PASTURE IMPROVEMENT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22024, 5 August 1933, Page 21

PASTURE IMPROVEMENT

IMPORTANT GRASSLAND CONFERENCE

To-day grass dominates New Zealand farming, and there is promise that for a long time it will continue to do so. Authorities agree that the efficiency in New Zealand grass farming is so high thijt it will stand favourable comparison with that of any other country. But it is felt there is still much room for improvement of our present grass farming. These facts give importance to the second conference of the New Zealand Grassland Association which is to be held in Christchurch from August 15 to August 17. At its initial meeting the Grassland Association —a national organisation founded primarily to stimulate efficiency in grass farming—elected the following Executive Committee, which is responsible for organising the 1933 conference: —Messrs A. H. Cockayne (Assistant Director-general of Agriculture), president; P. L. 0. Scrivener (Massey College]., A. W. Hudson and J, W. Hadtield (Plant Research Station), R. P. Connell (fields division. Department of Agriculture), secretary and treasurer.

In drafting the programme for the forthcoming meeting, there has been special endeavour to make it reflective of the prevailing economic situation. The opening sessions will be devoted to consideration of contributions from a special economic section, in which Messrs E, J. Fawcett (Department of Agriculture). F. R. Callaghan (Department of Scientific and Industrial Research), and D. O. 'Williams (Massey Agricultural College) will survey and discuss the economic situation.

Much interest may reasonably be expected to be aroused by a series of papers which promise to be of direct and practical appeal. Workers who are to contribute to this series are; Professors R. S. Alexander and F. W. Hilgendorf and Mr M. J. Scott (Canterbury Agricultural College), Messrs J. W. Hadfield, E. Bruce Levy, R. B. Tennent, and X. Foy (Department of Agriculture). C. H. Hewlett (Canterbury Seed Company), W. W. Mulholland (representing the farming interests), W. A. Jacques (Massey Agricultural College), and Dr 11. 0. Askew (Cawlhron institute). Contributions by Messrs A. W. Hudson (Agriculture Department), G. H. Holford (attached to Imperial Chemical Industries, Ltd.), and L. Napier (Pacific Potash, Ltd.), will deal with subjects which promise to indicate the great scope for valu-, able work in the field of research relative not only to farm practice but to the methods of research itself. As already mentioned, some of the basic aspects of future development will receive attention in the time devoted to the initial economic section, and this will be supplemented not only by the presidential address of Mr A. H. Cockayne but by Professor W. Riddet (of Massey Agricultural College) and Messrs 0. A. Holmes (National Mortgage and Agency Company, Dunedin), and W. J. M'Cu'lloch and R. P. Connell (of the Department of Agriculture) in a series of papers which are designed to deal with some of the major problems that are likely to arise in the future advancement of grass farming.