AN IMPORTANT EXHIBIT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 114, 6 July 1911, Page 6

AN IMPORTANT EXHIBIT.

. >EPABTM ENT OF AGRICULTURI. One of (lie main features of tho Ha ,vera lYaow is tne oxnibn Py the Ifi p.irtmont of Agriculture. tins ex mbit is a duplicate of those now he ~jg shown at mo Industrial i’jXiub; .am, London, and tlic RouPaix Exlu -illon. in hrauec. it i.'rings’ befor. ..oe mitid uioi'o clearly anti mere full, .nan coaid be accompiisi'.od liy a rner> atatcinent of facts and figures, the ex .eat ei New Zealand’s iosourccs. Tin collection represents nearly all tiiar is prodiicctl tram tlic soil, and nothing mat could form part of a travelling ,;.,iiibitiou, and rap.escnfcs any import, urt branch of agriculture, nas boei omitted. ’l’iio altonlioii is first ar rested by samples of wheat, oats, am mu ley in itho mar, nil of which won grown’ in the-BoutJi Island. Thei Ciorg is a collection of seeds exhibitd in bottles, labelled with tiio name of the ’seeds. Those seeds inclaut wheat, oats, barley, ryecorn, tares, ,-oans, peas, mangolds, union, clover, .‘id grass, and altogether there ar-. 110 exhibits in this division. Prorni ■ rece is given to the results of cooperative field experiments, in wind tbo (aimer finds the land, does the • oik, and gets the resultant crop, and tho Government supplies the ‘■beds and fertilisers. This exhibit consists of 21 varieties of mangold.*roin tho Smmysido Mental Hospital, Canterbury ; 2G varieties of swede turmys grown by Mr Joseph Smith, Stirling, Otago ; 2S varieties of ycliov and wliite-fleshod turnip:-; grown by Mr Houliston, Kakapuaka, Otago. Bo sides, Mr Bayliss has a number of turves of grasses showing the effect of top dressing in tlic North Island : also specinlehs of roots grown on pumice lands. 1 There is a very fine exhibit from the Monmohaki farm

■and tin’s will probably he of more interest to the practical Taranaki far- : '"or l.'heonpo it shows what can be done with the soil and climate they ale accnstolVicd to. Most important is the exhibit of lucerne roots which have attained a length of 14 feet, and this does not represent the full distance that lucerne roots will descend into the ground. Shown with the roots is an iron pan through which they have forced their way in their downward course in quest of moisture. A box of lucerne, showing the growth at the present time of the year , is also very instructive and altogether the exhibit should do much to convince farmers of the vdlue of lucerne for feeding purposes, especially during a dry season. The experiments carried out have established beyond all doubt that, lucerne can ho grown in the North Island with, the best results. From the Ruakora Experimental Farm comes a collection of weeds and grasses. The former will assist the farmer in detecting what is injurious to his fields and the latter will afford some enlightenment ns to the value of grasses. This farm also contributes grain in the ear, 120 varieties of potatoes, and mode and vinegar made from honey. The products of the Waeranga, Pareroa and Tanrangi experimental'farms are well represented. The utility of the bee is brought home very forcibly by a fine collection of honey from all parts of the world, including, of course, Now Zealand. The Department has been doing much to direct attention to the profitable industry of fruit growing, and the exhibit in this connection is worth very careful attention. A special feature is made of commercial apples, or leading joxporc varieties— Monroe’s Favoxuitc. Jonathan, Cleopatra, Five Crown and Stunner, 'iho apples on the stand have been 10 weeks ctioV storage',' and after being taken out and shifted from place to place, they are sweet and sound; retaining 1 their appearance and flavour. Though pleats of Ipany varieties are shown; the expert's arc strongly of the opinion tnat orcuardists who are wise will confine themselves to a few of the best varieties—those that have been proved after experiments to he most suitable for the land. One stand is occupied by samples of New Zealand iiax fibre as graded by the Government graders. The fibre* is also shown after it has been manufactured into ropes and twine. Many specimens of preserved fruit from the Wairangi State Farm arc on view. ‘ All were grown on the farm and no loss than rOO varieties arc represented. A good deal of space is occupied by the pathological exhibit which deals with the diseases to which farm animals arc liable. Very interesting are the charts on which all may road the figures relating, to exports for the last ten years. One loaves no doubt as to the groat importance of the farming industry when computed with any other industry or all combined, the agricultural exports for the last year having been valued at £16,717.260, while, other exports only reached a total of £8,351,-t-19. Another chart deals with the ; tests made with the different breeds of dairy cows. A Holstein milked for 247 days yielded 546.61bs of butter, wibii a .1.8 test, giving a value of £25 Os 2d. Her highest yield for one day was 8 libs of milk. The cow calved on August 26 and at the time these figures wore tabulated was giving 22 11)3 daily. Another Holstein had been milked for 283 days, her highest. yield for one day being GOlbs, and the total quantity of butter fat for the period 418.9 valued at £l9 4 s. This cow’s, tost averaged 3.6 and at the end of the 283 days she was giving 261 Its of ‘milk per day. The host Shorthorn milked for 275 days, produced 633.211)8 of butter fat. The greatest quantity of milk, for one day was 7Jihs, the average test 4.2 and the total value of the butter fat for the period £24 Ss 9d. ’lbis cow was also still milking and giving 161hs per day. The object of the exhibits, said Mr Macpborson. Field Instructor for tiie South Island, who attends all the Shows in his official capacity, should he mainly educational in the way of showing what can be produced under varying conditions. What the Department fries to do is to demonstrate to the fanners what crops are host adapted to different localities, with due regard to the nature of the soil and climatic conditions. The roots shown at Kawera ''have been out of the ground for a considerable time, and they wore not fully grown when they were lifted, consequently the average yield per acre could not be accurately ascertained at the time of the lifting, because they could not he considered to be fully matured. But this does not detract from tho value of the exhibits in enabling farmers to judge ,from the experiments carried out in the various districts, what varieties are likely to do host in their respective localities. There is another feature with regard to these roots —that is, the swedes and the yellow and white fleshed turnips, for the mangolds are not affected in ibis respect—namely, in connection with those pests the diamond ha’ckcd ninth and the aphis, which at times cause such devastation among the turnip crops. The lesson will l»o learnt as to the varieties host able to resist those posts. Mangel wurt/ol is not, attacked by the moth. With regard to turnips, there are also the diseases known as

•.he finger-and-toe and black wt. '.'hero arc samples of each sent from vlouinohaki experimental farm, and i.liey show what a terrible post the i [senses indicated are. From the ■xhihits at the show, the farmer, ran orm a correct judgment as to u m,t . ariotics of turnips are best, capable ,f resisting attack by these posts. Then there is an exhibition of the ■ ■{feet and benefit of '••on i a i nuiures. The difference is shown octweaa the • ■roducts of the uumaa.ured land and the crop produced on the ianur cl und. growing on the same or •.d.oin:og plot, the soil conditions, -veept in regard to manure, Peing exacfly •like.—“ Star.”