WAIKATO FARMERS' CLUB.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIX, Issue 3153, 8 September 1892, Page 2

WAIKATO FARMERS' CLUB.

Tim monthly meeting of the above body was held in the Club room. Duke-street, Cambridge, on Monday, at 7.30 p.m. Present: Me-sfs J. Fisher (chairman), J. Forrest, K. Allen, G. E. Clark, J. Fisher, junr., Rd. Reynolds, 11. Buttle, H. Clark, A. G.rne, J. Anderson, R. Fisher, T. 11. Hicks, H. R. Hyatt, J. (lane, R. Moars, W. Souter, Scott, T. W. Hicks, A. Souter, G. Crouch, T. Wells and T. Hartly.

Thk Ohaijco Mkhti.w Aiia.n'doned. —Mr John Hutchison, of Orak-iu, Kihikihi, wrote the. Secretary under date, August 25th :—" I ain in receipt of y .iirs of the 20th, enclosing a resolution passed by the members of the Club at their last meeting, and I beg to thank you for courteously forwarding it to me. Whil.-t recognising that the members no doubt at some inconvenience to themselves, have expressed their willingness to hold a meeting at Ohaupo, still 1 am afraid it would not answer the principal object I had in view, namely the increase of membership from the distiicts of Kihikihi, Te Awamutu and Rangiaohia. I beg to tender my resignation as a member of the Club, not because I am fojlishly displeased at the action of the members, but simply because it is too far for me to attend the meetings at Cambridge, and I cannot see that any good result would from holding meetings at Ohaupo. I think my subscription is paid to the end of last financial year, and I beg to return the tickct for the current year which you forwarded to me, and which has not been used. The resignation was accepted with regret. (Should Mr Hutchinson ever be in Cambridge when the Club is meeting, wa are sure he will be welcome to attend, as he has always taken a lively interest in it since it was started, and we regret that he has felt compelled to resign. En. W.T.)

Frozen Meat.—Mr Medway, of Paterangi, who kindly keeps the Club posted up in this matter, forwarded Messrs Fitter and Sons report for July, from which we cull the following extracts: —''New Z-'iduid mutton is in fairly good demand, but, the. market is over supplied with middling qnal ty sheep, and they, having to compete with Australian and River Plate mutton, are not realising satisfactory prices. There has also been several damaged lots out of fche"Ara\va" put on the market, with the result that the low prices obtained for these have a very depressing effect. The demand for New Zealand beef has decidedly improved, but there is just now a very considerable quantity of damaged New Z-ja-land beef, and some from Q leensland, not so bright as it might be. The damaged beef has a most disastrous effect on the trade, not only keeping prices down, but also by giving consumers a bad impression of New Zealand beef. We would again draw attention to the large proportion of stinking hind-quarters in some of the parcels, and suggest that every hind-quarter be tried, by boring a carpenter's bit into the middle of the buttock, which could easily be done without disfiguring the beef. New Zealand lamb is not quite in such good demand, but the stocks are not largo, and small choice lambs being scarce are selling well. We are pleased to report that the " Aorangi" has discharged her cargo in good order, but unfortunately the meat in the " D Jke of Sutherland " is in a disgraceful state, many of the carcases being mouldy and misshapen. We are experimenting with refrigerating barges for bringing the sheep up to the stores, and doing all we c m to pet the meat to the market in good order, but when ship after ship arrives with soft and mouldy carcases it is very discouraging to us and disastrous to the trade generally." Soveral of tho members expressed great dit-gust at the manner in which the trade was being ruined by the steamship companies.

Chown Lands. —A Crown Lands Guide corrected up to April Ist, 1892, was received from the Government.

Christmas Presents.—Mr Forrest referred to tho Christmas presents ;;hat had been sent Home by various member* of the Club through Messrs Reynolds and Co., and stated his friends in the Old Country were delighted with what he had forwarded. Ho had written describing the stringent rules for cleanliness adopted in the New Zealand dairy factories, to counteract the prejudice of the British public. He read several extracts from letters received from his friends in which they BDt>ke in tho highest terms of the pro juce he had sent. One of Mr Forrest's friends had sent a portion of the butter to his grocer and it had thoroughly converted him, and now he (the grocer) was going in for New Zealand butter and cheese only. Mr Forrest said many of the British people did not know but what tl)B Australian and Argentine meat all came from New Zealand. The English importers should try and get the meat into the co-operative stores and shops in the East End of Loudon as well as the West- End, Mr Forrest was by acclamation accorded a vote of thanks for the interest he had displayed in the matter.

Agricultural ASSOCIATION'S. —The question of holding a conference of delegates from the various agricultural associations of the province in Auckland early in November was discussed, and it was decided that the president, vice-president and secretary be requested to represent the Club at the conference.

Dairy Bill.—The Chairman said the draft of this Bill had been handed to Mr Reynolds, and that gentleman objected to clauses 0 and 14. Mr Reynolds thought the inspector, if not an acknowledged expert, should confer with another inspector before taking extreme measures ; and that samples of milk for analysis be taken only at ordinary milking times.

Stock Aor.—The Chairman thought this Act a most iniquitous one. According to it fanners could not move a beast across a road from one paddock to another unless it was tar-branded. Again, if tbo inspector met a diseased animal on any road he coula turn it into the nearest paddock and declare that a quarantine ground. The committee had discussed the matter, and had sent the following telegram to R Lake, Esq., M. H.R. : " Waikato Farmers' Club strongly opposed to provisions of Stock Act. Gratified to find such strong opposition to Bill in House." —The action of the committee was endorsed. Manure Adulteration Bill, — This Bill was read and approved,' with the exception of clause 14, which allowed the defendant—i.e., the local vendor—being discharged if he proved that he bought the article in the same state as lie sold it, and with a warranty.—Mr Forrest said that clause annulled the whole Act as far as the fanners were concerned, and he moved that Mr Like and Col. Kraser, M.H.Ti.'s, be asked to get it struck out. —Mr Buttle seconded the motion.—Several spoke upon this matter, and it was pointed out that manures from good Home houses had nearly always proved up to analysis; the bad casest had always been from local manufacturers.—The motion was carried. Dehorning Cattle.—Mr Buttle then read a paper on "Dehorning Cattle," which we will notice in next issue.

Requests.—Mr Forrest said the Department of Agriculture should be asked to carry out experiments with lambs suffering from lungworm. The season was approaching, when the farmers would be crying out again about this pest, and he thought the Government should take the matter in hand and endeavour to find a remedy. He also thought the Government should be urged to declare the colony free from scab in sheep at as early a (Inteas possible, so as to admit of the New South Wales and Victorian markets being open to New Zealand stock. —Mr J. Gane suggested that the Government should be asked to take the duty off both plain and barbed fencing wire. If tho agricultural industry was to be fostered, fencing wire should be sold at a cheap rate.—All those matters were delegated to the committee to deal with. It will meet in the Club-room on Saturday, nt 3 p m., to decide what shall be done, and will then communicate with the members of the House for the district. ! This closed the business.