BOARD OF AGRICULTURE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3524, 27 September 1921, Page 11

BOARD OF AGRICULTURE.

A meeting of the Board of Agriculture was held in Wellington on Thursday, the 15th inst. The principal business before the board was the position of the various State experimental farms, and the question of what should be the forward policy to be adopted in connection with these, especially in view of the fact that the two farms established by the Repatriation Department for tiie special purpose of training returned soldiers have now. practically come to the end of their activities in that direction, and a. decision has to be arrived at regarding their future. The two farms in question are situated at Avon-head, near Christchurch, and near Roxburgh, Otago, and both have done good work in connect on with the special purpose for which they were established. The board went very fully into the question of the State farms, the Department of Agriculture having furnished full details regarding the financial position of each, and as a result a report was agreed upon, which is being- submitted to the Hon. Minister for his consideration. In the course of its discussion the board, came to the conclusion that, as regards the accounts on the different State farms, the amounts expended on strictly educational work should be shown separately from the expenditure on general farming operations, seeing , that strictly educational work cannot be expected to be directly remunerative from a financial standopint, although it is really of great value to the Dominion as a whole. A somewhat lengthy discussion also took place over the proposed legislation in connecton with the sale of seeds, and in this connection the board considered a report of a conference held sometime since between representatives of the agricultural community and of seed merchants respectively, the Department of Agriculture also taking part in it. After full consideration the board came to the conclusion that legislation was desirable, and a recommendation is being made to the Minister accordingly. . Consideration was also given to legislation in connection with fertilisers, and it was agreed that the introduction of such leg’s’ation was desirable. Championship Show.—A letter was received from the Minister of Agriculture in reply to the board’s representation in regard to the establishment of a championship show expressing his regret that, in view" of the’ continuance of the general financial stringency, it was inevitable that consideration of the matter must stand over for some time, but tl;at as soon as the financial position had eased sufficiently he would again bring the question before Oakinet. Boys’ Agricultural Clubs.—A letter was received from Mr Buckeridge, provincial secretary of the Taranaki provincial execu.ive of the Farmers’ Union, giving some interesting information with regard to the movement for the formation of boys’ agricultural clubs, and it was decided to again urge upon the various bodies representing the agricultural interests the desrabiity of doing all that was practicable to foster this movement-, from which such good results had been obtained not only in the United States and Canada, but also in those portions of New Zealand where it had been tried. Others matters discussed were: The introdiieton of certain game birds into New Zealand, and the introduction of a system of qua rant ng points in place of the present met .iod adopted m regard to the importation of plants into tne Dominion.