DEMONSTRATION FARM

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 82, 12 August 1929, Page 4

DEMONSTRATION FARM

ANNUAL MEETING. ! I 1 * PURPOSE OF THE FARM. The annual meeting of the Stratford Demonstration Farm wa s held on Saturday, Mir J. W. Smith presiding. Tlie report and balance-sheet were adopted. OFFICERS ELECTED. Mr W.. H. Wore and Mr Mi Williams were elected on the committee and Messrs J. W. Boon and H. Marchjant were elected as the guaran* tors’ representatives for the ensuing year. Mr Gr. Carter was elected auditor, h STERILITY IN. COWS. In answer to a. question asked by Mr Trotter regardTng what Mr Smith said) on sterility in cows affecting the butterfat production, the chairman said he was not very well informed in this. matter. In this country the Department was dealing with, the situation but had not found any more regard- y ing the matter than other countries. However, it was the same in many other older countries which had been experimenting for a Tong time and had 1 not discovered a great deal more .than New Zealand. New Zealand was taking an interest in what these countries were doing and anything that succeeded) there was immediately tried in this country. The Stratford Model Farm was in close, touch with the Department and if th© latter discovered any valuable information the farmers of this district would ho among the first to benefit from it. The addition of special minerals to the soil had been tried hut it remained. to beffound out whether they would be of any great value towards finding whether the sterilitv of cows had anv great bearing on the buffer fat production.

( PURPOSE OF THE FARM. | Mr J. B. Richards said that when the fang was started they had an object in view which, wa-s now being realised.. It was to help solve the problems faced by dairy farmers', i Ihrqugh the efforts of the guraantors, the Department and the committee, they had been able to organise a splendidly situated! farm which was now an asset to the community. [ The cost had not been great and the farm now represented a great opportunity for the people of the district to bring forward any ideas which would help the primary industry. People from other districts had often inquired after information and had received it and found it of value in their farming operations. The farmers in this district should avail themselves more of th© privilege offered them and should take more interestin the farm. Membership was only 5s per year and they should'. wm-H and bring forward any ideas they had that would help solve the many dif'ficult problems confronting the fanner. That was what the Demonstration farm was for, to help the farmer, and they should realise what a great i asset it was. It wag also, as he said before, a. great opportunity for them to help towards solving the problems of modern dairying. Mr Tl-otter congratulated the farm committee on the way'the farm had progressed from practically a hush, section, covered in weeds, to a flourishing farm. It was not there solely for profit hut was for demonstration purposes.. The farm wanted to help farmers solve the questions confronting them and to do this it was trying scientific experiments ' on ways of farming that might be'oFuse in New Zealand. PERMANENT MANAGEMENT. In congatnl.ating the out-going committee, Mr E. Marfell said that in the past the committee had worked splendidly though they may have ben discouraged by the small membership. Undoubtedly the membership shoukPhe much larger and' if it did not increase and more interest was taken in the affairs of the farm the work of the committee should be tak- v an over by some permanent body.. It was stated that the management of the farm had been offered to tba County Council, but though the council was working in the interests of the farming community they had refused) the offer though the farm was an invaluable asset. appreciation. A vote of appreciation was to the outgoing committee and'espeiallv to Mr .T, B. Richards, who. it was said), had done more toward* making the farm a success than any other member. The representatives of the guarantors were also thanked: for their services.