AGRICULTURAL CONFERENCE.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XIII, Issue 2780, 31 July 1907, Page 6

AGRICULTURAL CONFERENCE.

Electric Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, July 30. The Agricultural Conference opened to-day, -Mr J. G. \\ ilson presiding. In tie- course of a lengthy address the j eiiairmau -aid that dwellers in the I Dominion could fairly congratulate themselves on the continued prosperity. ha -d upon the increased output from agriculturists and pastoralists, and enhanced values. -More interest, he says, is being taken in tiie scientific •sid>- ,t dairying, and the Minister of Agriculture i- oi opinion that people are sufficiently educated to accept the G vornrnent inspection of herds and milking died-. It is certain that any in-pection which dairy companies have instituted inis entirely failed to have the milk of all suppliers brought iu a j proper condition to the factory, and although it is a fact that by careful ripening of cream and the use of the rceezer the butter maker is able to turn out a first-class article, yet it ■s obvious that milk in doubtful con-

diWViYi must have a deleterious effect '4'fi the manufactured article. Dairy people all liope that they are nearer to the proposed dairy experimental station, but as yet- there are no signs to justify that hope. The president referred to the necessity of educating the farmer by recording experiments taken by agricultural and pastoral societies. He mentioned that the exports had reached nineteen millions and revenue nearly 8£ millions. There was reason to expect more remunerative prices for produce than were the case some few years ago, even if they do not keep up to the present level, and it was possible, with good land laws, to break in many million of acres of virgin land. There was also room for expansion in the export of wool. Half-bred wool was still in wonderful demand, and any country which grew this wool well must he highly remunerative, as this class of New Zealand wool seemed to have an elasticity which was unprocurable in any other country in the world. The conference decided that efforts he made to secure simultaneous poisoning of rabbits and small birds throughout the various districts; that the Government be urged to take more active measures in dealing with rabbits on unoccupied land native lands; that Government he urged to cope with the spread of noxious weeds in all unoccupied native and railway lands.