WAIMATE FARM COMMITTEE

Taranaki Daily News, 12 August 1932, Page 10

WAIMATE FARM COMMITTEE

BUTTERFAT INCREASE 346L8.

OUTPUT OF 174L8. PER ACRE. The report on the month’s work at the Waimate West Experimental Farm was presented to the committee yesterday, whan there were present J. M. Smith (chairman), H. H. Buxton, F. Mourie, E. J. Betts, E. Long, _S. H. le Fleming, J. .Leslie and A. Gamlin. The report stated that the succession of frosts had kept the. pastures very, short. 'While there was no grazing, from the fields in the meantime the ultimate effect would no doubt be beneficial.in the way of suppression of pests and diseases and the rest given to the pasture. The 36 acres closed some time ago had little growth on it and warm rain was needed to ensure a plentiful supply of grass in a short time. Harrowing had been done following feeding out, and. Fields 9 and 10 (12 acres) had been top-dressed with lime and super at the rate of 4 cwt. The manurial trial area in Fields 11 and 12 (12 acres) had been again top-dress-ed to schedule, as had been the plots in lucerne. The milking cows were grazed, for a few hours daily on oats. Forty-one cows were now in and the milk that day was 9001 b. with a 4.J test. The butterfat for June was 481 b., bringing ttye total for the season to 15,9821 b., as against 15,6361 b. last year. This was an increase of 3461 b. for the season. The figures represented 2661 b. of butterfat per cow and 1741 b. per acre. Considering the season these returns must be considered satisfactory. One cow died at calying. The herd was receiving hay and ensilage daily. Two sows farrowed, one'having 10 and the other six. . ' Mr. Long advocated the planting of an acre of prairie grass in conjunction with the paspalum experiments. He remarked that prairie grass was a good grass for early feeding. Mr. Gamlin commended prairie grass and said it was the only grass that would grow in winter. Mr. Betts: If we are going to get weather like this we shall have to go back to roots.

The chairman pointed out that in cropping they encountered the difficulty of weeds, fumitory smothering the crops. Mr. Betts referred ti? the success of certain kinds of swedes. Mr. Leslie said he did not. think it worth while to grow roots on that ground. \ Mr. Betts: We did so successfully pears ago. The chairman considered they ought to try gras? feeding now that they ’had got it established. Finally it was resolved, to put in an acre of experimental prairie grass. The question of testing the herd under the group ’system was brought up by Mr. Long,, who said that they could not call it an experimental farm if they did not test.

Mr. Betts advocated holding the matter over until, next year. Finally it was decided to go in for testing this year. The chairman said that the stock account showed a loss of £24 this, year as against a profit last year. The bal-ance-sheet, however, compared more than favourably with that of other similar institutions. To meet the existing conditions it was decided to reduce the pay of the manager and the assistant. Mr. Betts remarked that small paddocks had been tried long enough to know that they were no good, and he suggested that they be cut out. The next meeting will be the annual meeting, when a report on the year’s operations and the balance-sheet will be given. SOUTH TARANAKI HOCKEY. MID-WEEK MATCHES. Opunake and Manaia men’s hockey teams drew, with one goal each, in a match on Wednesday. Scannell scored for Manaia and Brunette for Opunake. Pihama ladies defeated Oeo by three goal to nil. MANAIA SCHOOL COMMITTEE. ARBOR DAY TO BE CELEBRATED. All the members of the Manaia school committee were present at the monthly meeting on Wednesday evening. The report presented by the headmaster showed that the attendance had been 224.4 at the primary and 41.8 at the secondary school. The secondary branch began the month with an attendance. of 53 pupils after - losing connection with Otakeho. The low averages were due chiefly to sickness, both chickenpox and mumps being very prevalent. A new heater lately installed was most satisfactory, the consumption of fuel being very small. * The headmaster suggested that Arbor Day should receive special attention, and asked that the interest of the committee be enlisted in that direction. Mr. R. Syme, agricultural instructor, and Mr. McPherson, of the Forestry Department, were expected to be present, and Mr. A. Lees, of the Taranaki Education Board, had also promised to attend. Special essays by the elder. ■ pupils should add considerably to the interest of the proceedings. The committee decided to donate some small prises for special merit shown by the pupils in these essays, the essays to deal with Arbor Day and forestry work generally in New Zealand. The chairman of the committee and the headmaster will have charge of the arrangements, which will include refreshmc ts’ for the visitors. Mr. D. Sherson attended the meeting and advised the committee that acting on his request the Domain Board had remitted the fees charged at the gates on June 3, the occasion of the school seven-a-side and basketball competitions. Recent arrangements which were carried out to take senior pupils to Tokaora for the inspection and judging of ensilage stacks were appreciatively referred to, the members acting on that occasion being thanked. Mr. D. Sherson received the hearty thanks of the committee for his labours on behalf of the school during the jubilee celebrations, and the donation received by the school from the jubilee committee wqs heartily acknowledged. The grounds committee reported hav-. ing received from the sale of trees the sum of £1 15?.

The dental clinic is now functioning, and Nurse Herd expects to be resident in charge in Manaia for at. least three months. It was arranged for her to visit the various outlying schools.