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and others attending; this activity was organized by Mr. A. C. Cameron, of Dunedin, with the assistance of the local Y.F.C. district committee and Farmers' Union, &c. A successful Farm School was organized at Ruakura, Hamilton, by the Department of Agriculture, and attended by a number of Y.F.C. members. Tours. —A successful tour, and one that pioneered activities of this nature, was undertaken last June by a party of fifty members of the Bay of Plenty clubs. Members travelled by motor-bus through the Waikato, Taranaki, Wanganui, and Manawatu districts to Wellington, returning via Wairarapa and Hawke s Say, visiting farms and places of interest en route : the whole tour occupied eleven days. Other tours of a minor nature were carried out in the South Island shortly afterwards. Already this year (April) a party of Taranaki members journeyed through the South Island, proceeding as far south as Invercargill, and returning through Central Otago to Oamaru on the way home, the tour taking a fortnight. A party of twenty-four Central Otago members carried out a week's tour, visiting farms, &c., in South Canterbury. Other tours are being arranged for the immediate future. Tout of Australia by New Zealand I ,F. O. Members, and Visit of United Kingdom Young Farmers to New Zealand.—The Dominion Championship Stock-judging Competitions for members of Young Farmers' Clubs were held at the Royal Show, Palmerston North. By means of entry fees, &c., a sufficient sum was raised through the clubs to provide the nucleus of a fund to send a team of five members to Australia (at the invitation of the Australian Junior Farmers' Clubs organizations). The balance of the amount required was made up from the Government grant for 1937-38. The winners of the four stock-judging classes were selected, and as they were all members of North Island clubs, the South Island members of the Dominion Executive were allowed the choice of a South Island Young Farmer as the fifth member of the team. The five members of the team left in February and were absent for about ten weeks. During that time they toured South Australia and New South Wales as the guests of the Australian organizations, finishing up at the Sydney Royal Show. On their return they brought back with them the four United Kingdom Y.F.C. members who had accompanied them. These lads were entertained in the Dominion for three weeks, visiting the South Island, journeying as far as Oamaru, and travelling in the North Island through Wairarapa, Manawatu, Taranaki, Waikato, Rotorua, leaving finally from Auckland on their return journey to England, via Sydney. While they were in New Zealand they were the guests of the New Zealand Federation and club members, &c., in the districts that they visited. Both the tour of Australia by the New Zealand team and the visit of the United Kingdom members has done much to arouse interest in the movement. Y.F.C. Constitution. —During the year some radical alterations have been made to the constitution of the New Zealand Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs. The effect of these alterations has been to give a better proportionate representation by active club members on the various committees, &c. ; in addition the two Island Councils as set up at the time of the reorganization have been abolished and four Provincial Councils, two in each Island, established in their place. The Dominion Executive will be made up of delegates from these Councils. " Journal of Agriculture " as the Official Organ of the Y.F.C.—Commencing in January last the New Zealand Journal of Agriculture became the official organ of the New Zealand Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs. The federation accepted an offer by the Department of space in the Journal for Y.F.C. notes, &c., with a special concession rate of Is. per annum subscription to club members, the Journal to be post-free through club secretaries. The space provided has been of great value and service to the organization, and as well as editorials and club notes, contributions by members have been published. General.—The assistance of Mr. W. F. McLaren, Dominion President of the Federation, has been of great value to the organization during the past year. He toured the South Island, meeting the members of district committees, and has also travelled through the Hawke's Bay and Poverty Bay areas, and carried out a tour of North Auckland. On these occasions he gave valuable stimulus to organizations throughout the various districts. Irrigation. There are a number of irrigation schemes in operation and others being brought into being, particularly in Central Otago and Canterbury. With respect to all these schemes my Division has closely co-operated with the Public Works Department, and good headway has been made. With the greatly-increased area being brought under irrigation it was considered advisable, in order that the demand for advice on irrigation matters might be satisfactorily coped with, to augment the instructional staff. To this end three Instructors have been appointed and have been located on irrigation areas in Canterbury. I feel sure that with the undoubted development in the near future of irrigation farming the arrangements made will enable the Division to direct such farming along proper lines to the ultimate benefit of the settlers and the country generally. Farmers' Field Competitions. Competitions in a variety of farm crops and with pastures have been held in numerous districts for many years past. These competitions have been an excellent means of disseminating informal ion and instruction to farmers by field officers. Unfortunately, in some districts the number of competitions show a falling off, although not to a serious extent. There is no question that the competitions in the pa t have improved farming methods, particularly in those districts where they have been held, and I am satisfied they could be developed in all districts with distinct advantage. This is a matter which will receive further attention immediately, more especially as regards competitions aimed at pasture improvement.

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