WHAT WILL A FARM PAY?

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22656, 10 March 1939, Page 15

WHAT WILL A FARM PAY?

TO THE EDITOR OF THE PRESS Sir,—As a constant reader of your paper, I think that discussion under the above heading one of the most interesting and instructive from a farmer’s point of view. First of all I should like to congratulate “Foothills Experience” on

his very able and interesting letter — a letter, too, that gives a very fair and accurate survey of the position as it is to-day. I am reminded of a statement made by one of the members of the Adjustment Commission, that many farms near the foothills would make only a meagre living after paying expenses if the farms were given to the farmers: and, indeed, I will go further and say that many such farms, if given, would not net the basic wage to those who worked them. I myself know of land that in recent years is returning something like 20s for every 25s spent on it. The reason is that fertility is gone and the land requires to be simply grazed for the next 10 years. Against this is the fact that, the holdings are not large enough to warrant grazing only, as the winters are long and to carry stock at all provision has to be made for artificial feeding. Further, land near the foothills soon reverts to broom, browntop, and couch if not broken up regularly. The recent wet years have added .considerably to overhead costs in double or 'treble working and double sowings as well as so setting the land that crop returns have been decreased 75 per cent. In conclusion, I should like to suggest to "FaAn Experience” that he give some constructive criticism instead of writing about seemingly petty contradictions in other letters, for I am sure that if he has, or knows of, a way out of our difficulties, very many foothills farmers will rise up and cal! him blessed. There is' only one way for the foothills farmer who grows cereals, and that is to summer fallow, for it is too late to work land after he gets his crops off, which is often somewhere near the end of March. His wheat and oats should be sown in April.—Yours, etc.. SPRINGFIELD. March. 8. 1939.