THE WEEK

Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24280, 10 June 1944, Page 3

THE WEEK

THE POTATO CROP Up till the beginning of May, the opinion was well founded that the potato crop would yield much better than predicted. The weather of May, with its sin of rainfall in many of the growing districts, has caused that prediction to be discounted, and that very markedly. The belief is now general in the trade and amongst farmers that there may be an acute shortage before the season ends. Military requirements for the Islands have already, caused the absorption of heavy quantities and the continuance of these orders has been made difficult by the wet condition of the land. Not only has this caused potatoes to be, lilted in a dirty condition, but blight and a degree of rotting have set in. Heavy rejections for overseas needs have followed from this, and the fact also that scab and second growth are prevalent. Much of the former is only skin deep and has little detrimental effect for local needs, and the authorities have wisely allowed this class to go into Dominion consumption at a slight reduction on standard prices. Potatoes for shipment have now to be “processed” in the stores, which, in effect, means that they have to be refilled into cental sacks, so farmers who fail to exercise the maximum care over the condition of the potatoes they sell lor this purpose may accept the fact that their consignments have no chance of getting away as they leave the farm. Many lines of potatoes, however, contract injuries before they reach the stores for which the growers are no way responsible. The worst of these is bruising by apparently careless handling in the lorry transport to the railways and in loading into trucks. Many of the bruises are obviously not machine caused, but are due to the sacks 'being bumped up against haia obstacles, perhaps the doors of the railway waggons. Potatoes so affected will not carry long distances or keep any length of time, such as may be required of them if shipped to a Pacific destination. FARM MACHINERY AND WHEAT An article on this page on the value of machinery on the wheat farm gives occasion for some thought as to its relationship with wheatgrowing. Obviously if the decline in acreage continues at the rate of the last season much of this costly machinery will remain partially inactive and unproductive. Conditions are developing abroad that may end up in the Dominion having to grow its own wheat needs from an obligatory viewpoint—not necessarily through any decree of the State, but through other causes. A danger that might follow a steadily shrinking acreage is to rekindle the opposition of certain commercial interests in the North Island, which waged a campaign against the “subsidising” of the South Island wheatgrower through the sliding scale of duties, which preceded the system now in vogue. A failure to respond to the protection. and the return of normal conditions may revive this hostility. Recently a statement has been in circulation, which appears to have official authority, to the effect that the British Government has contracted with the Australian Government to purchase all its surplus ■ wheat of the last and present season and for five seasons ahead. This would dry up the previously accessible Australian source of supply. If Britain has made such a contract for a long dated specific object—the nature of which is not obscure—its Food Ministry might look with little favour on a request for wheat from a country that is perfectly well able to grow its own. That the causes of this insufficiency are outside the control of farmers would not help much, particularly with the Ministry controlling food, which -would-be-im-pervious to political or other influences. ■

A sequel to the British transaction may be found in the opinion expressed recently by the chief of the New South Wales Department of Agriculture when, in appealing to farmers to increase their acreage, he said, that "wheat would come into its own again.” He was certainly speaking by the book if the British contract i$ for five years ahead, and at the current price Britain is now paying for Australian wheat—--4s lOjd a bushel—quite 50 per cent, more than the normal peace time price. This all shows a rapid change from less than two years ago, when wheat acreages were compulsorily reduced in the State.

Post war policy may compel producing nations to provide their own food needs where ability to do so is established. One asset about wheat is that surpluses are never likely to be a problem, such as some classes of the country’s meat were before the war, a problem which the war alone solved. In face of the uncertainties and other factors mentioned growers should attempt to stay the movement towards a totally inadequate crop, and use their plant to the maximum, t PROGRESS THRESHING WHEAT AVERAGE 29.44 BUSHELS SMALL OATS CROP The following table gives the results o£ threshing operations carried out during the months of January-March, 1944, according' to returns received from thresh-ing-mill operators up to May 8. The figures show that 138,084 acres of wheat threshed returned a total yield or 4,064,884 bushels, the-average yield an acre being 29.44 bushels; 15,156 acres of oats threshed produced 612,348 bushels, the average yield an acre being 40.40 bushels. Wheat ' Av.

At Hie annual meeting of the Midland Canterbury Jersey Cattle Club. Mr J. R. While presiding, Mr A. is. Brown (Leeston) was elected president; Mr L. D. Adams (Sheffield), vicepresident; and Messrs J. T. Prosser, C. H. Watson, R. J. Gilbert. P. J. Dulieu, and D. N. H. Watson the committer; Mr Duncan Jones, secretary; and Mr W. H. Jakins, auditor. Official judges appointed were Messrs J. T. Prosser, P. J. Dulieu, and R. J- Gilbert, the appointments to be confirmed by the New Zealand Breeders’ Council; associate judges. Messrs H. Nolan, A. E. Brown, and L. P. Hawke. It was decided to extend an invitation to the council of the New Zealand Jersey Breeders’ Association to hold the next annual meeting in Christchurch. Minor alterations were made in the arrangements of the annual bull saie. At the recent Sydney fair of . registered Hereford bulls some remarkably big prices were paid. A total of 115 was offered and sold for a total of £39.506. an average of £343 10s 9d a head. Five made 1000 guineas or more and more than 20 made 500 guineas or more. Top price was 1500 guineas. Drought and other troubles have taken a very heavy toll of the season's New South Wales potato cron. The estimate is 46.000 tons of all grades and quality. This Is a marked reduction on the normal crop.

Total Area yield an threshed. threshed. acre. Gisborne Hawke's Bay 212 8 26.50 22,418 942 34.41 Wellington 164,934 4.794 34.40 Marlborough . 232.081 7,733 30.01 Nelson .• 12,168 441 27.59 Canterbury .. 3,156.462 112,078 28.16 Otago •• 427,626 11.256 37.99 Southland •• 38,983 832 46.85 Totals 4.064.884 138,084 29.44 Oats Av. yield

Total threshed. Area threshed. an acre. 156 12 13.00 Wellington 13,170 327 40.28 Marlborough . 21,797 593 36.76 2,144 52 41.23 Canterbury .. 304,189 9,803 31.03 112,350 2.153 52.13 Southland .. 158,542 2.216 71.54 Totals 612.348 15,156 40.40