AGRICULTURAL CLUBS.

Wairarapa Age, 5 July 1932, Page 5

AGRICULTURAL CLUBS.

REPORT ON LAST YEAR’S OPERATIONS.

PROGRESS OF CALF-REARING COMPETITION.

LOCAL COMMITTEE'S NEEDED.

The following report by Messrs. S. Freeman (Department of Agriculture) and F. C. Brockett (Wellington Education Board) on the competitions of the Wairarapa Boys’ and Girls’ Agricultural Clubs in the season 1931-32 is to be presented at the annual meeting of the executive committee, to be held in the Farmers’ Rooms, Perry Street, to-morrow, at 2.30 p.m.:— CALF-REARING COMPETITION. In view of the experience gained in the' previous season, it was decided to widen the scope of operations. Groups were established at seven centres, the number of entries at each being as follows: Pahiatua, 16; Eketahuna, 41; Masterton, 22; Carterton, 13; Grey town, 7; Featherston, 9; Martinborough, 7. This represents entries from 31 schools. Of these 115 entries, 101 came forward to be judged. To enable the competition to conform more nearly to normal calving dates, the entries were restricted to calves born between August 15 and September 15, a period of 15 days later than in the last seasons competition: the alteration was apparently justified. Judging was carried out at the various centres on December 4, 5 and 7. The" organisation was fortunate in obtaining the services of Mr. Allan Donald, who carried out the duties of judge in a very efficient manner. Calves were judged in two classes, Class 1., dairy condition; and Class IL, dairy type, prizes being awarded for each class in the group. A special prize was given in each group for the best-kept records, while a donation from the Wairarapa Herd Testing Association was devoted to a special prize in each group for the best calf from a cow under test by that association. The first _ prize-winner in Class I. (dairy condition) in each group was brought forward for final judging for the Wairarapa championship at the Masterton A. and P. Show on February 18. After the judging in the ring, great interest was aroused by the parading of the calves in front of the grand stand, when the Perry Cup was presented to Maurice Knutson, of Dalefield School, the owner of the champion calf. The calves came forward in very good order, and it was pleasing to note that most of the competitors had paid good attention to the handling of their ® a ?, VOS \, t TlliS WaS so ma rked in one group that a special prize was awarded by the chairman to one of the competitors. It is worthy of note that while in last year s competition only 65 per cent of the original entries came forard for judging, this season over 87 per cent, were judged. The greater number of the remaining 13 per cent had reared their calves but were unable to arrange transport: this points, in some cases, to lack of local interest, and once again indicates the necessity for the formation of local committees. i e .i' T ? S an im P r ovement in the standard of records kept compared with in°fh °f year ’ Attenti ° a was drawn in the last report to a weakness in this and . U was anticipated that with the active support of the teachers an improvement would be manifest. Weave now pleased to be able to record that such is the case, and we hope that future 1 pr ° gress wiU be made in the

of M the ti 3?ffi Wa L ma< l e ’ “ the last rC P° rt > of the difficulty of arranging for the marking of calves at the proper time We regret to have to report that thta I {>, was again met with: in °niy S6V T n gr ? Ups was as «stance thalks of'u, In thlS eonnectio ' : the thanks of .he organisation are due to Messrs. Goggin of Rongokokako and IcGovern, of Mauriceville, who acted as supervisors in their respective groups. The difficulty experienced again emphasises the need for some form of local co-operation. We would suggest that for the forthaltared » ea^>, th ® grou P s remain unaltered, and that, m order to obviate some of the difficulties of transport, a prelimmary judging take place at the schools to select calves for judging at the group centres. J 8 °

ROOT-GROWING COMPETITION - t0 th ? high cost of inspecting and judging the plots, it was found necessary to restrict the competition SChOO 8 elose t 0 Masterton. Mangolds were again chosen as the erop g /°. Wn ’ and a var iety trial was instituted to make the competition more interesting" and instructive. Twentyeight entries were received from five schools, and of these only 16 were carried through to judging stage. The large proportion of failures can be partly attributed to the fact that the usual February inspection visit was dispensed with m order to further cut down expenses. The varieties selected for trial were Prizewinner, Yellow Globe and Red Intermediate. The usual fertilisers were supplied, viz., super., blood and bone mixture at the rate of 4} cwt. per aerc, and Kamit at the rate of 2ewt. Seeding was done at the rate of 61b. per acre sufficient being supplied to sow 4J rows of each variety. The average yield per acre worked out at 41 tons 18 cwt., the Yellow variety yielding an average of 41 tons 5 ewt. per acre and the Red variety 36 tons llewt. The average yield in the previous competition was 48 tons 2 cwt. per acre, and consideriug the droughty conditions that the competitors were faced with this season the yield is very creditable. The championship crop of 78 tons 11 cwt was grown by Jean Rossiter, of Mauriceville School. This is the third ln / UCCeSsiOn ’ and the four «’ «me in the five years since the W.F.C \ Cun SchiAT available > Mauriceville School has won the coveted trophy. ’ The quality of the roots was very good generally, and a marked improve Wirt rt cultlvatl °n was evidenced. With the exception of a certain amount mangold rust, induced doubtless by dS>ase ndltl ° nS ’ th ° Cr ° PS Were free fro “ teJ w Standard thc records submitted was well maintained, there being evidence of good observational work Considerable variation was noted in the quality of the sketches and diagrams some of these being a credit to the schools concerned.

This year for the first time book prizes were awarded instead of cash. The prize list is as follows: — CALF BEARING COMPETITION.

Group 1, Pahiatua. —Class A: Condition: Ina Bailey (•Hamua), 1; Bar dell Brabant (Konini), 2; Lexie Brown (Konini), 3. Class B: Dairy type: Bardell Brabant (Konini), 1; Ina Bailey (Hamua), 2; Lexie Brown (Konini), 3. Best-kept records: Patty Miller (Konini).

Group 2, Eketahuna.—Class A: Condition: Daphne Hooper (Newman), 1; Walter Tucker (Eketahuna D.H.&), 2; Prod Tucker (Eketahuna D.H.8.), 3. Class B: Dairy type: Daphne Hooper (Newman), 1; Walter Tucker (Eiketahuna D.H.S.), 2; Fred Tucker (Eketahuna D.H.S.), 3. Best-kept records: Kathie Goggin (Rongokokako). Group 3, Masterton.—Class A: Condition: Quinton McGovern (Mauriceville) 1; Jean McGovern (Mauriceville), 2; Colin Clement (Mauriceville West), 3. Class B: Dairy type: Colin Clement (Mauriceville West), 1; Jean Cameron (Solway) ,2; Don Keats (Mt. Bruce) 3. Special prize, donated by Wairarapa Herd Testing Association, for calves with dams under test: Don Keats (Mt. Bruce). Best-kept records: Patrick Condon (Waingawa). Group 4, Carterton.—Class A: Condition: Maurice Knutson (Dalefield), 1; Alfred Hawke (Clareville), 2; Rita Hawke (Clareville), 3. Class B: Dairy type: Alfred Hawke (Clareville), 1; Gavin Bassett (Carterton D.H.S.), 2; Rita Hawke (Clareville), 3. (Special prize, donated by Wairarapa Herd Testing Association: Alfred Hawke (Clareville). Best-kept record ."Gavin Bassett (Carterton D.H.S.). A special prize for the best-led calf was donated by Mr. G. H. Perry, chairman of the organisation, and presented to Jean Edwards, Ponatahi. Group 5, Greytown.—Class A: Condition: Betty Cadwallader (Greytown), 1; Dora Herod (Greytown), 2; Phyllis Olli ver (Grey town), 3l Class B: Dairy type: Phyllis Olliver (Greytown), 1; Betty Cadwallader (Greytown), 2; Dora Herod (Greytown), 3. Special prize, donated by Wairarapa Herd Testing Association: Ronald Hood (Greytown). Best-kept records: Dora Herod (Greytown). Group 6, Featherston.—Class A: Condition: Gordon Hann am (Kahutara), 1; Lewis Osborn (Kaiwaiwai), 2; Alice Osborn (Kaiwaiwai), 3‘. Class B: Dairy type: Lewis Osborn (Kaiwaiwai), 1; Alice Osborn (Kaiwaiwai), 2; Olive Fuge (Kaiwaiwai), 3. 'Special prize, donated by Wairarapa Herd Testing Association: Gordon McKay (Kahutara). Best-kept records: Jessie Palmer (Kahutara). Group 7, Martin'borough.—Class A: Condition: Judith lorns (Dyerville), 1; Kitty Flynn (Dyerville), 2; Gerald Stewart (Dyerville), 3. Class B: Dairy type: Gerald Stewart (Dyerville), 1; Kitty Flynn (Dyerville), 2; Judith lorns (Dyerville), 3. Best-kept records: Kitty Flynn (Dyerville).

MANGOLD-GROWING COMPETITION. Jean R-ossiter (Mauriceville), 78 tons 11 cwt., 244 points, 1. John Cave (Te Whiti), 77 tons 2cwt., 217 points, 2. Quintin McGovern (Mauriceville), 64 tons 5 cwt., *2l4s points, 3.