SPECIAL FIELD BAYS PLANNED

Putaruru Press, Volume XXI, Issue 1237, 3 July 1947, Page 7

SPECIAL FIELD BAYS PLANNED

FEDERATED FARMERS

Ag-rieultural Section Activities

'Special field days' were planned in every province carrying- on agriculture as distinct from pastoral farming, indicated Mr. G. Stevenson, chairman! of -the agricultural section, iFederated Farmers, when speaking at the annual section conference. The great advances feeing made in plant research generally, and in plant breeding, were of vital importance to al'l farmers in New Zealand, but much of the knowledge gained fey research workers was not reaching the farmer. It was, therefore, the aim of section officers to have as much information as possible disseminated to producers, and they in turn would fee encouraged to use it. Organised contact with research workers; would not, therefore, stop at headquarters, but would fee extended as far as possible. Field days at research centres were one means advocated to give farmers the information in question. Seed Embargoes At the request of the section, Mr. "W* W. Mulholland, Dominion president, hag been investigating the question of the English embargo on small seeds. He has reported that thci position appeared to fee most unsatisfactory. 'Merchants in England were, apparently, able to exercise too much influence in regard to the imposition of embargoes and controls and used them to cause fluctuations in prices to their advantage. It was certain that embargoes and other controls were imposed without notice, said Mr. Mulholland. No publicity was given to their pending imposition, and sometimes the information was given as confidential. “This, of eou’-se, must be vigorously attacked,” he wrote, “ancS the whole thing- brought out into the crp;n. I am afriad that, at the moment, the protection of the British farmer is being used as a ‘stalling horse’ by other people who are grinding l an. axe all very successfully.”