TOPICS OF THE WEEK

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28530, 8 March 1958, Page 9

TOPICS OF THE WEEK

FIRST PLACE TO FERTILISERS

Speaking to a North Island audience on some aspects of the sheep industry in New Zealand. Mr R. H, Bevin, executive officer of the New Zealand Meat and Wool Board’s Economic Service, said that next to the clearing of the North Island forests and breaking the tussock of the southern plains the single factor which had been responsible in the greatest degree for the widening of grazing horizons had been fertiliser mainly superphosphate. The results on practically all soil types had been apparent from the start, and now annual usage was running at about lm tons —sufficient to topdress between 8 and 10m acres. It could be demonstrated that there was a close relationship between fertiliser used and the quantity of meat and wool, produced. With fertilisers many of the erstwhile natural differences in country might be wiped out as vigorous swards cunningly managed yielded their round-the-year mead of grazing. “Herein lies the major field of expanded production,’ said Mr Bevin. “Mechanical progress in distribution through aeroplanes, bulk sowers, blowers, and so on, accompanied by the improved access to hitherto isolated hill country, have opened up to the occupiers of the land areas of development even greater than those areas under Government control on the North Island central plateau—great and important as that is.”

RURAL LAND VALUES

Professor Firth, of the University of Tasmania, is reported in a Tasmanian paper as saying there is great danger in the over-valua-tion of rural land. He stated that over-valuation is a reason why the indebtedness of farmers could be dangerously high. Over-commit-ment could come about through farmers bidding too high for properties sold at Ruction. The long period of rising prices since the war had, said Professor Firth, carried with it a danger of looking for continuing rising prices which was most unlikely to be the case.

WILD PIG CONTROL. A visitor from South Otago mentioned this week that in his district farmers had the wild pig .population well under control. These pigs had become a serious menace in the districts in the south-east parts of the country and for many years did great damage in killing sheep and lambs and in the destruction of fences. A committee got to work and a wide poisoning campaign was undertaken. Poisoned meat was used. This was a great success and now few pigs are seen. At the same time it is realised that a constant watch must be kept as pigs breed rapidly. As a result of the campaign there has been a great increase in the number of lambs tailed and the constant mending of fences is a thing of the past.

Veterinary Club Progress

The Ashburton Veterinary Club, which is now in its eighth year, has grown from an organisation with a membership of 150 to 930 today. Shortly, a start will be made to build a new headquarters for the club on a six-acre block near the Ashburton showgrounds, which was formerly used for the Ashburton saleyards. The chairman of the club, Mr P. S. Bonifant, said the other day that it was his hope that the new building, which will be in brick and will have about 4000 square feet of space, would be started fairly soon—possibly in April or May. Club members are being called on to pay an annual levy of £2 for five years to help finance the project.

Last year’s results in the development of animal breeding in Russia had further strengthened his confidence that the task of overtaking the United States in the coming years as regards per capita production of meat, milk, and butter would be solved, according to a report by Mr Khrushchev, Soviet Communist Party leader, the Jubilee Session of the Supreme Soviet. He said that in October, 1956, the number of large horned cattle exceeded the pre-revolutionary figure of 4,600.000 by 12.000,000.