Massey College

Manawatu Times, Volume LVI, Issue 7079, 11 February 1933, Page 4

Massey College

MEETING OF COUNCIL

I Tho first mooting for the year of the Massey College Council was hold in Palmerston North on Thursday, when Sir George Fowlds presided. Also present were Sir William Perry, Messrs. T. U. Wells, Norton Francis, J. D. Hall, A. Morton, Professor G. S. Percn and ! \ Professor W. Biddot. There wore apologies from Professor T. A. Hunter and Messrs. H. B. Stuckey and P. Levi for absence. Sir Gcorgo Fowlds was unanimously re-elected chairman of’the council and Mr. P. Levi treasuror. The finance committee appointed consisted of Sir George Fowlds, Messrs. Levi, Francis and Morton. Sir William Perry (chairman) and Messrs. Hall, Morton and Stuckey were re-elected tho farm committee. Donations were acknowledged as fol low;—Mr. E. Matthews, Waiorongomai, Featherston, two stud Eomncy rams; Sir William Perry, six stud Komney ewes and the loan of one stud Eoinney ram; Mrs. Maginic, Auckland, five volumes for the college library; Messrs. > W. and T. Avery, Ltd., Wellington; and Mr. A. E. Taylor, Sydney Buff Orpington male bird. Principal's Eeport Professor G. S. Percn, the principal, reported, inter alia, as follows:—“Mr. F. L. Scrivener, in conjunction with ? Mr. A. W. Hudson, of tho Plant Besmirch Station, is writing an article entitled ‘Fertilisers and Manures in New Zealand,’ which will form part of the ' publication, ‘The Utilisation of Land in New Zealand,’ which will be published by the Institute of Pacific relations. * The total number of benzol testing outfits sent out since the ineep- ' tion is 161. This number of flocks represents a very largo number of sheep and one cannot help feeling that in the course of time this test is bound to -work a tremendous amount of good. At tho request of the New. Zealand Insdtuto Of Horticulture an exhibit demonstrating some of our results of flax research work was staged at the National Flower Show held in Wellington. “The students working, under Mr. Gould, on general farm work, have completed the making of hay and ensilage for both the sheep and dairy .farms. All root and forage crops have been sown and are being kept hoed and cultivated. The autumn sown oats for ' chaff have been cut and staked and ' the spring sown oats will be cut very shortly. A beginning has been made on the top-dressing for the dairy farm, and with tho ploughing for' autumn . sown grass. On the whole, the root and forage crops are looking well, although in one or two places the weeds got away rather badly owing to the demand made on all available labour bv the largo programme of hay and silage ' making. The weather has been very i dry of. late and these crops would benefit tremendously by a good fall of rain. The autumn sown oats were a very good crop, and in view of the favourable ripening weather should make very nice chaff. “Sheep: The dry weather of 'the past six weeks has suited the sheep, which arc remarkably healthy. The white clover in the pastures is now, however, beginning to suffer badly.'. <md one would welcome a good rainfall.- Since tho last council meeting all lambs have been shorn, with the exception of the black-face and stud ram lambs. • -ome of the stud ewe lambs clipped as mue as SMb'of wool- All stud lambs have been* dipped. Although there has been no sign of -parasite worms, all lambs have been drenched once as a matter of precaution. Lambs have been weaned and all cull ewes have been sold •with tho exception of those - required for tho refectory.” With the Dairy Herd

Professor W.Riddet reported as follows on dairy work at the college up to January IS:— “Dairy Farm: Apart from milking nml general attention to stock, the principal activity has keen the making of hay and ensilage and the cultivation of roots for autumn and winter use. Five acres of soft turnips and swedes and two and a-half acres of mangolds arc being grown. The lucerne sown in November continues to do well m spite of the dry weather. Considerable time has been devoted to clearing the accretion paddocks of lupins and goatsrue. At present all of the dairy pastures are being top-dressed and arrangements have been made to plough areas intended for seeding to crops and pastures in March. •"Milking Herd—There are aO3 cows and heifers in milk. Most of the animals are milking well, but the onset of the dry spell has naturally reduced their production. A recurrence of trouble with ‘blowing’ was experienced in December when the aftermath ot voung pasture was being grazed. In view of the difficulty of grazing riph pasture easily at periods when most needed, and of the losses widely experienced by dairymen, the causes and control of ‘koven’ is a problem. Pig Section “All of the breeding pigs have done particularly well on the extensive graz ing plan. The reduction in the ’ pig herd and the changed methods of ieco . ing and management this season have given results much superior to those of previous seasons. It is worth observing that the sale of the skins of the bobby calves and the feeding of the flesh, to the pigs., has yielded better ■ cash -returns than the sale of the calves ns live ‘bobbies for slaughter. Research Work

To permit of necessary extension for discolouration work, the chemistry and

bacteriology laboratories on the top floor had been fitted up. Gas has also been laid on to the dairy factory and one room had been fitted up as a fac- ‘ ’t'ory laboratory. The expense of both improvements had been borne by the „ Dairy Research Institute. A bacteriologist, Mr. Ellison/has been appointed to take up the special duty of discolouration. .... In addition to the reports .on di.seol-

. ouration already circulated,, a paper on 1 «“The Nature and Present State of Knowledge of Discolouration” had been . prepared and was to be distributed to factories as a confidential bulletin. Two other bulletins which- wero issued ■shortly were "The Effect of Salt on the Quality of Cheddar Cheese” and "Factors Affecting the Kate of Kineno£ lias fjjkeege,"-