NORTH OTAGO A. AND P. ASSOCIATION.

Otago Witness, 1 June 1910, Page 8

NORTH OTAGO A. AND P. ASSOCIATION.

The annual meeting of the North Otago A. and P. Association was held on Saturday, Mr B. Seth Smith presiding in the absence of Mr Buckley, who wrote regretting his inability to be present. A motion was carried before the general business according appreciation of Mr Buckley's valuable services, sympathising with him in his illness, and expressing an earnest hope that he may soon be restored to his usual health and vigour. The annual report submitted stated that while the finances were sound, as- shown by the assets exceeding the liabilities by £2514, yet they were not quite satisfactory owing to the difficulty experiencel year by year in obtaining sufficient revenue to meet absolutely necessary expenditure to maintain the prestige of the show. As the expenditure could not be curtailed the only alternative was to make an effort to increase the revenue. The large bulk of the farming community who were not members should not wait to be oonvassed, but should claim their right to be placed on the roll and to- contribute their share to its good work. The annual show was a success, and thanks were due to the donors of special prizes and the judges. During the year two honorary members who- in their younger days were active workers had passed away —namely. Mr Thos, Henderson, of Otepopo, and Mr Thos. Reid, of Ngapa.ra. Owing to the serious illness of the secretary, the work- connected with the show was performed by Mr H. F. Gibson as acting secretary, and he carried out the varied duties of the position to his own very great credit and to the complete satisfaction of the committee, exhibitors, and public. The report and balance sheet having been adopted, the fol'owin"' office-bearers were elected: —President. Mr Basil SethSmith; vice-president, Mr W. W. Dawson ; treasurer. Mr G. Brownlee; auditors, Messrs M'Kinmon and Miller; committeeMessrs T. S. Little (Ngapara), J. Buckley (Redoastle), W. Gardiner, iun. (Papnkaio), J. O'Brien (Oamaru), J. M'Oulloeh (Npapara), G. Livingstone (Windsor), G. Harvey (WestonK G. Brownlee (Oamaru), J. B. Tavlor (Kokoamo), W. Gardiner, sen. (Island Cliff). C. Cowan (Enfield), A. Gillies (Hampden). Mr Little suggested that the association should have a competition for the best field of turnips or other root crop in North Otago, similar to the competition conducted 1 by the Otago A. and l P. Association. They could not compete with farmers in the Olutha district in this line, so that farmers did not even enter: 'but if they had, say, a 10-guinea cup offered, it would create interest in the society, in addition to- having a orocd effect on the growing of root crops in the district. He moved- that the suggestion be referred as a recommendation to the incoming committee. This was agreed to.

POTATO SCAB

An experiment is being conducted at the Horticultural and Vitimltural Institute, Ahrweiier, Germany, with sulphur as a remedy for potato scab, with very favourable results. It was found that the proportion of diseased potatoes obtained from a plot treated at the rate cf 3561 b of flowers of*sulphur to an acre, was much less than in the ease of an untreated plot. The addition of potash to the sulpfnu, in the <proportion of 17clb of 40 per cent, potash to a:n acre, gave even better results. It was also observed that the soil of the plot eo treated was looser, freer from weeds, and gave a larger yield of potatoes. An experiment with artificial manures was combined with this test, and the addition of superphosphate, nitrate of soda, and potash to the sulphur-treated plots was found to give a greatly increased vield over plots which were neither manured nor treated with sulphur, or which were manured only, or treated with sulphur only. The experiment is not yet concluded, but observations taken during 1909 suggest that application of sulphur produces a physical improvement in the soil, and has a very favourable effect upon the availability of the plant-fcod both in the soil and in the artificial manures.