H.—4o

6

The Board considers that this farm should be retained, as it is quite possible that in the future it may be required for educational purposes. But the land is so valuable and the area so large that it would not be necessary to retain the whole of it, especially as money is required for farms in the South Island. We recommend, therefore, that 400 acres of the outlying portions of the farm should be sold. The making of soft and fancy cheese has been successfully initiated, and a demand has been created for this class of dairy-produce. This work should be continued, as the farm is not in any way competing with the public. Farms for the South Island. If the above recommendations w r erc carried out there would probably be something like £50,000 realized from the sale of the land. This money should be devoted to the purchase of two farms of, say, 200 acres each, one in the agricultural district of Canterbury, and another in South Otago or Southland, as the soil and climate of these two districts are quite different. There has been a tendency in the case of the other experimental farms to overbuild, and many expensive buildings have been put up which are now quite useless. We would strongly urge that proper consideration should be given to the whole question of building when these farms are bought, so that no unnecessary expenditure in connection with buildings will be gone into. Fruit-farms in Fruitgrowing Districts. Three small fruit-farms should be established, one north of Auckland, which is going to be a great fruitgrowing district; one in Nelson, and another in Central Otago. These would all be in the midst of fruitgrowing districts, and the associated fruitgrowers should advise as to the direction in which experiments are necessary. Fifty acres each would be ample for these farms. Fruitgrowing for export is in its infancy in New Zealand, and bids fair to become of first-class importance to the Dominion. We therefore emphasize the necessity of at once proceeding with these farms. Dairy Institute. In the opinion of the Board a dairy institution is distinctly wanted, where a dairy scientist might make many experiments in connection with the difficulties which are being experienced in the dairying industry. It could be worked in conjunction with one of the farms —perhaps more easily at Weraroa than at any of the others, owing to the necessity of having a constant, supply of milk, any surplus of which might be made into butter or cheese. Practical instruction in connection with dairy-factory management and the making of butter and cheese is at present (according to Mr. Cuddie, Director of Dairy-produce) well carried out in the various factories of the Dominion, but at such an institution classes of instruction could be held for dairy-factory managers and their assistants mainly on the theoretical side of dairying, and instruction could be given in the elements of dairy chemistry and dairy bacteriology, as recommended by Mr. Cuddie in the report on the subject which he prepared at the request of the Board. The chemical and bacteriological work which is at present being done by the Dairy Division could be undertaken and much extended at such an institution. Lincoln College. This college is devoting a considerable amount of its funds and of the time of its scientific staff to the improvement of cereals. As its efforts in this direction are of vital importance to the whole Dominion, it should certainly be subsidized by the Government. Co-operation with Local Agricultural Committees. We should like to place before you the necessity of having the assistance of the local agricultural committees which are now being established by the County Councils to work in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture. These committees would most undoubtedly spread the interest of the work going on at the experimental farms, ar.d their knowledge of what experiments would be likely to be of service to the community which they represent would be of great advantage to the management. Literature for Scientific Staff. It is considered that our experimenters ought to be better provided with reports of what is being done elsewhere, and not have to find themselves, otherwise they run a great risk of wasting time through not knowing what other scientists have discovered. Yours faithfully, The Hon. the Minister of Agriculture. James G. Wilson, President.

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