BOYS’ AND GIRLS’ AGRICULTURAL CLUBS.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XXXVII, Issue 5, 20 November 1928, Page 317

BOYS’ AND GIRLS’ AGRICULTURAL CLUBS.

TARANAKI AND WANGANUI DISTRICT COMPETITIONS, SEASON 1927-28.

J. M. Smith,

Instructor in Agriculture, New Plymouth.

The season of 1927-28 saw a general all-round improvement in the work and an increase in the entries of the boys’ and girls’ agricultural schools in the Taranaki and Wanganui districts. With practically all the available schools in Taranaki engaged in club work there is now really no room for much further extension so far as this district is concerned ; but in the Wanganui region a large' number of schools from Marton to Taihape were brought into the scheme during the past year. Competitions on lines similar to those of preceding 'seasons were conducted. Crop-growing was carried out in both North and South Taranaki and Wanganui, while competitions for calf-rearing were also conducted in the two former districts.

CALF-REARING.

The number of calves judged for the past two seasons was as follows :—

1927. 1928 North Taranaki .. .. . . ' ■■ 117 154 South Taranaki . . . . , ' •• ‘ • • 283 344

Each succeeding year has shown a decided improvement in the general condition of the animals brought forward' for judging. It may be taken that the competition is bearing fruit in that the competitors are adopting better. methods following on the lessons learnt each year. Following on the increasing entries the .list of . judges has been considerably enlarged in each district, as judging now takes from a fortnight to three weeks to complete. The improvement in the calves being brought ' forward has also meant that championship judging at one centre has had to be resorted to. With so many good calves it has been impossible to separate them unless judged together, and the group winners in both the type and condition classes are now brought to one convenient centre and the championship animals there selected. The two classes for “ light ” (Jersey-Ayrshire) and “ heavy ” (Shorthorn-Friesian) breeds were adhered to as in the past.

In both of these classes there are two . distinct competitions, one for condition and the other for type. While recognizing the importance of type, the competition is chiefly concerned with the rearing of the calf. The word “ condition ” appears to create a wrong impression in the minds of some ‘ farmers, who hold that dairy stock should not be allowed to carry any condition. With dairy stock, however, condition does not imply an animal carrying a large amount of surplus flesh, but one in a sound healthy state, in working or milking condition. So it should be with the club calvescondition not being interpreted as fat and ponderous, but meaning a well grown, bright, healthy, well cared for calf.

Judging was carried out during the latter part of November and early December, points being awarded on the same basis as in previous

years. During the group judging, which is carried out at the various schools, every advantage is taken of the opportunity it presents to give demonstrations in connection with dairy stock to the competitors and parents, who usually assemble in large numbers. It is felt that these demonstrations form one of the most important parts of the competition, and the judge’s comments and remarks are closely followed by both children and adults. With a view to continuity the competitors are encouraged to bring animals previously judged for further judging, and during the season under review thirty-three animals, ranging from yearlings to four-year-olds, were presented in this way.

In North Taranaki the championship for the Ayrshire class was won by Norman Marsh, of Mangorei; and in the FriesianShorthorn class the animal reared by Roy Hicks, of Tikorangi, was placed champion. The champion dairy-type Jersey-Ayrshire class heifer was that reared by Eric Spencer, of Upper Mangorei; while Eileen O’Byrne, of Egmont Village, won the type championship in the FriesianShorthorn class. In South Taranaki the championship for condition in the Jersey-Ayrshire class was won by R. Anderson, of Toko'; while E. Betts, of Okaiawa, won in the Friesian-Shorthorn class. The dairytype champion in the Ayrshire class in this district was won by H. Schnebelli, of Tokaora; and that for the Friesian-Shorthorn class by Ray Shannon, of Cardiff. , . '

CROP-GROWING.

The season of 1927-28 was probably one of the worst, so far as crop-growing is concerned, that has ever been experienced throughout the Wanganui-Taranaki region. ’ A comparatively dry spring was followed by an abnormally dry summer, and; early autumn was not conducive to heavy yields. The droughty condition was probably most severe in the coastal districts of North Taranaki.

The crops grown were mangolds and carrots in both Wanganui and South Taranaki, and mangolds and chou moellier in North Taranaki. In this latter district the soils vary very considerably, and it was felt that by continuing with root crops only the interest and value of the work was flagging in those localities where roots could not be successfully grown. In replacing carrots by chou moellier it was hoped that new interests and hopes would be revived. In this success was met with, . and it has been pleasing to see schools* on poorer soils coming well to the fore in these competitions. The further growing of two varieties of mangolds in North Taranaki also created new interests not only with the competitors but with their parents. The roots grown were as follows : Wanganui —Mangolds (Prizewinner) ; carrots (Matchless White). South TaranakiMangolds (Prizewinner) ; carrots (Matchless White). North Taranaki —Mangolds (Prizewinner and Long Red).

The failure of a large number of plots to see the season out is still a matter of concern, although the climatic condition during the past season were responsible as regards many of the crops other than mangolds. That this latter crop lived up to its reputation as a withstander of dry conditions is proved by the heavy yields obtained. The destruction of plots by stock is still a regrettable feature and will, in many instances, remain so for many years. Unfortunately, the interest taken by some parents is not great enough to ensure that the child’s plot is stock-proof.

, This crop gained first prize tor South Taranaki, and won the Stewart Wilson Cup championship for the Dominion. The grower is seen on right.

The outstanding success of the year was the splendid mangold crop of 188 tons 7 cwt. per acre grown by H. Willis, of Matapu School. Twenty-one crops weighed out at over 100 tons per acre, and a large number at over 90 tons. The average yield in South Taranaki was 71 tons 12 cwt., from sixty-five crops ; in Wanganui 62 tons .10 cwt., from forty-eight crops ; and in North Taranaki 46 tons 2 cwt., from

forty-seven crops. The results for the championships were as follows, the places

referring to schools in each case :

North Taranaki : Mangolds : Tons. Cwt ist, V. Penwarden, Tataraimaka . • ■. . • ■ • 127 2 2nd, Doris Jupp, Tikorangi . . • ■ • • • • 9° 9 3rd, E. Corlett, Ratapiko . . • • • ■ - • 98 o Chou Moellier : ist, J. Brown, Norfolk Road '■ • ■ • •• ' 59 3 2nd, J. Dryden, Egmont Village . . • • • • 4 2 18 3rd, R. Giles, Urenui . . ■ • • • • • 43 7 Best-kept plot : R. Gyde, Egmont Village. South Taranaki : Mangolds : • ist, H. Willis, Matapu . . • • • • . • 188 7 2nd, A. Muggeridge, Auroa .. .. . • • • • T 3° 3 3rd, R. Bird, Ngaere ■ • •• • • • • IX 7 0 Carrots : ist, L. Philpott, Ohangai . . . • • • • • 58 10 2nd, C. Treweek, Matapu .. • • •• •• 53 16 3rd, R. Tapp, Ohangai . . '• • * • • • • ; 47 ’ T 7 Wanganui : Mangolds : - ist, A. McCandish, Ngaturi . . ■ • ■ • • • x 34 .. 0 2nd, M. Trembath, Ngaturi . . • . . . • • • • *3° I 9 3rd, M. McCandish, Ngaturi . . . . • • • • 12 7 8 Carrots : ist, N. Munro, Ngaturi .. • • • • x • • 55 5 2nd, W. Ell, Waverley . . • ■ • • • • 47 8 3rd, E. Trainor, Ngaturi . . ■ • •• • • 5 1 2

It will be noticed that in some cases the weight figures do not coincide with the placings, but in these, cases, the differences were brought about by a difference with some other marks, probably for chart.

Exhibitions of the roots grown by competitors were again staged at the Wanganui, Hawera, and New Plymouth winter shows, and were very favourably commented upon.

CHALLENGE TROPHIES

The Stuart Wilson cup for the most outstanding performance in connection with boys’ and girls’ clubs throughout the Dominion was won for 1927-28 by H. Willis, of Matapu, South Taranaki. The Henry Lane and Co. Dominion challenge shield for the greatest number of points in club work was won by the Tikorangi school, North Taranaki.

Senior Clubs

The season under review was the second in which senior clubs had been in operation in South Taranaki, and the first in North Taranaki. These competitions, which form an intermediate stage between the

junior clubs and the farmers’ competitions, lend themselves to experimental and demonstration work, and, distributed as they are over a wide range of soil and climatic conditions’, the results are of considerable interest. - In South Taranaki two crops were grownPrizewinner mangolds and Matchless White carrots —and there was a total of twenty entries. In North Taranaki the competition was confined to Red Intermediate mangolds, with twelve entries. .

The trial carried out in South Taranaki comprised the use of kainit with mangolds and sulphate of potash with carrots. In the case of both crops the whole plot was sown with a phosphatic manure mixture, and then half of the plot given an extra dressing of kainit at the rate of 3 cwt. per acre - for mangolds, and of sulphate of potash at i cwt. for carrots. The average yields worked out as follows : —

Mangolds— Tons. Cwt Phosphatic manure . . . . .. . . 56 o Phosphatic manure and kainit .. . ... .. 54 . o Carrots Phosphatic manure . . . . .. .. 39 13 Phosphatic manure and potash . . . . . . 42 7

In North Taranaki the whole |-acre plot was given a dressing of the standard phosphatic manure and then divided into quarters, one quarter receiving kainit at the rate of 3 cwt., the second quarter 30 per cent, potash at 2 cwt., the third quarter muriate of potash at the rate of 1 cwt., and the last quarter left as a control. The trial gave the following per-acre results , Tons'. Cwt. .

Control .. . . .. ' . . .. 42 11 Kainit . . . . . . . . . . 46 11 30 per cent, potash . . . . . . . . 40 7 Muriate of potash . . . . . . . . 45 7

The competition winners follows South Taranaki Mangolds : Tons. Cwt. ist, A. Philpott, Ohangai . . ■. . . . . . 99 6 2nd, R. Harding, Ohangai .. .. .. .. 77 ■ 19 3rd, R. Corlett, Awapuna . . ■ . . . . . . 71 10 Carrots : Ist, H. Feather, Manaia ■ . . . . . . - ... 44 .2 2nd, W. Bakers, Manaia . . . . .. ' . . 40 8 ' 3rd, H. Symes, Auroa . . . . . . . . 38 17 North Taranaki :—■ Mangolds : Ist, J. Corlett, Ratapiko . . . . . . . . 82 .5 2nd, L. Goodrich, Mangorei . . . . . . . . 58 18 3rd, A. Phillips, Mimi ... . . . . • • 53 10

As in past years, the hearty co-operation between teachers, instructors, and supervisors did much towards the successjof the season’s operations.

Manufacture and Export of Casein. — During the year ended 31st March last 1,771 tons of lactic and 462 tons of rennet casein, making a total of 2,233 tons, were manufactured for shipment, as compared with 1,613 tons lactic and 151 tons rennet casein for the previous year. The annual report of the Dairy Division states that the quality of the casein continues to be uniform and of a high standard. ~