TARANAKI AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.

Taranaki Herald, Volume I, Issue 40, 4 May 1853, Page 3

TARANAKI AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.

We have much pleasure in laying before onr readers the First Annual Report of the Taranaki Agricultural Society, which has been forwarded to us for publication : — Gbntlbmbs.— The anniversary of the furmttion of thi S' cieijf baring armed, it devolves on your Com* millec to submit to you their report of the progres of iho S.icieij during the past jetr. By a reference to ihe books of th« Socictyt wo find thnt llio auui of £10 ss. Uo« been recoiled (rum in numbers, mimbcrini; at the olo«o of tho year 41. 01 Urn sum there hat been expended in bnokn 9i. 3d. and Seci'etttiy's salary £5, leuviitg a bnlonoeof £A 15j 9.1, to which the mid of 5a 1 <?d intcreit is added, mtk'nig n bol.iiico of i.5 I*7-1, ilc|io»itt<l in the Ne* P ymtiuth Saving* U ink. During tho pa»t year the Society has held to meetings, at which the following »ul>jcctl htro been biotl^ht under consideration, viz — On March 6— Tho ncceuity of appointing an Inipector of Scab in Sheep ; tlio stale o( the Roud, and Bridges of tho Si-Uleiui'nt. On both of these subjects memorials were ad,, dressed to his Excellency the Governor in Chief. To tho former his Excelli-.icy replied tint no ordit.ancu providing for such appointments nppliud to (ho province of New Ulnlor, but that his tCicol lency would bring it before the Lsgiulntno Cuuucil ul us next sitting. Tv the memoriul foitrariled by the mcicly on the subject of the Roads md Bridges— His Excellency replied by plaoing at the disposal of the authorities, the sum of £301), vo led for thuir rcpairi by the Legislative Council at their previous sitting. On March 13th— a special meeting was held to e.oiuUler what course to adopt in the absence of our Tnspcctor of Scab with reference to an expected importation of infected sheep from Nelson— O n which occasion the Society appointed two of its members to unit on the Resident Magistrate to request him to adopt such step* as he might thinlc best to prevent uny Injury accruing to the Settlement from the expected iinportion. 'Jo this rcqutst the Resident Magistrate replied that he should bo happy lo uiort bis authority tv lurlhcr the objects of the Society. On April 3rdi — To fix an average sUaderd of weight for grain. The culture of Whcnt. The Diicu-iSion of thia subject though carried foiward to the succeeding meeting on the Mny Ist. — Was charnctcrised by to much differonce of opinion us to the best time of sowing, llmt it mny bj said to remuin in ttntu quo. The next subject before tho Soiicty appears to have t.ceu— Thedifihulty of obtaining land at the office of thti Crown Commiiisium r— Oil which occasions Commute w as appointed to memorialise His Ex-, cclleucy on t'io subject. To this memorial your Cnmmi tee regr. t to lay no icply has ever been received. On (lie 3d July— Tho subject of Manures came uiidtr cr.mideri.tion, en which subject the general opinion appeared to ba that il.e mott eligible description of Munurc would be iiiair rotted in the farmyaid, and mixed nidi set wnd in such proportions as the nature of the land might require. The but modo of fencing having come under disrusik'ii, the unnniuiouj opinion of the inseting was in favor of Gorsc. On tin- 28th of August— The mbject of rotation of crops was brought for' ward, but some lengthy (litcuulon liaviug taken place previously vtith reference to holding wceUjr, instead of nionlhly meetings— The subject was posipon>d till the nexl meeting. On this occmiou a Committee was appointed to report oil the Fencing Ordinance. Ou the 25th of September.— The Discussion of RotmioH ol Crops was returned ; but tieta again to much difference of opinion was manifested that uu decided result could be recorded. On the 30th October — The mbject of Sheep tvat bought under Ibe notice- of tho meeting, and on 'this subject the general opinion appeared lo be in favour of South Downs fa loo; ns the cardis it the primary object wilh Breeders, but to soon as the increase of our flocks should render the fleece the most valuable part, the best kind would be fonnd to be a crots of two (birds Merinos aud one third Leiccstcrs, ' On the 27'h November— Pi«s, their Breed ssd Feed being the subject appointed for disrumion at this meeting, the breed known ns Hamlyn's. and and the. Pure Berkshire or one cross from it nrero comidered »• the moit advantageous and with re« ganl tv Feet), good clover for the first 20 month* or two yeatt with the "ash from the dairy, and for Fattening, Boiled potatoes, Maize, snd KamaKomn.—at this meeting, the failure in the wheat crops having been introduced, it wns determined that a Chemical Anulyiis of the suit, and if possible Microscopic observation of the plants should bo lnude with a view of discovering the cause of those failure, find that a report ot tho rccolt of those experiments ba handed loto the Society as soon as completed. *

January i»t—T he. of Dairy Farming bring nppayiled for Diicutiion, thn opinion of the wembee* opp cored lo be, thnt nhcre n numhrr of cowi were kept, (.'heoo would be found to be a more profitable production limn linltrr, but that in small dairirs, a combination of tue two inanufic turcs would probably he fa«nd mure advanCng>'fliiit.

On the 22nd Jnnuary— A moc.iup wuii held to (Ii trust the sut jeet of Pr'Zrs, nt whii h it wna dctiTmined that a Show of Cnllld should he held. For the better regulation of t'ne Kxhibiiii.n, rrrluin rules were laid down an recoidnd in the Soci.t/s minutes-

In tho abstract of yur proccrtlinc-t now submitted to your notice, there are one or two tliinui on which your cnm'i.ilue bi-g to 1 ffi'r 11 fovv nmnrki, and in tin- fi I — . t place, thr rinaiicml posiliun of the Hociely skihh to mil for *omo notice. AlihniiL'.h the balaiiio in lnnd at the close of the ye<<r is hardly larpi: uiou;;!i to form iiuithr of congratu'atiiiu, yi't it in >o (ar SJtialnctory On 1 i' h on lhcri;hi Hide of the fiilinxv -Sli.'et and ii Hilfirlent tv cliCDUruge us to future und encrcn'.ed 1 xirlioiii.

In tlif nulure of the nuljects brought before you t'u'ini! the year, connideridjle variety in«y he ohnwnd end ir.me il ff'..rncrs of opimnu/iiiVd been rn.iriii. steil in llirir diuuntiion, lull \'r ilusi- our nli(?hr arqiMii'lunri 1 with 1110 imtuie uf thn soil and climate ought 10 huvr prrpnrcd v«. It cannot lie doubled tnat perfect in iiniicy with these important tuilij'elti is rsriiiil nl 10 oucce^^ and nmil n 20 or 30 years experience slmtl have him en us a deeper insight iuio them, the best Benson for lowing, tho best rotation of cio,.«, nml the bent treatment of crops generally uittst rerouin rnaturs ol opinion and a> muni open to dispu r. Wii li regard to thoso iliflniusiniis whirl) relate to Siock-farmine; and which huve been confined ai yet 10 the brd'dinj; and rearing sheep and pigs, a greater unutiimily has been shown, and your Com' iiiittec hope that the opinions which prtvull, at) to the heat kinds and most judicious crosses of these milfiinrfl rnny recn-vc a pleating con/irmalioo in the record of your next year's profits. [11 the discussion o( Dairy-farming-, the munufnclurc of Chceie and Untter Jias engrossed your attenlion, the production of Bacon Inis l«.rn reserved for dlbCtixsion, mid other sources of piofit may be point oil out to the enterprising ugi ir.iihunti', "Tinrr.cly the Breeding of Poultry, and tin: Moim^e, ment of Bees, the propuction ol Chuicjnl, Tuii>,,lnili, Pearlatl), &c.

The arrangements (or n cuttle ihow Invn n-it yet been completed, bat your Commitice Ihlkw their mrcetsom will not find much difficulty in .iccoirr plfshiri); them. f TIIO labors of your Commiltei* fir the pnit y<'nr fcclrg brovghtui aciotc, they 101 (;n mtojonr huiiiln ths trust coinii ittcd to them, and hope thiil Ihc cmuing >ear may witness on immixrt urv.nfilon of Mdnbtrn, and that n Society wliich has for it's object the advancement of our agricultural pros* j.eiity may alwayit receive that support which it so manifestly deicrvci. '