ■ ■ The board also considered, and sent ■ on to the Minister, a number’ of recommendations which have been for-warded-'to it by the Council bf"Agri- __ culture, including amongst others the '* necessity for legislation to define the'" status of properly qualified veterinary ' burgeons; and to prevent farmers'being imposed ’upon with impunity,by persons possessing insufficient knowledge and no recognised qualifications, and who pose as properly veterinary surgeons. _ Amongst other- subjects dealt., vji,h r .. were: The encouragement of the,breedr ■ ing of horses for military purposes:; a Pure- Seed Bill; the compulsory-analy--sis .of stock foods; the veterinary-ex-. _ amination of horses exported to tralia; the- Orchards Act; '4nd , supply of lime.