AGRICULTURAL COUNCIL

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 10027, 19 July 1918, Page 7

AGRICULTURAL COUNCIL

ANNUAL CONFERENCE MANY FARMING PROBLEMS DISCUSSED. The annual conference of the New Zealand Council of Agriculture was continued yesterday. Mr G. A. Macdonald (Orari) presided. Further' consideration was given to the following remit from Masterton: "That fcho Agricultural Department be asked to take drastic steps to keep the rabbit pest within bounds." Mr G. H. Andrews (Marlborough) suggested that tho following addition bo made to the remit: "By preventing the export of preserved rabbits and rabbit-skins." He moved an amendment in this direction. Sir Walter Buchanan said the export of rabbits should be discouraged. Mr Reynolds said that the most effective weapon against the post was poisoning. Whore people did .not lay rabbit poison, they should be compelled to do so. Dr Renkes said that the Act was fairly effective until it had been amended- This amendment lessened the power of the inspectors to secure a conviction against fai-mers who did not keep down the' pest. Tho amend-, ment to tho Act threw tho onns of proof on the inspector, with the result that fewer convictions were recorded. The Act as it stood at present was extremely unlikely to bo effective. An amendment was needed.

The , amendment was lost, and the original remit carried. | Mr J. A. Young, M.P. (Waikato) moved as follows: "That thia conference recommends to the Government that the Rabbit Nuisance Act be amended in the direction of making it applicable to country held by both small and large holders, and to that end the Conference suggests that Parts 111. and IV. of the Rabbit Nuisance Act, 1908, be amended and joined up into one workable, part, providing for more extended rating than already in the- Act, but with no further subsidy on rates than the 3-16 tbs of ono penny as at present provided under Part 111., and with powers to. borrow for rabbitproof fencing. Tbo area over which a board may be created to be reduced to 500 aeres or more."

Mr Young said the only effective way of dealing with the pest, judging from the efforts in his district, was to wire them in. The farmers in Waikato had inquired carefully into the problem- It was plain that an amendment was required in the Act, and farmers should press this matter immediately. The; remit .was; carried.

Mr A. Macphorson (Fields Division, Department of Agriculture, Christchurch) read a paper on "Lucerne Growing."STUD STOCKS. Mr G. H. Andrew (Marlborough) moved the following remit:—"That,it bo a recommendation to the Government that instead of submitting surplus young herd .bulls to auction, an upset upon: them and they be balloted for, a proportion of such being allotted to different districts indicating their desire to obtain such animals." After a short discussion the remit was lost. Mr H. G. Lewis (Wanganui) Drought forward the following remit: —"That registered Herd and Flock Associations make arrangements for the periodical inspection of all registered herds and flocks belonging to their respective societies, and . any herd or flock which, arwr careful inspection and due consideration with regard to general conditions, is in tho opinion of the inspector being neglected and consequently deteriorating, the samo may be expunged from its respective herd or flock book." Mr Lewis said he understood that there were many practical objections to the remit, but he put it.forward with the hope that resultant discussion might, be of value. After a short discussion. Mr I/ewi s -withdrew his remit. "'•■'','.''

Mr W. D. Hunt moved the following remit from Southland: —"That, in the opinion of the conference, there should be only one Breeders' society for «ach bree<l of animals, and ono register for each." The remit was carried. ROOT CROP SEEDS.

Mr A. H. Cockayne, biologist to the Department of Agrioulturo, Weraroa Demonstration Farm, read a paper on I ''The Growing of Boot Crops Seeds." During the course of his paper Mi Cockayne said: "For the first time in the history of New Zealand an insufficient supply ot various brassica seeds, notably' those of turnip and swede, is available to fulfil our ordinary requketnents. Roughly, 160 tons of turnips and 140 tons of swedes seeds are sown each year. In certain seasons our requirements may exceed 300 tons, and in others it falls short of that figure, as the area under turnips fluctuates. The reasons for the present shortage are due to complete absence of any Continental supplies, the reduced acreage in brassica seed orops in Great Britain, and the poor crops during 1916-1917 in that country. They will be available for 1918 sowing, in New Zealand, enough seed for about 440,000 acres. This will represent about the minimum acreage in turnips and swedes during the past ten years. Any shortage can easily be made up by an extension of autumn-sown winter feed crops, such as Italian ryegrass and cereals. Mangolds, again, could, especially in dairying districts, with great advantage 6how an increase, and enough seed to vory considerably extend our normal acreage is available. Personally,' 1 do not anticipate any serious effects so far as crops that nro to be fed off in the autumn and winter of 1919 aro concerned. The position, however, with regard to turnip and swede seed supplies for the spring sowing of 1919 is quite .problematical. Next autumn will see the total exhaustion of all our present available supplies. That is, there will bo no carry-over, excopt perhaps in some varieties, such as Pomeranian White and White Stone Stubble. As a usual rulo our carryover from season to season i« quite large; in fact, our present fairly satisfactory position is due to the amount of seed held over from last season. With no carry-over, it will be necessary to import next season at least 300 tons of turnip and swede seed in ordor to put spring 1919 sowings on «. safe footing. Tho question that naturally arises is w-hother Great Britain will bo able to allot this amount or not. As the position <haa been satis-

factory up to the present, ono is apt to consider that it is sure to remain so. Tlio Toat trouble, however, is that Groat Britain herself has very little carry-over this year, and the position will bo regulated entirely by the amount of seed produced during the summer in Great Britain. Many oi the contract crops that should have been -harvested next August, have been ploughed under and replaced by one ot a more - direct food-producing nature. Certain British merchants are confident that they can supply the necessary seed, bnt others again anticipate grave difficulties. "This uncertainty with regard to our future supplies ha* led to a great, deal of consideration being given to local production of turnip seed. A considerable acreage will probably be held over for seed, but the uncertain prospects of. available Inbobr have been a considerable drawback in this connection. Again, even though crops may be reserved, for seed, stock-feed-ing requirements may result in their finally being fed off. ' I anticipate that a very considerable amount of local turnip seed will be produced next Season from crops that normally would have been fed off." FOOT ROT IN SHEEP.

Mr G. R. Beamish (Hawke's Bay) moved the following remit:—'"That, in -view of the want of uniform treatment by pastoralists of foot rot, which has seriously increased in Haw I'* < Bay this year, the Government be urged to make exhaustive experiments, and advise as to the best treatment."

Mr George Hunter, M.P., seconded the remit, and suggested that it would be of value if Dr Keakes were to place his views before the conference. Dr Reakes said ho heard there had been a prevalence of foot rob 'in Hawke's Bay of late. This was due to wet seasons. The remedy he would advise was the use of copper sulphate as a foot bath. Half a. pound of sulphate to a gallon of water would make a good mixture in ordinary cases, and three-quarters of a pound to one gallon, in severe cases. Ho also advised farmers to be on the safe side and treat all forms of foot rot as contagious. The remit was carried. DRY ROT IN TURNIPS.

The following remit was moted byMr W. D. Hunt (Southland):—"That further steps be taken to tirge upon the Government to have investigations made for the cause and prevention of dry rot in turnips." Mr Hunt saia the drv rot in Southland had become 30 bad that many farmers hod ceased' altogether growing turnips. Tfio remit was carried. INFERIOR SHEEP DIP.

A remit from Otago, moved by Mr Orbell, was:—"That' the Department of Agriculture bo urged to certify to the value or otherwise of all sheep-dip mixtures offered for sale in the Dominion, with a view to ascertaining whether the mixture put up. may be deemed a satisfactory-dip for killing ticks and lice on shenp,"

Mr Orbell said the reason why he -was bringing forward the remit was because there was a likely possibility next year of farmers being supplied with a very inferior dip. If the Government made it compulsory for farmers to dip i heir sheep they fihould at least see that the proper dips -were available Tho remit. wu« <:arriod. • OPOSSUMS.

Sir Walter Buchanan brought for- . ward the following remit from the Wairarapa:—"That the conference is of the opiniqn that the protection ol opossums is riot in the interests of the Dominion." The mover said that rabbits were bad enough, hut they could Iks fenced off—opossums could not be fenced off. . Upcause some misguided individuals had brought opossums into the country some' fruit r farmers were BufferiuEC. heavily as a result of the appetito of the opossum. Instead of being protected these animals should not be allowed to bo harboured by airyperson. Parliament should deal seriously with this question next session, as the opossum was a dire enemy of the fruit industry.

Other speakers differod and said the opoS3um was not a menace to the fruit industry, but instead a national asset in other respects. The remit lost. " ' A. AND P. SHOWS.

The following remits were dealt with in regard to A, and P. shows: After a short discussion the following was withdrawn:—"That agricultural and paatoral societies' he asked to absolutely refuse all ehow entries which are received too late to be printed in their proper places in tho show catalogue." • Tho following remit was carried on a show of hands:"That, p+ing to the difficulties faced by hunt clubs in continuing operations whilst the war is on, it be a recommendation to A; and P. association committees to. accept ae qualified for their competitions during tho continuance of the war, hunters which have been qualified previously with any olub which may have ceased operations on account of tho war as mentioned."

Another remit carried was: —"That the-Government be urged to'run special trains, to and from agricultural shows where such can bo done without interfering with the requirements of tfie Efficiency Board." After a short discussion the following remit was carried : "That tho Government, having recognised the principle of exempting ehow grounds from tend and income tax, bo again strongly urged to make mandatory those clauses in the Rating Act which give power to local bodies to exempt agricultural show grounds from local bodies' taxation, provided that the grounds so exempted are genuino show grounds and any revenue accruing therefrom is issued only for the purpose of advancing and building up the agricultural and pastoral industry."

EMPLOYING ENEMY ALIENS. Mr W. Reid (Feuding) moved as follows:—"That the Government be urged to conscript for national work at soldiers' pay all eligible enemy aliens and persons of enemy alien descent.' 1 Mr J. A. Young (Waikato) said tho remit was too indefinite as it stood. He suggested tho following addition:— "Who may claim exemption by reason of their enemy parentage" The moter of tho remit agreed to this addition, also to the deletion of the words "at soldiers' pay." MISCELLANEOUS REMITS.

Mr 0. G. Russell moved the following Wanganui remit:—"That the Government bo again urged to discontinue Territorial onmps during the period of the war." Ho said that for more reasons than ono the remit was desirable. It would give farmers relief

in regard to labour, and save the country much mouey. The remit was lost, on the voices. The conference agreed to tne withdrawal of the following remit irom Waaganui: "That the Government be urged to remit rent and rates on farms of- returned soldier-settlers lor, say, ono year in the case of improve'.! farms, three years on uoimproveu bush farms, and five years on fruit farms, the same to be pawl out of the Consolidated Fund." A Manawatu remit winch caused considerable discussion was:— -ihat the rule s of the Now Zealand Council of Agriculture be revised, giving _ tae executive power to enforce the rulings; of the conference" The following amendment was moved and carried in place of the original remit:—"That the question ot increasing the powers of the Council of Agriculture be referred to the executive to report to the next conference, and the Manawatu .Association be asked to confer .with the executive to formulate the alterations they wish to be miulo in the constitution, and secure the additional power s they are asking for. A motion that.it bo a recommendation to the council to hold the annual conference in tbo North and South Islands in alternate years was lost.

A Canterbury remit proposed that the conference at its rising should adjourn indefinitely. The object of the remit was that at the present time farmers would be better occupied at their farms. They could be represented better by deputations to Parliament. ■ The proposal was strongly op-, posed, and the mover eventually agreed to withdraw his remit-, Itf was moved by Mr J. H. Perrett, and carried: "That this conference considers it advisable on account of the shortage of shearers that all sheep-. owners should be asked to engage wherever possiblo one learner to every four shearers or part thereof." Mr J. O. Coop moved, and it was agreed to: "That the controlling authorities of the various stud, herd, and flock books be strongly recommended to take into consideration .the cases of owners of stock eligible for registration who have failed to register within a given period, and mako some provisions for the admission of such stock to their registers." ELECTION OF MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL.

Tho election of members of the council resulted as follows: —North Island: Messrs Q. Donald, E. A. Campbell, and Edwin Hall. South Island: Messrs J 1 Macphorson, W. D. Hunt, and R. W- Lockhead. The conference conoluded with the customary votes of thanks.