WHEAT GROWING.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLV, Issue 10169, 26 July 1924, Page 4

WHEAT GROWING.

Sir, —Various opinions' are- givens from time to time in the Press as.to: whether an increased acreage of wheat will be grown in the coming season: compared with the season just, past.In order to get an approximate indication, the Metliven branch of the Farmers’ TJnion has during the past two weeks taken a census of the wheatgrowers in its district; and as Methven is the centre of one of the largest wheat-growing areas, it should be a guide as to what is being done in other parts of Canterbury and North Otago. We interviewed 90 farmers, who in the season. .1923-4 grew 8125 acres of wheat. The same farmers have this year sown or intend to sow 6012 acres, a decrease of 2113 acres, or over 25 per cent, reduction, the figures showing that while 14 farmers have sown the' same number of acres as they did last year, 20 have increased their acreage and 56 have shown a decrease. These figures would seem to show that farmers are taking the advice tendered to them at the time they went to the Arbitration Court to try to get the cost of wheat-growing reduced, which was that- if wheat-growing did not par. they should turn to some other branchof farming that did. But are they doing this? The latest sheep returns point out that there i»a decrease of 227,726 sheep in the Kaikoura (Canterbury) district and 80,329 * in Otago and Southland, and although I have not the actual figures I believe many farmers are chasing the by turning from cattle to sheep. There is no doubt that what lias practically killed the wheat industry is the high cost of manures, implements, wages, interest charges, and taxation. Wheat growing not only impoverishes yourland, but makes it very dirty, encouraging every kind of weed to grow, and - brings tlie farmer daily nearer the - Bankruptcy Court. But if Canterbury farmers are to give up growing grain, and our flocks 1 and herds are allowed to decrease, how are we going to support the everincreasing load of national and local indebtedness ? Probably some of the critics who are ever ready to show where the farmer is wrong will answer. JAMES CARR. Methven, July 24, 1924.