THE WEEK

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 24116, 27 November 1943, Page 3

THE WEEK

LAMB WEIGHTS Though the increase in the price of heavy-weight export lambs will benefit Canterbury and Marlborough producers less than in those districts where the Rbmney ewe is pre-eminent, there will be general approval of the principle involved. It will remove a widespread cause of complaint, and bring in the practice of paying lamb values on the basis of the weight of lamb rather than on the lack of it. There was no support of the practice that prevailed last season of paying a halfpenny per lb more for 23/251b lambs than for ,37/40’s. The former can be little more than a forward store unless taken from the mother well before the season has opened, and the encouragement to produce it seemed to make the objective of prime Canterbury, as it used to be known, futile and profitless. Shipping exigencies were stated to be the cause of the revision in 1942, which penalised the producer of the heavier lamb and brought the featherweight of 23/251J) into the circle of high .prices. The public are the judges of what they want in peace time, but the State decides the matter in times of war, when every pound of meat is required. It therefore seems a dubious policy in view of this urgent need that a premium should for not producing good weights for, in effect, that is what the readjusted schedule brought about. It takes 10 to 12 months for a ewe to be mated and fed and wintered until hei fattened lamb goes to the works. There is a substantial employment—and waste—of capital here when it is considered that the lamb is taken away when it is four or five pounds lighter than it need be. an extra weight that another month of feed , would give it. It represents a loss of 10 to 12 per cent, of meat. Naturally any of these calculations are dependent on the dominating factors of climate, feed, and season, but these factors are ever present. , ■ ■ The increase in the schedule for the 37/421b carcase, besides recognising the industry of the fattener and conforming to the ideal of producers and consumers as to the type that represents the best example of “prime Canterbury.” may have been brought about to some extent by post-war needs. If New Zealand is to pull its weight as the conference at Hot Springs apparently believed it could do, there will be little need for feather-weight lambs. The need will be for as much meat as can be carried in the one skin, consistent with the lamb not being brought to the weight of an adult sheep. The present readjustment should be a useful factor in this aim. THE POTATO ACREAGE In the paucity of publicity about the progress of the various objectives set by the Government for essential food crops, it is difficult to judge how the efforts are progressing. Occasionally information is released from various centres, and from them it is to be feared that results to *date in the important crop of potatoes are poor. At the Otago Primary Production Council meeting the other'day, Mr J. B. Waters said that the increase had been most disappointing. Only about one-third of the desired acreage in the province had been contracted for, and everything pointed to a serious shortage of supplies for the coming year. Mr Waters attributed the position partly to the general shortage of labour, and perhaps more to the lateness of the season as a result of wet weather having prevented preparation of the ground. Other reasons could be suggested as responsible for the msatisfactory response. One is claimed to be the character of the contracts, and another, related to the first, is the inability of the grower to secure redress should his potatoes be rejected. There has been complaint about the grading of last season's crop, and this is scarcely a Helpful factor in extending the next crop. The weather, which has been so bad in the south, was not such a serious disadvantage in Canterbury, except for the early plantings. It is indeed disappointing to read that the Government estimate of the forthcoming area is only 23,000 acres, whilst the appeal was for 33,000 acres. The Otago council decided to make an urgent appeal to put in even a small area of potatoes in order to help out the position, and it was also decided to urge all amateur gardeners, in their own interests, to plant as many potatoes as space permitted. The latter advice is useful, though perhaps too late for much result this season. The' production from gardens was not an insignificant factor in last season’s substantial crop. INITIAL LIME TREATMENT i A paragraph last Saturday relating to the experience of a South _ Canterbury farmer in the use of lime in regenerating a young deteriorating pasture may be usefully elaborated by some further information supplied the writer. The pasture was sown seven years ago, certified seed being .used* and sown with 2cwt of superphosphate an acre The germination was good, but the early growth was poor and another 2cwt of super was applied in the spring. Results continued unsatisfactory, and the ploughing of the area, was practically decided upon. It was at this point that advice from the specialist of the Department of Agriculture was sought, and the officer recommended a ton of lime to the acre. This was applied in March, and before winter set in a decided improvement in the appearance of the pasture was noted, and in the next spring and ever since the pasture has been giving maximum grazing results. The useful point about this experience is that the farmer had given no thought to lime as a corrective, because he had used lime previously without apparent Results. However, the quantity was confined to 3 to scwt an acre. This farmer is now satisfied that to lime with initial quantities of this amount is only playing with the job, and his programme for the future in laying down pastures is a minimum of a ton to the acre. This policy agrees with that of nearly every farmer who has had a lengthy experience of lime

use The writer has come across cases where farmers have applied a few cwt to land, which, tested in later years, showed a lime deficiency of three tons, and, of course, they saw no results. The experience naturally turned, them into opponents of liming. In the same district are farmers who started liming some years later, but with the first application of a ton they had results from the start. The initial treatment is much more necessary .and urgent than the light subsequent ones, the need of which, in any case, can be judged from the appearance of the pasture. Although the higher rainfall of the south and the generally stronger land require heavier lime treatment than Canterbury soils, the quantities used there in the past would astonish most Canterbury men. Up to three tons an acre were by no means unusual, and in cases up to 2i tons of burnt lime were applied. This, however, was for cultivated crops, where quick growth and assistance to beat the weeds was an important consideration.