asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will state (a) how many (1) poultry demonstrators; (2) cow-testing instructors; (3) cow-testing supervisors; (4) agricultural overseers; (5) assistant agricultural overseers; (6) potato-growing demonstrators (instructors); and (7) potato-growing inspectors are employed in the Saorstát; (b) the nature of the duties performed by each class of official; (c) the number of visits paid to farms by each official; (d) the number of (1) experiments; (2) demonstrations; (3) classes; and (4) lectures conducted by each official and the total attendances at these of pupils or others interested.
Written Answers. - Agricultural Instructors.
Mr. Hogan
The following statement contains the details asked for as far as it is practicable to summarise the information. I would also refer the Deputy to the information contained in the Department's Annual Report:—
(1) Poultry Demonstrators:— Save for the instructors in poultry-keeping employed by the county committees of agriculture, there are no such officers specially appointed for poultry work. The thirteen junior marketing inspectors employed principally in connection with the egg trade deal also with the marketing of agricultural produce generally, including poultry. Four of them (ladies) specially conversant with the poultry trade give instruction to traders and their employees in the killing, plucking, grading and packing of poultry for export, and in the winter hold classes at suitable centres for the training of people in the business of fattening and marketing poultry. These classes, which are attended by two pupils each, were instituted in the winter of 1926-27. Sixteen pupils have so far been trained.
(2) and (3) Cow-Testing Instructors and Supervisors:—Fifteen cow-testing instructors are employed by the Department in connection with schemes of encouraging improvement in dairy cattle, and for the registration of pure-bred dairy cattle. Their duties include the promotion of cow-testing associations, the superintendence of the work of the local supervisors employed by the associations, the checking of the associations' records, the paying of visits to herds owned by members of the associations with a view to ascertaining whether milk weighings are being regularly made and recorded, and, if necessary, making check weighings of the morning and evening yields of the cows under test. They make periodical visits for check-weighing the morning and evening yields, and taking samples of the milk, of pedigree dairy cattle which are being tested. Subject to the exigencies of their other work, they deliver lectures on cow-testing, and in the management and feeding of dairy cattle, at the general meetings of the cow-testing associations, or at meetings held for the establishment of new associations. Their visiting work is of so constant and recurrent a character that the keeping of detailed particulars thereof would not justify the requisite labour and expense.
Approximately 240 supervisors are employed by the cow-testing associations. Their duties include the keeping of the associations' records, and the periodical visiting of the members for check-weighing and sampling purposes. For reasons similar to those already indicated no detailed record is kept of the work done by these local employees.
(4) and (5). Agricultural Overseers and Assistant Overseers.— There are 4 agricultural overseers and 57 assistant agricultural overseers in the Department's service. The duties of assistant agricultural overseers consist in giving advice and instruction to small holders in the congested districts as to the best method of working their holdings, including the general cultivation and management of their land, the care and treatment of live stock, the spraying of potatoes, the use of suitable seeds and manures and the erection of fencing and outhouses. They arrange for the distribution to smallholders of selected seeds and manures at specially reduced prices, and for the placing with approved applicants of pure-bred bulls and rams to be used for the service of animals belonging to the small-holders. They also arrange for experiments and the laying down of plots to demonstrate the value of improved strains of seeds and of artificial manures, and for the distribution of trees and shrubs in connection with the county committees' tree-planting scheme.
The agricultural overseers are responsible for the supervision of the work done by their assistants. Their services are required when any new schemes are formulated, and frequently their advice is sought by other departments when their local knowledge would be helpful in the administration of schemes by those departments. Each assistant overseer pays on an average 2,000 visits to farmers' residences during the course of a year. The average number of demonstration plots laid down by an assistant overseer in the year is 117.
(6) Potato Inspectors. — Except for six men engaged temporarily each year as spraying demonstrators in the congested districts, the only officers employed by the Department in connection with potato cultivation are 18 inspectors. Twelve of these officers are employed on development work, comprising the inspection and certification of growing crops intended for seed purposes; arranging with merchants for the sale, sealing of bags, etc.; supervision of the grading and packing of table potatoes to ensure that they are sent out in sound marketable condition; advice to growers as to varieties in best demand; up-to-date methods of cultivation, introduction of fresh seed; and generally the fostering of improved business methods between farmers and merchants, so as to facilitate the collection of bulk orders.
Five inspectors are engaged in enforcing the provisions of the Department's Orders for the control of black scab disease, inspecting growing crops to ensure that only varieties immune to black scab are planted, preventing the movement of potatoes from the infected districts to "clean" areas, and inspecting potatoes for shipment with a view to certifying same in regard to immunity and marketable condition.
One inspector is engaged in the testing of new varieties of potatoes, and the production, by a system of selection, of improved stocks of existing varieties.
The number of farms visited by potato inspectors is not recorded. Their work lies entirely among farmers and potato merchants, and comprises no class work, or theoretical instruction. The work is entirely practical, and inspectors are required to demonstrate in the field any method which they recommend to farmers.
Experiments carried out by potato inspection staff includes the testing of varieties for immunity to black scab at one centre, the testing of new varieties for cropping capacity and general suitability at two centres, and testing the effect of varying climatic and soil conditions on potato yields at five centres.
asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will state (a) how many (1) secretaries to committees of agriculture; (2) clerical assistants to secretaries; (3) agricultural instructors where instructor acts as secretary to committee of agriculture; (4) agricultural instructors; (5) horticultural instructors; (6) poultry instructors, and (7) forestry instructors or demonstrators are employed in the Saorstát; (b) the nature of the duties performed by each class of official; (c) the number of visits paid to farms by each official; (d) the number of (1) experiments; (2) demonstrations; (3) classes; (4) lectures conducted by them and the total attendances at these of pupils or others interested.
Mr. Hogan
The appended table and memoranda contain the information asked for, in so far as it is practicable to summarise this. I would also refer the Deputy to the information contained in the Department's Annual Report.
|
(a) |
(b) |
(c) |
(d) |
||||||
|
No. of Officers employed |
Nature of Duties |
No. of farm visits |
No. of expriments |
No. of Demonstrations |
Classes |
Lectures |
|||
|
No |
Total attendances |
No |
Total attendances |
||||||
|
(1) County Secretaries. |
27* |
See “A” attached. |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
(2) Clerical Assistants |
4† |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
(3) Instructors in Agriculture acting also as Co. Committee Secretaries. |
3 |
As, in “A” attached and in Scheme No. 8. |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
(4) Total Instructors in Agriculture. |
38‡ |
See Scheme No. 8. |
24,421 |
139 |
1,534 |
61 |
1,347 |
550 |
23,675 |
|
(5) Horticultural Instructors. |
35 |
See Scheme No. 13. |
32,153 |
— |
452 |
— |
— |
66 |
2,310 |
|
(6) Poultry-keeping Instructors. |
44§ |
See Schemes Nos. 10 and 12. |
26,843 |
— |
— |
144 |
2,242 |
662 |
16,108 |
|
(7) Forestry Instructors and Demonstrators. |
33|| |
See “B” attached. |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
* Includes the 3 Agricultural Instructors referred to at (3).
† Includes the 3 Agricultural Instructors referred to at (3).
‡ With a few exceptions, these Instructors also give Instruction in Butter-making.
§ Three of these assist in their office work the Instructors in Agriculture referred to at (3), who act as County Secretaries while carrying out the duties of an Agricultural Instructor. The Clerical Assistant is also in charge of the Committee's office during the absence of the County Secretary. The fourth clerical officer is employed in Co. Cork, where such assistance is essential, owing to the large size of the County and the extent of the Schemes.
|| Includes 2 Foresters employed by a County Council and a County Committee of Agriculture in connection with the Forestry Schemes of those bodies.
County Committee of Agriculture —Duties of Secretary.
The Secretary is required to give his whole time to the duties of the post, and in pursuance thereof:—
(1) To act as Secretary and Accountant to the Committee.
(2) To convene and attend meetings of the Committee (two copies of notice convening each meeting should be sent to the Department on the same day as issued to the members of the Committee), record the proceedings thereat, and supply copies of the minutes (with the financial minutes in a separate and detachable form) to the Department within seven days after each such meeting.
(3) To perform all duties as Secretary and Accountant that may be required of him under the Agricultural and Live Stock Schemes and any other relevant schemes, for the time being approved, to comply with the terms of such schemes, and to observe such regulations in connection therewith as may from time to time be prescribed by the Department.
(4) To furnish such returns, claims, reports, etc., and carry out such administrative details in connection with the various approved schemes in the county as may be required by the Committee or the Department.
(5) To keep a special inventory or stockbook of all equipment used in connection with the various approved schemes.
(6) To do such work as may be required of him in connection with the Destructive Insects and Pests Acts, the Bee Pest Prevention (Ireland) Act, 1908, and other statutes, as may be requested by the Department.
(7) To make himself thoroughly familiar with the requirements of his county in relation to the work of the Committee of Agriculture and to take a leading part in promoting the interests and success of the various approved schemes in the county.
(8) To be responsible for, and to devote his attention largely to matters relating to organisation, discipline, equipment and educational efficiency of the courses of instruction — classes, lectures, meetings, etc., provided by the Committee under or in connection with approved County Schemes.
(9) To ensure that the time of the staff in the employment of the Committee is fully and usefully occupied, that their duties are efficiently discharged, that their visits to the various districts in the county are arranged with due regard to economy in travelling expenses, and to examine and take appropriate action on their reports and weekly diaries.
(10) To undertake no duties other than those appertaining to his office without having previously obtained the express sanction of the Committee and the Department, and in no case to act as secretary to any local or county agricultural society.
Forestry Division.
(a) The figure 33 in column (a) of table includes 3 District Officers, 5 Grade I. Foresters, 14 Grade II. Foresters and 9 Foremen, together with 2 Foresters employed by Cork County Council and Kildare County Committee of Agriculture. In addition, a Forester is employed by the Donegal County Committee of Agriculture whose duties are concerned solely with the Shelter Belt Scheme in that county.
(b) District Officers and Foresters have charge of the Department's forestry operations at the centres to which they are assigned. Their duties include the employment of labour for all classes of forestry operations, and they are responsible to the Department for the carrying out of their forest policy. Foremen are employed to assist the Foresters in this work, and their chief function is to supervise the work of squads of forest labourers.
The duties of the Kildare County Forester are divided between the Forestry Scheme and the Tree Nursery Scheme. He looks after the nurseries and the distribution of plants, and also supervises planting and other operations in the county woods.
The Cork County Forester supervises operations in the county nursery, and arranges for the supply of plants to those wishing to carry out planting operations. He also pays visits to farmers throughout the county, for the purpose of giving them advice.
(c) The Department's forest officers do not generally visit farms for the purpose of giving advice.
The number of visits paid by the Cork County Forester during the year ended on the 1st ultimo was 448.
(d) The columns under (d) are not, as will be seen, applicable in the case of the forestry officers.