MORE MACHINES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 73, 28 March 1938, Page 3

MORE MACHINES.

POSITION ON FARMS. MEETING HIGHER COSTS. DOMINION'S PRODUCTION". Thnt farmers are actively intrcdtieinp Inlidiir-saviiipr macliinerv to meet .the ! position created liy costs and the short aop n f f a cm labour is clearly shown jin tlie report on afrrieiiHliral and pms,l oral production in New Zealand for the l!!:iti-:!7 season. Till- trend re\cale-.! has |,eon continued liy heavy e\|«'iidit ore oil im plenien ts. tractors and other niachinerv since. I ho greatest increase in purchases of j machinery by farmers in I«»:{(;-.',7 was shown in agricultural tractors. ~f which l.) per cent more were bought than in the previous year. Kleetrie motors wensecond. with an increase of ]:{A per cent. There wa» a rise ~f nearly -f per <'ent in the number ot milking machines installed. and during the year 7S per ecnt ot the total cows in milk in the Dominion were milked by machines. -\g lien I Una l tractors sold totalled iioS.l. with a horse-power of 112.11(17. The number of .shearing machine plants increased by .1 jier cent, the JO.'ili-.'ir ligtire being S.st',7. There was a i i-e of I.'i."i.oilo in the total nuniber of cattle, but dairv herds showed a decrease. I'igs also decreased slightly in nuniber. I'i.g production, however. was ,0 per cent above the level of live years previously. sheep inerea-ed ill number bv I.2IMUIIKI. reaching a total of over •'! I ..'!<M>.0II(I and establishing a record for New Zealand. I he largest l ise was in breeding' ewes, which increased by tiIi(I.IMH) to the record of l!l.:i:i2.iMl(i. Wool production on a oreasy basis amounted to ;jl)2.!»lill.(lO(i!li tor the year ended June -'>0. 1!):17. this total exceeding that of imv previous season except 1!):«-:ili, and 'being onlv 1,4110.01101b below the record of that vear.