15 Oct., 1919.] Farmer/ Field Day at Werrihee. 625 



The Border Leicester and Suffolk flocks were inspected during the after- 

 noon's tramp round, and on the return of the party from the field a number of 

 people took advantage of the fact that the Red Poll and Friesian cows were 

 in the bails to get a close view of them. 



During; the afternoon the visitors were entertained at afternoon tea, and at 

 its conclusion Mr. W. H. Everard, M.L.A., moved a vote of thanks to the 

 Minister of Agriculture. He said that he had expected to see more people 

 present, but that the Farmers' Conference had probably kept a great many 

 away. 



The Hon. W. Hutchinson, M.L.A. (Minister for Education), in 

 seconding the motion, said : — " On two occasions I had, as Minister 

 for Agriculture, the pleasure of welcoming visitors to the Research 

 Farm on field day, and I well remember the first day, after a drought 

 year, when the members of the British Association for the Advancement 

 of Science were here. Dr. Hall, who had been associated with perhaps 

 the greatest Experiment Station in the Empire — the Rothamstead Experi- 

 ment Station — said, after a tour round this place under the guidance 

 of Mr. Richardson, that there was no Farm of its character that he 

 had visited which had made such development in the time that had elapsed 

 since its inception, and no Farm where the farmer could learn so many 

 practical lessons that would be of benefit to him. I have made a practice 

 of coming here every year that I possibly could, and I am pleased to find 

 there are a number of farmers who come year after year. I am very pleased 

 to note the remarkable growth and development of the Farm, and I was 

 delighted to hear Mr. Richardson's statement at the gate as regards finance. 

 When the Government established the Farm, they knew, and they told the 

 community, that it would cost money, but they felt that the money expended 

 would be worth while, because of the value to the farmers of the lessons it 

 could give. It was anticipated, and on an average the work of this Farm 

 has cost the community about £1,500 a year, and that amount is a splendid 

 investment for the farming community and for the State, because here 

 experiments are made which the ordinary farmer could not afford to carry out 

 at his own expense, and which the State has no right to ask him to carry out. 

 The State undertakes this experimental work at a cost of about £1,500 a 

 year, but, for the second time in the records of the Farm, last year ended 

 with, not only all working expenses, interest, and depreciation met, but also 

 with a small balance to be paid into the Consolidated Revenue. This result 

 is a magnificent tribute to the Department over which Mr. Oman presides. 

 It is a great tribute to the enthusiasm and energy of the Director of Agri- 

 culture (Dr. Cameron), and to the organizing and instructive work of the 

 Superintendent of Agriculture (Mr. Richardson) and, perhaps above all, to 

 Mr. Wilson, the manager of the Farm, and the staff that has supported him." 



In acknowledging the vote of thanks, the Minister of Agriculture (Hon. 

 D. S. Oman, M.L.A.), said : — " I am very pleased indeed to be present here 

 to-day. I can assure you that since I have undertaken the charge of this 

 Department I have made your interests my own, and I have been ably 

 supported by my staff.' I am fortunate indeed in the fact that I have a 

 loyal staff, who make the public interest theirs, and who render excellent 

 service. I am sure we have all been interested in what we have seen to-day, 

 and we all hope that this Farm will continue to show the satisfactory results 

 that have been achieved during the last year or two, and at the same time 

 will demonstrate to the public what an Experimental Farm can do and does 

 do. I thank you all for your attendance here to-day." 



