N.Z. Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 56, Issue 5, 20 May 1938, Page 377

N.Z. Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs.

Edited by S. Freeman, Dominion Organizing Secretary.

New Zealand Team’s Return from Australia.

Visit of United Kingdom Young Farmers to Dominion

1 I ’HE five New Zealand Y.F.C. THE New Zealand Y.F.C. members—C. M. Whatman, A. Fisher, H. McKenzie, A. Cowan, and A. Viles —-who left the Dominion on Bth February to take part in the Empire Young Farmers’ tour of Australia returned to Wellington on 19th April, after a very instructive and pleasurable period of nearly ten weeks in Australia. They brought back with them on the “ Awatea ” the four United Kingdom young farmers who accompanied them on their tour of South Australia and New South Wales. The visitors came from different parts of the United Kingdom-E. Christopher from England, I, Gilmour from Scotland, E. Williams from Wales, and R. Gamble from Northern Ireland. Members of the New Zealand party were met by their relatives and friends

on the arrival of the “ Awatea ” . at Queen’s Wharf, Wellington. In spite of the wonderful tour, they were all glad to be back in New Zealand, with the prospect of being in their own homes within a few hours. The visitors, were shown around Wellington during the day by the Y.F.C. Organizing Secretary, Mr. S. Freeman. They saw the city from the top of Mount Victoria, and after a trip round the bays visited the Rongotai Aerodrome, where two of them embarked for a more comprehensive view of Wellington from the air. Mr. Freeman accompanied them that night on the steamer to the South Island, where they stayed for a week, visiting places of interest as far as Oamaru, before returning to Wellington

for a trip through the North Island. They left New Zealand from Auckland by the " Awatea ” for Sydney on Monday, 9th May, after a stay of nearly three weeks. While in the Wairarapa the visitors took part in the district annual stockjudging competitions, and won a special contest which had been arranged between the United Kingdom team, the New Zealand team, and a picked Wairarapa team. R. Gamble was also first in the open class for judging Ayrshires, and the others also acquitted themselves quite well. • Details of the Wairarapa competitions will be included in a full account of the United Kingdom Young Farmers’ New Zealand tour, which will be published in these pages next month.

Impressions of South Australia.

A. R. Viles,

Apiti Club

WE arrived in Adelaide on Sunday, 13th February, after a two-day trip through very dry country. South Australia has no movement like our Y.F.C. organization, but has something very similar to our boys’ and girls’ agricultural clubs in their schools. We were the guests of the Urrbrae Agricultural High School while in Adelaide, and were billeted out in private homes. Our tour of Australia really commenced on Monday, 14th February, when we met the four members of the British team. Mr. Adey, Director of Education, and Mr. Spafford, Director of Agriculture in South Australia, welcomed us and gave brief talks on the State.

We visited a sheep and cattle sale at the abattoirs, where we saw one small line of very good Southdown-Merino cross lambs. Most of the sheep were Merinos, but for killing lines they were not of a very high standard. The cattle are often travelled up to 600 miles to the works, and consequently do not look very well when offered for sale. Herefords dominated) and each beast is offered separately, the values being similar to ours. The abattoirs are the only works in a large area, and stock from away in the. interior are trucked to Adelaide. The chain system is used for killing both cattle and sheep, seventy men working to a chain on sheep. The quality of the sheep that we saw killed were rather poor. Visit to Orchard. The Blackwood Experimental. Orchard, situated in the hills around Adelaide, is used for the selection of suitable varieties of fruit and for the development of methods for combating diseases. More than four thousand varieties of fruits are grown in this one orchard. Orcharding is a very important industry in the hills, apples, peaches, and apricots being grown. The Parafield Poultry Farm is used for the breeding of stud stock, which are sold to farmers at a reasonable price, thus tending to raise the standard of the poultry throughout the State. Mr. Melrose, at Mount Pleasant, gave us a delightful day at his home twentysix miles from Adelaide. He keeps a stud of Polled Angus cattle, and here I saw some of the largest beasts I have seen of this breed. Southdowns are bred here, and he crosses them with the . Merino for fat lambs. Grass fires are a big problem. A few years ago all his fences and stacks were burnt, so he now uses all concrete posts.

A very interesting two days were spent at Roseworthy College, which is the . equivalent of our Massey and Lincoln colleges. Here students may gain practical experience in farming, or study for degrees in agriculture. This is the only place in Australia where degrees in winemaking can be procured. About 40 acres of grapes are grown, and a small pressing and distilling plant is maintained. , - Wheat-breeding is extensively carried on, and all the grain is used for seed purposes. Of a total of 3,000 bags, 1,300 are sold to farmers .as pure seed. The wheat land is broken up in June or July by ploughs varying from nine to fourteen furrows, some using skeleton mole-boards to break up the furrow. All the horses are worked abreast. The chief aim in working a fallow is to conserve the moisture and yet prepare a fine seed-bed underneath with a coarser surface to stop evaporation. Inspection of Vinery. A very profitable day was spent around the Nuriootpa district, ‘ about fifty miles from Adelaide. Here we saw a marble

quarry, dried-fruit packing, and acres of vines. We inspected Seppelt’s vinery. The season was due to start and the vats were being cleaned and waxed ready to receive the grape juice. Two million gallons of wine were in storage, valued at £i a gallon. It is matured in oak casks varying in size from 36 gallons to 800 gallons. - ; Murray Bridge was next visited, and we saw the fertile irrigated flats, which impressed us greatly. An article on Woods Point Station was written by a fellow-tourist, Mr. A. Cowan, and appeared in the March number of the Journal of Agriculture ; this gives a very excellent description of what interested us so much. In this district oranges are grown to perfection on the slopes, almonds also being prominent. The land away from the river is nearly useless, as it is very light and sandy and subject to drifting. Very poor wheat crops are grown, for erosion constantly shifts the soil. We caught the “ Strathmore ” on the 26th February at Adelaide for Sydney, and from there we travelled through New South Wales.

Bay of Plenty Clubs’ Debating Competition.

(Continued from notes in the March Journal.')

Second Round Debates. the 28 th March the Te Puke ON Club team, consisting of Messrs. Club team, consisting of Messrs. R. Reid (leader), T. Tanner, P. Delaney, and D. Reid, met the Katikati team in a debate on “ All-grass Farming versus Combination of Cropping and Pastures.” The Katikati team, consisting of Messrs. Hooker (leader), Walford, Wade, and Grainger, supported the " All-grass ” theory, and after a most interesting contest emerged the winners by a narrow margin. On the same evening the Waimana and Edgecumbe Clubs debated at Edgecumbe on the same subject. So keen and even was- the contest that at the conclusion

the two judges were unable to separate the teams. A further contest at Waimana was arranged for the following Monday, but in travelling to Waimana the Edgecumbe team was trapped by slips in the Waimana Gorge. This necessitated a postponement until the 7th April, when the Edgecumbe Club again went’ to Waimana, and was narrowly defeated in a most interesting contest. - ' Final Debate. On the nth April the Katikati team and the Waimana team met at Te Puke in the final contest for ~ the Debating Shield. The subject for debate was " That Disease Control in Dairy Stock is

of Greater Economic Importance than the Breeding of Highly Producing Strains of Dairy Cattle.” The Katikati team, taking the affirmative, consisted of Messrs. Hooker (leader), Wade, Grainger, and Walford. The members of the Waimana team were Messrs. Woolfield (leader), H. White, McDonald, and R. White. The debate created a good deal of interest, and drew an attendance of about sixty from most clubs and from the general public. Mr. F. Cook, Headmaster of the Te Puke High School, acted as judge. After a close contest the Katikati Club emerged the winners, and thus will have the honour of holding the shield for the first year of its award.

Central Otago Members Visit Canterbury.

A PARTY of Central Otago members A left by of Central Otago members left by bus for Canterbury on Monday, 4th April. The bus left Dunedin in the early morning for Alexandra, via Roxburgh, picking up members of various clubs en route. At Alexandra members of the 'Arrowtown Club joined the party, which was entertained at lunch by the Alexandra Club. In the afternoon the party left for Oamaru,.via Palmerston, picking up more members at Becks and Ranfurly. Oamaru was reached at 7 p.m. On Tuesday, en route to Timaru, members were conducted over the Redcliff irrigation scheme by Mr. W. Stafford,

of the Department of Agriculture. On Mr. Ruddenklau’s property pastures and lucerne laid out in the contour and border irrigation systems were inspected. A 100 acre paddock of potatoes ready for digging, 100 acres of Montgomery red clover ready for harvesting (worth approximately when bagged up), and a stack of twenty thousand bales of lucerne hay were seen during the morning. After lunch at Waimate, Mr. D. Kelly’s potato patch was visited, where a singlerow digger and a tractor-drawn two-row digger were engaged in lifting the potatoes. At Timaru the party was conducted over

the Timaru flour-mill, and also through the miniature milling and baking laboratory. The National Mortgage and Agency Co.’s seed-cleaning plant was also inspected. On Wednesday the Levels irrigation scheme was visited. Other visits included “ Longbeach,” the estate of Mr. J. H. Grigg, where the party inspected Corriedale and Southdown sheep, thoroughbreds and hunters, Friesian cattle, and also the pastures. The electric tractor of Mr. G. H. B. Lili, who had it working for the party, was much commented upon. A paddock of cocksfoot used solely for seed-production was also of great interest. Thursday morning was spent on the Winchmore irrigation scheme, which, when completed, will serve 68,000 acres. The machinery working on this scheme was of great interest to the party. The sight of tractor shovels, 90 horse-power Diesel caterpillar tractors, giant grabs, scoops, and elevators all engaged in the work of excavating the 1,000 cusec main race was alone worth the trip. Probably the most interesting implement was the dredger which was excavating part of the main race. This machine does the work of 160 men in taking out 80 yards of spoil per hour and depositing it on the banks of the race. After lunch at Methven the party attended the Methven sale. The headworks of the Winchmore irrigation scheme on the banks of the Rangitata River were then inspected, and the party proceeded to Fairlie to spend the night. On Friday the party returned to Oamaru past Lakes Tekapo and Pukaki and continued through the Lindis Pass to Alexandra, where the Arrowtown, Roxburgh, and Alexandra members left the bus, which proceeded to Becks, and the following day returned to Dunedin, via Ranfurly and Middlemarch.

New Clubs Formed.

’ I ’HE following new clubs have recently I been formed : Broadwood and been formed : Broadwood and Oruru (Kaitaia - district, North Auckland) ; Matarau (Whangarei district) ; Parawera and Te Kowhai (Waikato) ; Waihi (Bay of Plenty) ; Rotorua-Ngongotaha (Rotorua district) ; Westmere (Wanganui district) ; Bunnythorpe and Colyton (Manawatu) ; Pleasant Point (South Canterbury) ; Lochiel (Western Southland). ’

Among the Clubs: Reports on Activities.

Otago and Southland.

Arrowtown. — Discussion on Educational Week at Waitaki. Talk by Mr. McDonald (Queensland) on “ The White Butterfly.” Clinton.- Arrangements for a debate with the Clinton Branch of the Farmers’ Union. Discussion and two-minute impromptu’ speeches. Crookston. Arrangements for card party and dance. Discussion on the 1 programme of lectures, &c., for. the year. Dipton. Debate on “ The Best Method of Tailing Lambs.” Those who favoured the searing-irons won the contest by four points. Discussion on the proposed 4YA broadcasting session for ‘young farmers, and also of the projected tour, by members of the clubs in the district ; nineteen members of the club signified ' their intention of taking part if the tour eventuated. Five Forks.— Address by Mr.-M. Austin on “ Interesting Subjects in Farm Life.” Hampden.— Lecture by Mr. D. J. Ross (club president) on Land Values and Farm Costs.” A synopsis of the Dairy Act was read and discussed. Manuherikia. — Lecture by Mr. G. G. Calder, Department of Agriculture, on " Grasses.” Mr. S. H. Saxby, of the Department, gave an outline of the projected Y.F.C. Agricultural Week at the Waitaki High School. , Milton. — Address by Mr. H. McCallum on his trip abroad, dealing mainly with England. - Otama. — Discussions regarding a .proposed tour and the Agricultural Week to be held at’Waitaki. Palmerston South,- —Talk by Mr. R. Smith, who gave a very detailed account of his recent tour of various irrigation schemes. Papakaio. Discussion, &c. Decided to accept the invitation of the Oamaru Toe H group to be present at one of their meetings. ' Roxburgh. -Talks by club members, the subject being “ The Future of the Primary Producing Industries of New Zealand ” ; a cup presented for the best speaker was won by B. Gilmour. Thombury.— Lantern lecture by Mr. Harris. The speaker showed a number of slides depicting other young farmers’ clubs’ activities. A field-day was held at Makarewa, with a total attendance of forty, which included eighteen visiting members. Under the guidance of Mr. Falconer the party made a tour of inspection of the freezing-works. Demonstrations included such matters as “ The Care

of Sheep when Drafting,” “ Lamb Carcasses affected with Hydatid Cysts,” and “ Type of Lamb suitable for Export.” Upper Clutha. Address by Mr. L. R. Morris, on " Continuous Cropping.”

Canterbury.

Oust. — Discussion on programme of lectures, &c., for the year. Dav field.— Decided to hold wool-classing courses of twelve lessons in 1938 and twelve in 1939 ; instructor, Mr. Morrow. Arranged for the club to give two broadcast talks over 3YA. Two judging competitions to be run at the Sheffield A. and P. Show. -It was announced that the club stacking-competition had been won by Ron. Fechneg, Aylesbury. Ellesmere. — Dr. M. M. Burns gave an interesting address on " Soil Conditions in the U.5.A.,” and followed this by showing a film on scenic spots in U.S.A. At the previous meeting a debate was held, the subject being “ That the Young Farmer of To-day has Greater Opportunities than his Grandfather,” The debate was won by the affirmative, the speakers being K. McGill and L. C. Coe; those speaking for the negative were Ch Tod and H. G. Stephens. ' Hawarden. Programme for meetings arranged ; social, &c., finalized. A fieldday was held, which was attended, by local farmers as well as by club members. Demonstrations included Corriedales (Mr. O. T. Evans), horses (Mr. H. E. Fincham), and lucerne (Mr. J. Heasley). Oxford. Arrangements for annual ball. Discussion regarding proposed radio broadcast from 3YA. Pleasant Point.— Address by Mr. Alan Grant, Chairman of the South Canterbury Y.F.C. District Committee, outlining the origin and development of the Y.F.C. movement. This was followed by a talk by Mr. A. B. Struthers on " The Conduct of Meetings.” This is a newly-formed club with good prospects ; the membership has already reached twenty-five. Springston. ■ — Lecture on " Breeding Problems ” by Mr. J. Stafford, Veterinary Surgeon. Waihaorunga. — Talk by Mr. C. C. Leitch, Department of Agriculture, on “ The Work of a Young Farmers’ Club.”

Marlborough.

- Blenheim.— Lecture by Mr. Shand, Inspector of Stock, on “ The External Parasites of Sheep (Ticks and Lice),” dealing with their life-cycle and their control by dipping.

Nelson.

Motupiko.— Discussion on Y.F.C. constitution. Recommendations ' for consideration at the annual club meeting regarding the holding of social evenings, &c., and arranging of field-days. Moutere. — Lecture by Mr. Merry, Department of Agriculture, on “ Modern Fertilizers : Their Manufacture and Application.”

Manawatu.

Bunnythorpe. — Lecture by Mr. C. J. Hamblyn, Department of Agriculture, on " Pasture Establishment.” Johnsonville. Lecture by Mr. A. J, Galpin, Department of Agriculture, on “ Lucerne.” ■ Kimbolton. — Arrangements for a debate at the next meeting. Lecture by Mr. E. E. Elphick, Government Veterinarian, on “ Feed and Feeding.” At the previous meeting Mr. A. J. Galpin, Department of Agriculture, gave a lecture on " Subterranean Clover.” Otaki -Te Hor o.— dealing with farm tractors. Paraparaumu. Lecture by Mr. Gorman, Plant Research Station, on " Grasses and Clovers.” Pohangina Valley. — Field-day at the Plant Research Station, Palmerston North. Twenty-seven members attended. . Rangiotu.— Discussion on the coming season’s programme. Mr. A. J. Galpin, Department of Agriculture, gave a talk on Y.F.C. activities and the organization generally. The proposed camping tour was discussed, several members intimating that they would be taking part. Rangiwahia. — Lecture by Mr. A. J. Galpin, Department of Agriculture, on “ Subterranean Clover.” A field-day was held on Mr. W. Delhi’s property ; demonstrations . included roping and castrating a young horse by Mr. S. Stent. Shannon. — Address by Mr. A. J. Galpin on coming Y.F.C. activities, including the Manawatu educational tour of the North Island, and the proposed Y.F.C. demonstrations, &c., at the Winter Show, Palmerston North.

Wairarapa.

Ballance. — Debate “ That Jersey Cows are Better than other Breeds.” I. Bremner led for the affirmative and R. Day for the negative, there being five speakers on each side. Mr. C. H. Wilton acted as judge, and awarded the decision to the negative side. At the previous

meeting Mr. A. W. Hudson, of Massey . College, gave a lantern lecture on “ Pastures and Top-dressing.” Carterton.— Discussion on the live-stock embargo, Speakers : W. Campin, B. Brassell, S. Fisher, and J. E. Allen. Eketahuna. — Lantern lecture by Mr. N. Lamont, Department of Agriculture, on " Grass-seed Certification.” • • Featherston. — Discussion on proposed tour : arrangements for debate with Martinborough Club. Greytown.— Address by Mr. G. Maloney on the education required by farmer. Martinborough. —■ Arrangements for annual ball. Talks by club members as follows : “ How to Keep up Milk-produc-tion ” (Craig) ; “ Management of Hoggets ” (I. Nicol) ; " Foot-rotting and Design of Sheep-yards ” (N. Martin) ; “ Lucerne Hay ” (Mr. Herrick). Masterton. Final arrangements for dance. Selection of a team for inter-club judging competition. Acceptance of debate with Tinui Y.F.C., subject to be “ That Heredity has a Greater Influence than Environment.” Address by Mr. C. Dickie, Department of Agriculture, on " The Duties of a Farm Dairy Instructor.” ■ Tinui. Arrangements for a dance and also for a field-day. A practice debate was held between three members selected to debate with ■ Masterton Y.F.C. and three other club —subject, “ That Heredity has a Greater Influence than Environment.

Wanganui.

Bulls. Arrangements for annual dance. Address by Mr. C. J. Hamblyn, Department of Agriculture, on the Y.F.C. organization ; Mr. Dingwall, Department of Agriculture, also spoke. Taihape. lnformal talk by Mr. Dingwall, Department of • Agriculture, on the Y.F.C. organization, &c. Waimarino. —Field-day at the State Forest, Karioi; Mr. Kendadine demonstrated on the growth and care of shelter and timber trees. Eighteen club members attended. < Westmere. Talk by Mr. T. W. Lonsdale, Department of Agriculture, on the benefits to be obtained from the Y.F.C. organization. This is a newly-formed club, with a membership of thirty-five already.

Taranaki.

Alton. Discussion of report and balance-sheet of club’s annual sports and dance. Arrangements for annual meeting. Pukengahu. — Discussion of Y.F.C. constitution. . Members who had taken part in the recent South Island tour gave a brief - summary of their impressions after the chairman had outlined the tour. Toko.— Final arrangements for dance. J. Stallard, H. Ancell, J. Lister, H.

Milne, G. Anderson, and L. Kilsby gave descriptions of the many points of interest in . connection with the recent South Island tour. Whenuakura.— Lecture by Mr. H. G. Dickie, M.P., on “ The History of the Meat Industry in New Zealand.” At the previous meeting Mr. P. J. Oakley gave an address on Fertilizers of To-day.”

Southern Hawke’s Bay.

Dannevirke. Address by Mr. E. N. Hogben, Principal of the Dannevirke High School, on “ The World in Turmoil.” At the previous meeting Mr. J. W. Palmer, Department of Agriculture, gave a ■ lantern.> lecture on ""Subterranean Clover.” Norsewood. Talk by,Mr. J. W. Palmer, Department of Agriculture, on the running of the club and Y.F.C. activities generally.

Northern Hawke’s Bay.

Meeanee. Lecture .by Mr. N. J. Adamson, Department of Agriculture, on “ Local Standardization of Fruit.” This very interesting and instructive address was given for the benefit of orchardist members, and was very much appreciated. The various gradings and percentages of skin blemishes were demonstrated by means of specimen fruit. At the previous meeting a lecture was given by Mr. A. D. .M. G. Laing, Government Veterinarian, on " Diseases and Ailments of the Dairy Cow,” dealing with milk fever, normal and abnormal calving, _post-partem paralysis, abortion and sterility, mastitis, tuberculosis, and actinomycosis. The speaker concluded with a demonstration of the testing of milk for chronic mastitis, a very simple but definite test of great value to dairy-farmers. — Lecture by Mr. A. D. M. G. Laing, Government Veterinarian, on " Facial Eczema in Sheep.” At the previous meeting an impromptu speech competition was held for a prize donated by Mr. W. Walker. This was keenly contested, the winners being as follows : First, J. G. Mclntyre (" Eradication of Noxious Weeds .second, G. Shaw (" The Benefit of Stock in Maintaining Good Pastures ”) ; third, N. Alexander (“ How to Build up a Good Dairy Herd ”). Messrs. G. Goddard and J. Small acted as judges. Wairoa. — Mr. R. E. R. Grimmett, Mr. Filmer, and • Mr. Haugh lectured on "Cobalt.” Mr. Grimmett spoke on soil composition and . the uses, &c., of the various components ; Mr. ■ Filmer spoke on the way in which the value of cobalt in connection with stock was discovered, and outlined the stages in experimental work that had been carried out in Australia ; Mr. Haugh explained the experiments that were being carried out

in Poverty Bay. At the previous meeting Mr. A. D. M. G. Laing, Government Veterinarian, gave a lecture on “ Facial Eczema in Sheep.”

Poverty Bay.

Tolaga Bay.—Resume, of the club’s activities for the season, by L. Donald, and a talk on “ The Harvesting and Storing of Mangels,” by D. Jones. Waiapu.— Lecture by Mr. Pierson on “ The Rearing and Care of Digs."

Bay of Plenty.

Waihi. — club, with particularly good prospects; initial membership fourteen. . Waimana. — Debate between Waimana and Edgecumbe Clubs ; subject, “ That Tours of Other Districts are of more Educational Value than Organized Farm Schools." Waimana (affirmative) won by 81 points to 72. A field-day was held at Nukuhou, which took the form of a demonstration of an electric fence.

Te Kuiti.

Discussion and arrangements for field-day and dance. Otorohanga. Field-days as follows : At Te Awamutu, “ Pig-breeding and Management ” (Mr. Webber) ; “ Making of Dried Skim-milk ” (Mr. H. E. Roberts) ; Mr. G. D. Hall’s farm; Otorohanga, "Large Black Pigs" (Mr. G. D. Hall) ; “ Brom Thymol Blue Test for Mammitis ” (Mr. Melrose). A combined field-day was also held in conjunction with the Te Anga Club on Messrs. Tynan’s property, Te Anga ; demonstrations were given by Mr. D. Tynan as follows : Romney sheep, Polled Hereford cattle, and “ Points in Successful Farming.”

Rotorua.

Rotorua-Ngongotaha. Field-day held’ on the properties of Messrs. G. Kent and K. Martin, Ngongotaha. Demonstrations were as follows : “ Foot-rot in Sheep —trimming of feet and curative methods (Mr. C. H. Newson, Inspector of Stock) ; “ Farming Methods and Butter-fat-production ” (Mr. K. Martin) ; “ Management of Breeding-ewes on a Dairy-farm ” ; ' and “ Selection of Ewes for Breeding” (Mr. H. M. Martin). This is a new club with a membership of over twenty to date.

Waikato.

Matangi.— Discussion on programme for the coming season. Te Kowhai. — Field-day at the Ruakura Experimental Farm. A number of farmer friends accompanied • club members, the total attendance being thirty-eight. Demonstrations included the following :

“ Establishment of Paspalum, Rye-grass, and White Clover Pastures ” (Mr. W. T. Brown) ; “ Use of Super, Lime, and Potash on Established Pastures ” (Mr. A. C. Burgess) ; “ Experiments in Bull Fertility ” (Mr. T. E. Rodda) ; “ Pigs ” (Mr. C. E. Ballinger). This is another newly-formed club with a membership of twenty-one. North Auckland. Marohemo-Maungaturoto. — A field-day was held, taking the form of a day’s tour in the Northern Wairoa district. The

attendance was twenty-two, comprising seventeen club members and five farmer friends. The visitors were conducted by Mr. D. Marra over his 50-acre farm, on which he averages 300 lb. of butterfat per acre and winters all his live-stock. The Northern Wairoa Experimental Farm at Dargaville was visited, and the work there explained by Mr. E. H. Arnold, Department of Agriculture. ‘ A demonstration was given of an electric fence, and a visit was paid to Mr. Edmiston’s property on the: Bayly Estate. Con-

siderable interest was displayed in the coastal belt conditions, several of the visitors suggesting that the soil-type and climate should be suited to early fat-lamb production. Matauru.— Field-day at Mr. Stevens’ property, Maungataupere. Demonstrations included “ Jersey Cows ” (Mr. Moreland), and “ Diseases in Cattle ” (Mr. T. H. Hankin, Government Veterinarian). A judging competition was also held on the dairy cows. A new club with good prospects.

Pohangina Valley Club’s Field-day.

THE Pohangina Y.F.C. held a field-day I in Palmerston North on 21 st March. Approximately thirty members attended, and they were met at the Seedtesting Station by Mr. A. J. Galpin, who introduced them to Mr. N. R. Foy. The party was keenly interested in the work carried out at the Station, special notice being taken in the ultra-violet-light test for the certification of commercial rye-grass and the picric-acid test for white-clover certification. Methods and technique in . finding the purity and germination of seed samples was also explained. - . In the afternoon the party were shown around the grass and clover plots at the Grasslands Division’s experimental area at Massey College. Mr. E. Bruce Levy gave a short talk on some of his impressions of agriculture abroad, especially in. relation to the value of New Zealand strains of rye-grass and white clover. ■ Mr. L. Gorman discussed methods of selection and breeding in pasture plants, and members were shown the areas of rye-grass and white clover from which the pedigree strains have been developed. The day concluded with a vote of thanks proposed by Mr. H. M. Linklater to Mr. Levy and Mr. Gorman.

Y.F.C. Radio Broadcasts.

A Young Farmers’ Clubs’ session has A Young Farmers’ Clubs’ session been in operation regularly every Friday fortnight at 7.40 p.m. from 2YA for more than twelve months. The following is a list of some of the more recent broadcasts Friday, 25th March : Messrs. K. Donovan, J. F. McLaren, G. Hunt (members of the Masterton Club) ' and N. Lamont (Wairarapa District Secretary), “ The Establishment of Permanent Pasture.” •

Friday, Bth April : Messrs. L. Mee, J. Lancaster, R. Spooner, and R. Curran (members of the Tinui Club), a debate, the subject being “ That the Young Farmer of To-day has Equal or Better Opportunities than his Grandfather.” Friday, 22nd April : Messrs. A. Stuart (Secretary, Bunnythorpe Club), and A. J. Galpin (Department of Agriculture, Palmerston North), “ Mole-draining.” Friday, 6th May : Messrs. S. Freeman (Organizing Secretary) and G. S. Robinson (Manawatu District Secretary), “ Young Farmers’ Club Activities.” The following talks from 2YA have been arranged : - Friday, 20th May : Mr. A. Mikkelsen (Kairanga Club), “ Animal Diseases.” Friday, 3rd June : Mr. A. McDonald (Pohangina Valley Club), “ Hill-country Management.” Y.F.C. broadcasts are also conducted monthly from 3YA, Christchurch, and 4YA, Dunedin, and irregularly from iYA, Auckland. . . . ■ . .

Annual Meetings.

REPORTS of annual meetings of clubs have been received during • the past, six weeks, and by the time this Journal is published they will all be over. The. annual district meetings are also being held. One of their functions under the new constitution is to elect the District Executive Committee, which in turn selects delegates to the four Councils. The North Island Council held its final meeting at Palmerston North on Friday, Bth April. The Council was formally dissolved, and the Emergency Committee left to hold office until the two new Councils for the North Island meet under the new constitution for the first time. These meetings will take place during June. The final meeting of the South Island Council is to be held at Dunedin on Friday, 13th May. It is anticipated that the annual meeting of the Federation will be held in Christchurch about the middle of July.