OTAGO A. AND P. SOCIETY

Otago Witness, Issue 3404, 11 June 1919, Page 15

OTAGO A. AND P. SOCIETY

ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of the Otago A. and P. Society, held on the 4th, was largely &t» tended, and was presided over by the president (Mr B» A. S. Oantrell). Tho report deplored the loss of Mr Wm. Patrick (hon. life governor), Mr G. H* Giloy (hon. life member of the society), and Messrs Donald Reid and Lauchlan M'Lean, the two last-named having been associated with the society in the early days. These and other changes brought the total number of members now on the register to 975, exclusive of some 20 members absent at the front, who were, however, still associated with the society. The amount raised at the Winter Show and handed overdo the Otago Women's Patriotic Association was £266 5s 9d, and other material assistance was rendered in this laudable connection. The Winter Show waa in many respects a satisfactory venture, the wool and fruit exhibits being notable features in an interesting display of primary and secondary products, while tho quality of tho fat stock was excellent, the classes for young cattle being admirable and full of merit. Tho Horse Show was abandoned owing to the temporary diminution in thai demand for draught stock. The Wright. Stephenson Challenge Cup was competed: for in these circumstances at the Summer ■ Show. Tho entries for the Summer Show compared very favourably with those for. the preceding year, but as a result of flood conditions a large number of the exhibits were not able to be sent forward, the train services being disorganised. Very fair entries were received for the ram and ewe* fair, held at Burnside on April 1. Owin£ to a.combination of circumstances, the prices obtained were only moderate. Tahuna Park had been maintained in good order. It had been made use of freely by the defence authorities free of charge. A trial plot of lucerne had been attempted in one of the sheep paddocks with fair prospects of success. During the year the society * associated itself with other organisations in pressing upon the Government the, importance of furthering the provincial development of hydro-electrio energy, the setting up 'of a commission to report on land. tenures in Otago, and the wisdom of not endangering the dispersal of the' Puketol merino stud flock. The President, in moving the adoption of tho report and balance sheet, remarked that apart from matters pertaining to shows in general the development of agriculture would appear to bo a matter closely concerning the society. In this connection ho , pointed out that there were a number of practically neglected primary industries, which might well forge ahead if encouraged. The growing of the flax plant for linseed oil and fibre might be cited. From tha fibre the finest linen and cordage could be manufactured, while tho seed. —known as linseed —was" one of the most concentrated and fattening of stock foods, and the oil was the chief ingredient of most paints. There was to-day a world-wide shortage of flax products. In Russia, Germany, Belgium, Austria, and France the flax industry flourished in pre-war days, but they might be considered shut out" for a long period. Australia imported annually £300,000 worth of linseed, .and to-day guaranteed her producers £6 a ton for crops of standard quality. The growing of agricultural and vegetable seeds for export also seemed to offer prospects of profitable work. Some agricultural grass seeds were certainly at present exported, but there were other field crops the seed of which had never been harvested and for purposes of export. Something might be made of tho_ growing of sugar beet, and the tobacco* plant, and there were others. They could not go on indefinitely delivering wool, meat, and dairy products without depleting the soil of its fertilising ingredients, unless they adopted scientific methods. Dairying was