Waitahuna Farmers' Club

Tuapeka Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 6307, 3 November 1915, Page 3

Waitahuna Farmers' Club

(From Our Own Correspondent.) At a meeting oi' the Waitahuna Farmers ( lull a communication from the secretary of Council of Agriculture was considered recommending the appointment of a local agricultural Committee by County Council, and that the Department of Agriculture be asked to make use of the servicm of such committees ill experimental and development works in connection with agriculture. The questions to be considered liy the local committee would be (11 The particular kind of exneriments most necessary in thei districts ; 12) \\ hat farmers would be prepared to carry out the work thereof (3) How and when it would be most suitable to get the Government experimental ollicers to carry out and super\ ise the experiments. It is urged that while much valuable experimental work can be carried out under ordinary iarming conditions, expert supervision and advice is necessary to furnish reliable data and results which the ordinary farmer has; not the time or requisite knowledge to attend to. The local committee would also be invaluable for their co-operation in arranging for labour for the coming harvest., The Club spent some Oime in the consideration of this sclu>m>e and it was unanimously of the opinion that it was worth while making further enquiries. and the secretary was instructed accordingly. The collectors >n the various districts reported that they had been favourably received, and that the amount in hand though not large would justify the (Tub *in its previous decision to continue to carry on the shou.

An animated discussion took place las to the best means of reducing the largv amount of prize money paid, oi of making it more proportionate t<", the amount of entry money received. Messrs A. Murdoch and 1). McDonald championed the plan of doing away with all th'ird prizes in the stock sections, and also that im all cases where there is only one exhibitor' only half prize monev be paid unless said exhibitor makes four entries in the class. The President -and'Mr McCaw pled for 1 the continuance of third prizes on the ground that it would encourage competition, but stipulated' that unless there wire four or more entries onlv half prize money be paid : a all classy—this to apply to cash prizes only.—The ■ motion /of 'Messrs Murdoch and McDonald was carried.

.Mr J. B. Roberts mentioned that dogs running loose over the show ground was a source of danger. It was generally agreed that something I should be • done to prevent the trouble. A committee appointed lo revise the rules and the prouramlme reported the following recommendations .—Thai the. first part of rule 9 be struck out : also that the first part of rule 10 read " all protests must be in writing and must be lodged with Ihe secretary within half-an-hour after the exhib t hasp, been judgied." Also that class, 32 be deleted from the programme.' The ' recommendations were, approved. It was agreed on the motion of lit Murdoch that all surplus profits from the show, if any, he handed to the Patriotic Committee. The executive were authorised to allot the prizes, arrange with the band, and make other necessary arrangements. Several leading farmers were mentioned as judges and the matter left with the secretary to arrange. Iti was announced that the train Arrangements jom Lawrence would be the same ss last year.