THE WEEK

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23747, 19 September 1942, Page 3

THE WEEK

THE LAMBING 'Hie wintry burst last week was as brief as it was fierce, and except for lambs dropped on the night of the storm, in exposed or poorly sheltered places, losses should be comparatively small. Fortunately the low country lambing was well advanced in the areas where the storm appears to have been the worst, and this minimised the chances of mortality. Ewes rarely have come through a better winter, and consequently they and their lambs were in better shape to weather the brunt of the storm. It is possible that some losses of ewes occurred on the higher country. Up till the arrival of the storm all reports of lambing were exceptionally good, and give some prospect of last season’s heavy decline being recovered. A number of farmers in North Canterbury. where the proportion of coarsewoolled ewes is small, have tailed up to 130 per cent. This is not high for Romneys, but it is high for fine wools. One farmer who tailed this percentage from about 1000 ewes, (no two-tooths) told "Straggler” that the interesting point was that the Romneys did no better than usual, but the halfbreds did much better. The explanation of this doubtless is that the Romney has always the advantage of grazing on the easy country, where feed is generally the best, whereas the half bred has to weather through on the less productive hills. There was ample feed this winter for the hill country sheep. Another farmer said that his ewes had rarely been in better shape at the lambing nor had tile lambs been healthier and livelier. This he attributed to the liming he had undertaken in the last few years, which was a factor not only in the improved feed but in building up the constitution of the lamb. A Peninsula pasloralist expressed the opinion on Wednesday that the lambing in the Bays was likely to be one of the best on record. His usual percentage in an ordinarily favourable season was 100 to 105. From several lots tailed so far this season the average had teen 110 to 115 or more per cent. A recovery of last season’s decline of 4 per cent, in the Canterbury lambing is possible, from the progress returns so far. and from the fact that there has been no high country storm of the severity of that of August 12 months ago. THE PLOUGH IN ENGLAND The plough has been speeded in England in the last three years to an unbelievable extent. It was recently reported that about 6,000,000 acres of land, mostly derelict, have been turned over and are producing hugely increased quantaties of the food needs of the people. To-day, it is estimated, Britain is providing 66 per cent, of its own food. What it all may mean in the post-war days to exporting countries gives cause for sober reflection, particularly as it has been agreed by the three political parties that agriculture in Britain will not be allowed to slip back into the slough as it was after the last war. Then the landed party was opposed to intense production, requiring, as it did. the acquisition of old family estates. The dismemberment of many of these estates since through taxation has removed the opposition of this element. The second party was more concerned 25 years ago with the development of industry, and the world-wide demand that it supplied. Much of that trade was lost during the last war and has never been recovered, and there is a limit to manufacturing expansion. The third party was then indifferent, but poverty and unemployment in the industrial classes have made any proposal for the absorption of surplus labour welcome. The casual observer may take solace in history—the retention of agricultural expansion ,was proposed after the last war. and nothing came of it. But then the policy had no political support: to-day it has. However, figures disclosed recently by the Ministry of Agriculture show the stout effort British farmers are making, particularly in consideration of the fact that agriculture has provided its quota of men for the forces. Home food production has freed 5,000,000 tons of shipping space; vegetable production has increased by 50 per cent, on pre-war figures; potatoes by two-thirds and, in addition, British farmers have grown 12,000,000 tons of their own feeding stuffs, which have maintained both milk and beef production. The March machinery census revealed 111,000 tractors, compared with 52,000 in June. 1939. British agriculture is annually spending roughly three times as much on machinery as it did before the war.

RIDGED SWEDES

The Southland practice of ridging swede turnips is adopted in some districts in Canterbury, but it is practically unknown in most others. Some growers in the Methven district adopt the practice, some of them quite a decade ago, and they have not gone back to the old method. Methven district, by the way, has the reputation of growing the best root crops in Canterbury. but this is generally credited to the more liberal rainfall and the suitability of the land. The former is certainly a factor, and the latter reason may bo also, but the method of sowing the turnips is probably by far the most important reason. It is the ridging practice that is mainly responsible for the record crops of swedes grown in the south—9o tons an acre some years ago in the Inchclutha district of South Otago. .I-* A North Canterbury pastorahst writes to "Straggler” to say that he had been told seven or eight years ago that swedes could not be grown in North Canterbury. Two years later he thought they could, and he bought a two-row ridger and scuffler. It was successful, and he then changed it to a three-row. His experience from this satisfied him that the ridger and scuffler were most essential, ana ne has now bought a four-row outfit and can grow swedes the equal of those of Southland. "We should have ridged swedes, rape, and chou moellier the writer says, yet he did not think there were half a dozen ridgers in North Canterbury.

SECOND-CLASS IMPLEMENTS

Recent clearing sales in Canterbury have shown an extraordinary appreciation in the value of second-hand machinery—up to double in cases on the original price of some years ago. A similar development has taken place in England, and there the matter is being officially dealt with, an order having been issued controlling the sale of second-hand machinery. The statement made is that prices paid for tractors and implements have long been absurd and a definite handicap on production. In one respect, according to an English farm paper, the farmers themselves may be blamed. That is by the way in which they have run up the bidding at auction sales. This is now effectively stopped, but, judging by the small amount of space devoted to the point in the order it may be doubted whether those responsible for its final drafting fully realised that farm machinery will have to continue to be sold by auction. What is to happen, asks the paper, when the auctioneer is faced by half a dozen or more buyers simultaneously bidding the “retail list price” of the lot being offered? We can visualise some very interesting situations that the auctioneers will have to face. Something like this position was ere-, ated at Addington two years ago, when one or two beef sales were conducted under a somewhat vague belief under a Government decree that if a butcher, paid more, or an auctioneer accepted more, or a farmer received more than the auctioneer’s idea of what conformed to so much per 1001b they. £oy& §U

WHEAT AND SERPENTINE ROCK A Waimate farmer writes asking about the truth of the rumour in his district that the Government has some proposal for compulsory wheatgrowing and that all wheatgrowers will be compelled to increase their present acreage. The writer is not in the confidence of the Government and would hesitate to suggest what is in Its mind. However, no official intimation has been made on the matter, but it is scarcely likely, if such a scheme should be adopted, that the principle of its application would be as feared by the inquirer. In the last two years many growers have “stepped up” their wheat acreages, whilst others with suitable land have done very little, if anything. Common sense would suggest that the acreages on which increases would be based are those of two or three years ago, when war needs first became clamant, not the “present” .acreage. Many farmers' working - under a rotation system, and who are now cropping their maximum areas, would have their rotation seriously upset if their present wheat acreages were taken as a basis for a compulsory increase. If compulsion is contemplated it is reasonable to believe that the Government would of all ascertain the extent of the voluntary response to the efforts of the Primary Production Committees. This information could be secured by committees some time before the end of the year, and if the required area is not forthcoming compulsion could and should be used on the defaulters. The Government would have general support in such a policy, provided, of course, there is an assurance that labour will be available for the work and the subsequent harvest. This country has grown 400,000 acres of wheat in the past, and can do it again. This inquirer also wishes to know why the farmers of the North Island have to accept a mixture of superphosphate and serpentine rock in place of super alone or a mixture of super and lime. Super and lime, he slates, have proved an ideal mixture for all crops, whereas the reports of super and serpentine rock have been very conflicting. The writer confesses that he does not know the reason. As indicated by the inquirer super and lime have achieved notable results, whilst the serpentine mixture is still critically viewed by a big circle of farmers. One explanation may be that in the North Island lime plants are further away from the rail and delivery of lime to farms is consequently much more costly, and petrol and tyres have to be considered. Lime is not used in the north—where there is comparatively little agriculture—to anything like the extent that it is in the south, and the substitution of serpentine for it would not upset farm practice to anything like the extent it would do here. So far there has been no report that the policy is to be applied to the south, which step would probably be very much opposed. The Auckland Position Apropos of the above correspondent’s inquiry about the use of serpentine rock the “New Zealand Herald pub Hshes the following* Auckland lime manufacturers it is reported, are engaged onworkingouta plan to cut all large orders by 50 per cent, so that production for the year will conform to the Government instruction to reduce output by 33 1-3 per cent. They still entertain the hope, however, that the decision will be reV< There is a common belief that the reason for the lime reduction order was to release transport for the carnage of serpentine rock, which is now mixed with all superphosphate in the proportion of one part of serpentine to three. Many of the North Island dairy companies are protesting against the Principle of compulsion in the use of the superphosphate-serpentine rock mixture They contend that farmers should have the right to buy straight superphosphate and use lime instead of serpentine rock if they wish. Some of the dairy companies own or control lime works in their own districts. “The opinion is widespread, said one man, “that the reason of the insistence upon adding serpentine rock to superphosphate is the financial embarrassment of the Government over its obligation to subsidise superphosphate."