MANAGEMENT OF FARMS

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21992, 16 January 1937, Page 4

MANAGEMENT OF FARMS

SURVEY IN ASHBURTON COUNTY PUBLICATION OF REPORT REQUESTED Members of the soil survey committee set up by the Ashburton County Council met yesterday morning to discuss methods whereby the Ashburton county farm management report might be given the fullest publicity for the benefit of farmers generally. The committee was set up to act with Canterbury Agricultural College, Lincoln, the officers of which have prepared, or are preparing, comprehensive reports of farming conditions in the county. The committee, after commenting on the great value of the farm management report, decided to ask the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research to have it published as fully as possible, for the guidance of farmers.

Dr. I. W. Weston, farm economist at the college, under -whose guidance the reports have been prepared, attended the meeting, with Mr J. R. Fleming, of Methven, who carried out the farm management survey. Mr H. E. Herring, MP. for Mid-Canter-bury, who has taken much interest in the scheme, was present by invitation. Others who attended, and who form the committee, were Messrs F. Frampton (chairman), D. J. Morrow, James Carr, R. Oakley, and George Kelly (Winchmore). Dr. Weston said that the local climate had such a bearing on production that farm management was closely allied to the prevailing weather, rather than to soil types. As it happened, however, the farm management districts, as grouped, followed much on the lines of the soil type districts. The report, when published in booklet form, would contain particulars of the average returns for each major grade of land, or, in other words, the amount that the average man could make off the land. A wool survey covering the back-country of the county Was available, and a wheat survey would be sent on to the Wheat Committee. Data for a fat lamb survey, covering the plains area of the county, were available, though much of that information was contained in the farm management report.

Crops about the Temuka district are j ripening fast under the continuing fine weather. For the last week maximum temperatures have averaged 70 degrees, the highest being 73 degrees. Only 25 points of ra:n have fallen within thr period, the winds have been moderate, and only once has the minimum temperature fallen below 40 degrees.