BOARD OF AGRICULTURE

Waipawa Mail, Volume LI, Issue 38, 13 December 1929, Page 1 (Supplement)

BOARD OF AGRICULTURE

QUARTERLY MEETING HELD WELFARE OF THE FARMERS The quarterly meeting of the Board Of Agriculture was held in Wellington recently when consideration was given to the usual reports of the Directors of the various Divisions of the Depart, ment and to a number of other matters associated with the agricultural and toral industries of the Dominion, The report of the Director of tlie Live-Stock Division indicated that the number of cattle slaughtered at meat export works for the 1- months ended September .‘MI 1929, was 12-I,not), a do crease of 97,097 head as compared with the preceding 12 months. For the same period the number of calves slaughtered was 371,8.8.-). an increase of (IS 111!. In the case of sheep the ligures for thr North Island showed a decrease ol 333,470, but in the South Island tls *re wns an increase of 7b, 4*2. The total number killed was: North Island 1,435.248; South Island 020,320. The number of lambs killed totnl'i i 0,009,875. Here again there was a decrease of .155,130 in the North Island pastoral industries of tin* Dominion, and an increase of 180,5 53 in the Sontli Island. The killings of swine showed an in crease in each Island. 259.0(53 Lead being dealt with in the North Ish ml and 32.305 in the South Island. The number of condemnations show ed a substantial decrease in all da* ;es of stock except swine, the actual figures for the period under review being: Cattle 4,519. calves 7.909. sheep 1 I :>s, lambs 2,804, swine 5,842. Meat Inspection Special attention was paid by the Board to that section of tin* rep >rt dealing with lymphadenitis. 1 In* Director indicating that, notwithstanding the satisfactory results of inspections of New Zealand mutton carried out in Great Britain as compared with other countries, steps had been taken to strengthen the meat inspection staff sc as to reduce to a minimum the possibil itv of carcases affected with tlii- dis ease being exported from the Dominion.

The Director further indicated that experiments carried out at Wallaceville went to show tlfat the germ of lymphadenitis is introduced thro igh wounds, principally shearing and docking wounds, and in the light of this fact it behoved every farm t to do all that is possible to prevent the g mi gaining entrance into the s\ «tem of the sheep. With a view to affi-.-ding farmers the best possible advice on the subject, the Department had issued a bill lotin outlining the preventive measures that should be taken. Copies of the bulletin had been widely distributed throughout the Dominion while an ad ditional publicity article had rcec tly been prepared and sent out to had newspapers for publication. Reference was also made by tie Director to the investigations being carried out by the specialist oflicers of the Department in connection with d-.-irv cow diseases, fat lamb mortality, and mortality amongst hoggets. The Director indicated that the officer in charge of the veterinary laboratory was spend ing some weeks in Central Otago lot the purpose of studying the fat lamb mortality problem on the spot, and that he was being assisted in this invest gation bv the local veterinarv surgeons and by the Dunedin Medi- A School at the University of Otago. He also indicated that tin* activities of the Department in connection with the investigations of sterility included the’establishment of lie Id laboratories at New Plymouth and Hamilton so that field observations could be continued in the laboratory without deterioration of the material collected for examination The report submilted by the Dire. tm of the Plant Research Station dealt with the work which was being don • in the matter of the production of pure seeds, crop certification entomological investigations, grassland research, man urial trials, and disease control experiThe report of the chief chemist indicated that the principal work I) ing undertaken by his section of the Dr partment is that connected with the in vestigations into the mineral contents of pastures and lime deficiency at Mairoa, though the section is also working in close association with the livestock Division in the investigations being conducted into stock diseases. In referring to the mineral eonteir of pasture work, the chief chemist indi at ed that some 3(14 samples of pasture in addition tn many animal and o'hi”

specimens, had been collected and wen. in the process of analysis. The preparation and distribution of feeding pellets containing mineral compounds .vns being continued with encouraging results, in most cases little or no trouble being experienced in getting dieep to take the pellets. He further stated that a lick eon tain in.” finely gr mid spathic iron ore or siderite (fe oils carbonate) had been tried with e tfle on the iron-deficieiiev pumice lands and some very favourable reports as t it> effect had been received. The use of the lick was therefore being extended to other areas on which it might prove useful. Tn connection with the Mairoa iime deficiency experiments, the chief chemist reported that the results so far obtained supported the prediction made in the first instance, viz., that cal< ium is the deficient element in this m: 'nutrition disease. Excellent results had been obtained from a mixture of 5 cwt. ground limestone and 2 cwt. superphosphate per acre, and further rxneri ments were being inaugurated to determine the optimum amounts of lime and phosphate to apply to those lands and the best form of calcium to use. The report of the Director of Horticulture Division showed that the form quantity of fruit exported last season was 992,151 cases. Of this quantity 758,7(51 cases of apples and 55.024 cases of pears were shipped to Great Britain; 159,837 cases of apples and 4.087 cases of pears to South America; 12,000 eases of apples to Canada and some 2400

•a e of apples to Honolulu and the Pacific Islands Tobacco Culture Tn regard to tobacco culture, the Director indicated tlint although leaf of high quality could be produced in the Dominion, the future of the industry is largely dependent on a .satisfactory overseas market being available to absorb tin* surplus not requited locally. On this account the Department does not advise persons to embark on tobacco growing as a sole means of livelihood unless they arc working under contract to a company or arc secured in some other way. Other matters‘considered bv the Board were:— 1. .scheme for the training of lads in farming pursuits. 2. The question of local control of noxious weeds. 3 Establishment of farm dairy iast ruction on a national basis 4. Fork subsidy. 5. Proposals for legislation for a levy on wool to provide funds for research and advertising purposes, and <!. Management, methods in con nection with hoggets

In regard lo the latter, it was arranged members should forward to the* Di-rector-General of Agriculture a statement of their experience and that this information should be incorporated in a bulletin on the subject to be issued bv the Department at an early date.