THE FARMING YEAR.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14547, 26 December 1912, Page 3

THE FARMING YEAR.

GOOD TIMES ALL ROUND

The New Zealander who makes his living as one of the honourable army of primary producers has little reason to be dissatisfied with the success that has generally attended his efforts during tho past season, and, better still, the outlook at the present time is distinetlv rea.s.surin.'. The last harvest

was a tioml ono. but considerable annoyunee and some loss wore caused by the lonc-contimii-'J wet weather, which resulted in a great deal of damage to the hay <-ron. This year it lias been also rather damn, but the tine weather has arrive! in time to bring ak> n>; a smaller urea of cro;i in a manner that is little short of marvellous, and farmers are already busied in getting a hay crop that promises tv bo* excellent in every way. Last season ivns remarkable for the outcry made by fanners about the lack of labour, an:! there is no doubt tli.at the Marc.ty of workers is severely lelt by growers of crops —especially growers oi potatoes—\v!io badly novled sufiieient lielp nt the critical time when the tubers should have been lifted. It is rather early vet to say what the state of the labour market will he during the present harvest, but last year's scarcity lias had the eifect of turning the i;!i>as of fanners and pastoralists towards such matters as the inaugurating of a more forceful immigration policy, Ti:d the providing of adequate homes for labourers on the lan<l, and giving the tarm worker a more solid interest >.". his occupation. Durinir the year prices for cereals have been good." not ohenomenally hi;di, perhaps, except in regard to potatoes, but at a value*that must be remunerative, considering the yield that was obtained. Stock keepers should' have little reason to complain of affairs in their line during the year. Values have been very firm all through, and the nrcsent season has opened most promisingly. The season last summer and .•uitiinin was very go<xl for tha production of feed ; both grass and fodder crops did well, and all classes of .stock Mine through the winter splendidly. The savins that "there is never 'a bad lambing after a green autumn" was fully justified this year, because the lambing must be not far off a record for the Dominion, and from the exhaustive reports published in "The Wceklv Press" it may be estimated that there is an increase in the drop of somewhere between 15 and 20 per cent. High percentages in the smaller flocks were numerous, and there was a pleasing lack of any reoorts of disease among, the breeding flocks. At the present time the country is covered in feed, and the prospects for the. fattening season are really good, tho markets opening well. Last season was considered a remarkably good ono for the dairying industry, but the present one promises to ho quite as good, if not better, and the demand for all classes of dairy products is very keen. When a price of Is -ltd per lb can be paid out for butter-fat, as was done at the Little Akaloa cheese factory, it cannot be imagined that the dairying business is in any immediate danger of disaster, and the prico quoted has been vovy nearly approached by scores of other factories in the Dominion. Wool was good last year, but this season the market has opened up better still, and runholders who rely almost entirely upon their clip for their livings have little reason to grumble, either at the results they have obtained so far, or at the prospects for the future. Tn fine, the farmers and pastoralists of New Zealand may generally be taken to be fairly fortunate folk, and if grumbles arc occasionally heard, then it must bo remembered that this is tho farmer's privilege.