EMPIRE FARMERS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 50, Issue 128, 12 March 1930, Page 7

EMPIRE FARMERS.

VISIT TO CANTERBURY. PROBLEMS DISCUSSED. (Special to the “Guardian.”) CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. Leading agriculturists from Great Britain, Canada, and South Africa will arrive in Christchurch this evening with the party of Empire farmers that is engaged on a tour oi Austiajia and New Zealand. . , , *, * The party has completed a tom ot the North island. Yesterday was spent in a launch cruise in Pelorus Sound. To-day the party will leave Blenheim for Christchurch, a break in the journey being made at Amberley, where the visitors will he entertained at afternoon tea in the Domain. A noteworthy member of the visiting party is Sir Richard Winfrey, a wealthy English newspaper proprietor and agriculturist. Sir Richard Winfrey, who was knighted for public, services in connection with putting returned men on the land, is president of the Lincolnshire Small-holders’ Association and is an enthusiastic advocate of small holdings. . “I am a firm believer in small holdings,” he said in an interview, “and from what I have seen and heard of this country I believe that many parts of it do lend themselves admirably to close subdivision and intensive farming.” He believed that settlers would have a better chance of success if they took up small sections, from 50 to 70 acres of good land, so that they could effectively work them themselves and so keep down the production costs. He said that the Lincolnshire Smallholders’ Association controlled 3000 acres, on which there were over 200 settlers, and the scheme had been an unqualified success, many of the tenant farmers having been able to retire with quite a respectable competency. At the same time he expressed the opinion that both capital and hard work had to he to make a success on the land in New Zealand, but for the keen and progressive settler there was a great chance. South African View. Interesting comparisons between farming in New Zealand and that in South Africa, were drawn by Mr A. V. Allan, a Natal landowner. He remarked that what struck him was that New Zealand farming was intensive while South Africa’s was extensive, hut that was largely because New Zealand was but a comparatively small country while Africa was a vast continent. He remarked on the splendid fanning climate of the North Island and the wonderful pasture produced. Natal had a “harder” climate and did not grow the same green succulent grasses. Merino sheep were the popular, breeds in Africa and thrived on a native “karoo” grass, something ljke a salt bush, that stood the dry climate well. Natal farmers, however, were tackling the problem of greater production per acre and irrigation was 'being prosecuted iwth energy, the darifrning of rivers being carried out to take water to places fifty and sixty miles away.

Mr Allan was particularly interested in the top-dressing work being done in New Zealand as he said that considerable importance was now attached in Natal to the question of pasture improvement. Investigations :n this direction were in their infancy, however, and the use of fertilisers had so far not proved an unqualified success, due probably to the inconsistent rainfall. He remarked that mining was still Africa’s greatest industry and the diamond resources appeared unlimited. Agriculture was only a secondary industry compared with it so far as exports were concerned, although wool, wheat, fruit and cotton were sent out of the country in large quantities. A Canadian’s Impressions. The Canadian viewpoint was expressed by Mr J>. W. Warner, of Western Canada. “It is a beautiful country, and I have seen in New Zealand many l things that I will be able to take back to Canada with profit,” he said. “Most of the people appear to be or the same class, the middle class. They tell me you have none in the millionaire class, nor any in the poverty class, and I feel that you have solved the problem of equality in the distribution of wealth by the* best of social conditions.” “I have noticed that you are not only loyal to the Empire and to New Zealand, 'but that you are just loyal to your own locality,” said Mr Warner, who explained that each place visited claimed the premier district. New Zealanders, generally, seemed to be a happy people. It was owing to the energy and the perseverance of the pioneers from England, Scotland and Ireland that the land had been cleared and brought to its present high state of production. Now Zealand was more fortunate than most countries, having no colour problem, but a population that was virtually 99 per cent. British, and could be called more English than the English.