Stalham
Farmers 1916
Minutes
of a meeting held on January 18, 1916 at the Railway Hotel, Stalham.
35
members present at the tea, several others coming in afterwards.
The
minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed. A letter was also read
from Miss Worts thanking the members for their sympathy.
The
Hon Sec was requested to convey to Col Petre the hearty congratulations of the
club upon his miraculous escape and express the sincere wishes of the members
for his complete and speedy recovery from the results of his serious (motor)
accident in France. The former officers of the club were re-elected with thanks
for past services. The Rev Wallis, Mr Pigott, of Sloley and Mr Banham were
unanimously elected as members of the club and the following were proposed for
election at the next meeting.
Mr
G Youngs, Hickling, proposed Mr Howlett, seconded Mr Draper.
Mr
Edrych, Stalham, proposed Mr Howlett, seconded Mr Draper.
Rev
G A Boycott, Messrs W Wright, N Neave, F Worts and R Gibson, proposed, Rev
Bird, seconded Mr Bygrave.
The
secretary read the report of the root judging –
Best
two-acre mangold, Mr H Wenn’s Cup- 1 Mr J Bygrave (second time); 2 Col Petre; 3
Mr E Cooke.
Best
two-acre Swedes, President’s Cup – 1 Col Petre.
Best
whole root crop, Worts Exors’ Cup – 1 Col Petre.
The
winners having been heartily congratulated on their success, especially Mr
Davison for having produced such uniformly excellent crops on comparatively
light land, several interesting remarks were made by various members.
Mr
Davison explaining the treatment which he applied to Col Petre’s land, namely
riffling (?) as soon as a poor wheat crop of three coombs per acre had been
harvested and ploughing 14 inches deep in January. He also expressed his belief
in Vaporite, which the majority of the members had but little faith in.
The
local increase of mayweed as a farm pest was commented upon. The use of mustard
for green soiling and as a protection against and as a cure for wireworm was
instanced. But Mr W Thompson said that he had found that Swedes (auberried?)
after it; the supposed reason being that the two plants were nearly related!
With
reference to the use of rapeseed cake as a preventative of wireworm, Mr A Wells
remarked that once being unable to secure this commodity he had tried rapeseed
cake with good results.
A
pigeon shoot was arranged for each Tuesday in February commencing at 2pm each
day, various members undertaking to obtain the consent of the owners or
occupiers of coverts in their respective districts.
The
hon secretary was instructed to write a letter of advertisement for appearance
in the ED Press.
The
President kindly distributed copies of a form of farm balance sheet such as he
had himself used for many years and then proceeded to given an address on the
Income Tax, clearly explaining how the new rating would affect
agriculturalists.
Mr
Cubitt’s remarks were attentively followed by an appreciative audience and on
the proposal of Mr J Bygrave a hearty vote of thanks was accorded him for the
trouble he had taken over a question which is now of so much greater importance
than formerly to nearly every member of the club.
TUESDAY,
JULY 25
There
were 27 members present at the Railway Hotel, Stalham, and the president, Mr E
G Cubitt, occupied the chair.
The
minutes of the last meeting having been read and confirmed, the following new
members were proposed.
Mr
Loveday, of East Ruston, proposed Rev Bird, seconded Mr Hudson Barber.
Mr
R Cubitt, of Palling, proposed Mr Dyball, seconded Mr Draper.
The
Rev G Boycott, Mr G Youngs, Mr Edrych, Mr W Wright, Messrs N Neave, F Worts,
and R Gibson, who were proposed at the last meeting, were now duly elected.
Mr
WP Crossland, of the School of Agriculture, Cambridge, kindly attended the
meeting and lucidly explained the aim and object of the scheme of the Board of
Agriculture (BOA) for the improvement of livestock by assisting local societies
to obtain pedigree agricultural stallions, bulls and boars.
The
president, Mr W Wright and Mr W P Cubitt each pointed out the importance of the
scheme.
Mr
E G Cubitt, of Honing, offering an annual subscription of three guineas (£3 3s)
for two years to any village or group of villages that would adopt the scheme
in so far as the hire or purchase of a pedigree tuberculin tested bull was
concerned.
Mr
J Dyball, of Palling, accepted the challenge, volunteering to raise funds and a
committee to carry out the object in view.
The
Hon Sec was instructed to forward the following resolution to the President of
the BOA. “It is considered by the SFC that legislation is needed to prevent a
non-pedigree and uncertificated bull being kept for breeding purposes.”
In
a cutting from the EDP, Mr Crossland had seen at first hand the results of
using pedigree bulls on an extensive South American ranch. The BOA now had
placed 250 pedigree stallions, 955 bulls and over 300 boars in different parts
of England.
In
a pencil note, on an adjoining page, Mr E Cooke, who keeps a pedigree Red Poll
bull, will not allow other than pedigree cows access.