WHEAT LANDS.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18970, 7 April 1927, Page 11

WHEAT LANDS.

INSPECTION BY MINISTER. r. HON. MR HAWKEVS TOUR. i The grain-rowing possibilities of the Ashburton County were, viewed by the Minister for Agriculture (the Hon. ilr Hawken) veslerday, when he was conducted'on a tour embracing all the cropping districts in the county, a total of 140 miles being traversed. Those accompanying the Minister were the president of the' Mid-Canterbury Provincial Executive.of the New Zealand Farmers' Union.. Mr James Carr, Mr H. C. B. Withell (a vice-president), Mr P Shearer (president of the.Ashburton A.-and.P Association), Messrs ±. Frampton and A. Brown, J. Campbell (president of the Methven A. and P. Association), Pr. G. J- Eeakes (Director-General, of Agriculture), Mr G. Brannigan (Fields Division, Department of Agriculture, Ashburton), and Mr H. Christian (secretary, Ashburton A. and P. Association and Mid-Canter-bury Provincial Executive of the Farmers': Union). _ • ; Leaving Ashburton shortly betore 1U a.m., the tour was commenced down the Seaficldroad'to' Charing Cross, where the party passed through the oatgrowipg lands of :Pcndarves and Done, and. then to. the Ardamine Hall, up the main road through Overdalo to Jtakaia. Several stacks, mostly oats, we're seen still standing in the paddocks of those districts below the . line, but practically t all the wheat had been threshed,"there being still a few heaps of grain to .be'carted from the fields. Passing..through Rakaia, the route led up the river, road through Highbank and Barrhill, and back down to Lyndhu'rst.' -,'../

- .Proceeding from Lyndhurst a circuit was taken round through the excellent grain-growing, area, of Springfield. Here the'threshing is nearing completion, and most of the grain has been transported. Methven was; reached shortly after noon. , , . i The. dairying side; of the. district's activities was inspected when a visit fras paid to' the Aft. Itutt Dairy Coin pany's factory, and the party was conducted through by the manager (Mr G.Woods). i'' '" ' At Methyon. : At Methven the party was met by Mr. J. B. Dalton (president of the iHethven branch of the Farmers' Union), Mr. J. McAnulty (a vice-president), the secretary (Mr J. Stone) \ and Mr E. J. Low. They were entertained to luncheon.'

' ' In. welcoming- the Minister, Mr Dalton said that agriculture was a difficult "Department to administer. He thought that the Minister was out to inspect the district and obtain some of the farmers' Viewpoints. Two of the greatest hardship's to the farniers were dear money aiid the Arbitration Court as at present Constituted. The high percentage paid for money was a drawback to farming, a v nd the Government would be doing good work for -them if they .could get the'rate reduced. With' regard to wheat, he:said the Methven farmers were prepared to accept a' payable price, but it. was difficult to get that payable price. ' i Mr -J. Campbell, and-Mr. J. W. M. J&art, a}so. spoke, the latter saying that slo-far as. wrhea't.vwas 'concerned, they '■coiald-DCjt.do >-e?y xrmch without .a- growers! "organisation; They did hope that tie-Government.:w.o'uld do.something for nWt .year if;the farmers could not do it; : ;f,«r themselves. . ■ Mr Hawken thanked all those ■ who tiad shown him round the district. It wras. an .eye-opener- to a--northerner to {fee- some of the -.great' wheat land' thoy Karl in it lie' County. It was : some of the finest iVbeat land in the world.. The Arbitration ' Court was a question of rjoiicy and .he. knew that there had been some very drastic, things • said about the working of the' Court during the • gasi • two months. He believed -that there was-'room for a good deal of experimenting with wheat, in order to get the' best'results.--He knew that they were all Experienced, and he could not. give'■ them much 'advice on that point. The . Government : had secured as. cheap money as it was possible to get anywhere. ..Undoubtedly the Farmers' Union, .with its agitation, had been responsible for getting cheaper money.

I ' inspection Continued. f Before leaving, Mcthvon, the- party returned to > Highbank, where a 100acre paddock on the property of Air 'A Marr, which had : been put down in cocksfoot for seed instead, of grain, was inspected. The journey was continued through tlie sheep, country, of Mt. Mutt across through the .dairying lands or Alford'. Forest. Stave-ley. and AltSorters, thenco to May field, where, the Minister was. welcomed by Mr EC. D. Withell (president of the A. and 1. ■Association),' Mr C. Sewell (chairman of the : Mavfield branch of the New Zea-land'-Farmers' 1 Union),. Messrs Li.'BHarrisdn'and ; A. V. Barrett. ' Abo-ut 30'i'armers gathered to meet ike Minister and- after he had been frelcbmed.by Messrs Withell and feewell, Mr Haw-ken>spoke,- ■ ■. ; He -thanked them for the welcome. He said that Mayfield was a; very .toriunato: place and- apparently had no complaint. The sheep men were.in a Better-position to-day. than most other branches of farming.. The wool market was very stable, and the sheep men should'now be in-a better position to make a profit'than for many years past. Small farmers- could, have just as good flocks as the larger holders, who held the-best? flocks in" the past.- Some of the Iheep- he had seen thai/ day had been quite good, -but he did not think that thev: could now beat the North Island lambs, which-were the Southdown-Rom-Aey cross. (Seeing that the May-field farmers were mostly sheep men he .believed they were .in for, a prosperous time in the.future. , J ,Mr J. Carr- thanked them for- the way. they had turned out to meet the Minister: Three cheers were given ior Mr Haw ken. v.. • . ! .The'journey was completed down through We&ttield and Lagmhor back to Christehurch, which . was reached shortly after's p.rri. .