AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2812, 5 February 1908, Page 23

AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT.

(From Our Own Correspondent ) WELLINGTON. January 31

The Mi. lister of Agriculfuie (the Hon. R. J;l'Nab) ga.\e to a, Poet representative th» following information with regard to widening the sphere of usefulness of the Agricultural Department. ITe said: — "My visit in the north had to do with fixing the site of our cadets' home at Ruakura and with the completion of the accommodation for milking cattle there. There was alt-o experimental work in connection with flax at Ruakura. In regard to tho department as a whole, the latest advance is the arrangement made for hiphclase instruction to be given to the dairy supervisors. This is a start of what we propose to give to all officers of this branch of the service. The instruction staff will consist of some officers under Mr Clifton's own control and some officers provided by other departments. The instruction of the- instructor to increase his knowledge, systematise his information, and introduce uniformity into the service is a 6 necessary as the instruction of the farmer, and neither is going to be lost sight of. In as many parte as possible steps are being taken to prepare exhibits in connection with the A. and P. chow. The State farms are keepin-g that object in view, and the- officers have gone into the thing con amore. The bee Dranch of the Ruakura Farm will forward a very fine exhibit of honey, got up in various -ways, and also of its by-products, so that we will be able to make a feature of bee-farming exhibitions in the large shows. Other matters which strike me at tl ■ moment are more in the nature of normal development than in the introduction of new features."