Federation of Young Farmer's Clubs

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 65, Issue 5, 16 November 1942, Page 308

Federation of Young Farmer's Clubs

Y.F. Club Formed in Prisoners of War Camp in Italy

A POSTCARD has just been received from R. G. Montgomery, who is at present a prisoner of war in Italy. He writes as follows: — “Dear Mr. Freeman, — few New . Zealanders together and formed Y.F. Club, with instructional classes. Became so popular had to open up to South Africans, Aussies, and Tommies. Now five classes per week with average attendance over two hundred. Classes on sheep, dairying, pigs, bees, fruit, agriculture, etc., with lectures on farming and conditions in many countries. W. J. Woods, ex-Darfield Club, secretary; myself, organiser and president. Lads all keen and chins up, send regards home. If possible send details of any soldiers’ settlement scheme. (Signed) R. G. Montgomery, ex-H.B. and N.Z. Council.”

Mr. Montgomery was an active member of the Meeanee Young Farmers’ Club in Hawke’s Bay, and ■an exceptionally keen supporter of the movement. He did much to assist the progress of the Y.F.C. organisation in his own district and in the Wellington Council area generally. He enlisted early in the war period, attaining the rank of sergeant, and although now unfortunately a prisoner of war, is still doing good work by creating interest for those similarly placed to himself. His initiative in forming a club under’ such circumstances should inspire us to further endeavours to keep our movement alive. For the benefit of any who would like to communicate with him his address is as follows: Sergeant R. G. Montgomery, 23177, Prisoner of War Camp No. 52, Hut 37, P.M. 3100, Italia. Mr. Montgomery will be remembered by fellow-members for his able debating at Wellington Council and Federation annual meetings, and also for his capable organising and work in connection with a particularly successful sports meeting held by , the Meeanee Club in November, 1938.

Reports on Club Activities SOUTH OTAGO. Clutha Valley. Report on Patriotic Ball. Talk by Mr. J. Richards, Department of Agriculture, on “The Grass Grub”;, the speaker gave a very interesting account of experiments carried out in connection with the eradication of the pest. There were fifteen ' members present. Warepa.— Report on club’s tree-planting operations. Congratulations sent to ; the mother of club member recently awarded a decoration on active service. Impromptu speeches by members. At the previous meeting the main points of interest in the report of the annual general meeting of the Federation were read out and discussed; the determination of the club members to carry on was reaffirmed. It was decided to procure a weeping elm to plant in memory of a member accidentally killed. An afternoon was set aside for club members to plant trees on the roadside in accordance with the prearranged plan. NORTH OTAGO. Enfield. Mr. 0. Loe, Stud Groom at Windsor Park, gave a very interesting talk on “Red Worms in Horses”; the speaker described treatment and remedies. SOUTH CANTERBURY. Maungati.— Annual meeting. There were ten members in attendance. It was decided to carry on with club activities despite war conditions and depleted membership. Officers elected: Chairman, W. Evans; secretary and treasurer, T. L. Dale. Arranged for meetings to take place at Home Guard parades, except where special meetings can be conveniently held; the difficulty of obtaining lecturers on account of petrol and transport restrictions was commented on. MID-CANTERBURY. Ashburton. Club social to be held. Lecture by Mr. R. Inch, Department of Agriculture, on “Earm Crop Seeds and Weed Seeds.” Specimens were exhibited by Mr. Inch, and members present endeavoured to identify same. Following this each member gave' a short talk on the particular methods in use on their own farms in connection with (1) tailing lambs, and (2) pickling grain. Hinds.lmpromptu speeches for the Simmons Cup resulted as follows: —W. Taylor 1, R. Cocks 2, D. Chisnall 3. It was decided to hold the Set Speech competition for the Father Daly Cup at the next meeting; time to be limited to ten minutes for each speech. Thirteen members present out of 14. Methven.J. A. Watson elected secretary in place of W. J. Penney. Methven District High School pupils and club members debated on two subjects: (1) “That, the abolition of corporal punishment of juvenile offenders has not been in the best interests of the community,” and (2) “That there should be no exemption from military service on account of a person’s occupation.” In addition to visitors there was an attendance of 20 members. CHRISTCHURCH. Ellesmere. Short talks by members as follows: H. G. Stephens (“Farming in England

as it is Today”) ; J. Mawson (“Sowing Down of New Pastures”), and A. C. Lambie (“The Ideal Type of Dairy Cow”). Attendance of 19 members. ' ■ 1 NORTH CANTERBURY. Scargill—Discussion re purchase of National Savings Bonds. Talk by Mr. R. J. Black on “Ensilage and Haymaking.” Attendance of twenty members. MARLBOROUGH. Flaxbourne.General business. Talk by Private A. Wooding, a club member, on “Fiji.” Twelve members present. TE KUITI. Otorohanga.— for Annual Birthday Social. Ten-minute talks by members: D. V. Brightwell (“Pampas Grass”), D. W. McCormack (“Whaling Industry”), B. Richardson (“Australian Dingo”), S. Long (“Catching Wild Horses”), C. Murphy (“Superphosphate Works”). Fourteen members present. BAY OF PLENTY. Paengaroa.—Two new members enrolled. Further donation of £2 made to the Paengaroa and Pongakawa Patriotic Committees. Lecture on “The Production of Clean Milk for Butter and Cheese” by Mr. C. Poskett, Farm Dairy Instructor; seventeen members attended. An open meeting was held in the Paengaroa Hall, at which Mr. J. M. Smith, Fields Superintendent, Department of Agriculture, Auckland, gave a lantern lecture on “The Chatham Islands.” There was a total attendance of 52, including 10 visiting club members and 25 older farmers.

Britain's Giant Plough A GIANT trenching plough weighA GIANT trenching plough weighing four tons is now at work in England turning acres of water-logged ground into land which will yield crops next year. It is an ingenious trenching implement designed in the North of England chiefly for use in land drainage. The new machine cuts channels to a depth of two feet nine inches at the rate of a hundred yards in four minutes. The base of the trench is cut by a share, while cutters carve , the sides,

the earth passing up inclined boards to ground level, where it is formed into equal ridges on each side. The implement is hauled by a pair of windlasses, driven by two diesel engines placed at each end of, the field. One windlass pulls the implement along when cutting, the other returns it into position for cutting, the next trench. The standard windlass employed for this work by the designers has a range of gears with different speeds for different soils, and the winding drum carries 450 yards of steel plough rope.