AGRICULTURAL CLUB

Southland Times, Issue 18990, 11 July 1923, Page 6

AGRICULTURAL CLUB

MEETING AT GORGE ROAD. ADDRESS BY MR TENNENT. A meeting of the Gorge Road, Junior Agricultural Club was held on Monday night, Mr J. Thomas presiding over an enthusiastic attendance of yearly 30 members. Mr R. B. Tennent, Instructor in Agriculture for Otago and Southland, delivered an interesting and instructive lecture on liming. He mentioned the fact that lately some controversy had arisen over the question of the efficacy of burnt lime. He would like to stress the point that burnt lime was much more soluble than the ordinary carbonate and this accounted for the excellent results usually obtained frem its application. When burnt lime was applied to the soil it dissolved readily in the moisture and became thoroughly distributed throughout the soil particles. It was then changed to the carbonate form in the course of from two to five weeks but as might be understood it was in an extremely finely divided condition and thus able to do its work more efficiently than the raw carbonate. This was a feature of the use of burnt lime overlooked by seme people but there could be no doubt that the fact of the lime being distributed-through-out the soil accounted for its efficacious action. At the conclusion of the ridetmg Mr Tennent impressed the memb ■. of the Society with the necessity for taking an active interest in their clubs. He said the club would have to be more self-support-ing and rely totally on the Department for a complete course of instruction. From his experience he would say that members cf Agricultural Clubs were too willing to play a merely passive part in their clubs’ activities. They must realise that if the Department was going to undertake the promotion of junior agriculture clubs members would have to meet them half way. Mr Shepherd moved a vote of thanks to Mr Tennent for his instructive address and the meeting concluded.