Original Correspondence.

Clutha Leader, Volume XX, Issue 1032, 4 May 1894, Page 6

Original Correspondence.

AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRIES. TO THK EDITOR. Sis, — I should like through the medium of your columns to call tho attontion of farmers in the Clutha district to a few thoughts connected with tho farming industry which I think it would be to their. advantage to consider. In doing so I would say that I do not in the slightest degree wish to dictate to them how their businoss Bhould be conducted, but simply to point out some of the numerous branches of the industry which are completely neglected in this district, with the sole object of doing something (however small) in the direction of inducing them to use their land to the best advantage. Farmers will all agree that the prices ruling for grain this* season are not profitable. Haa the yield been a large one a profit might have been made at the expense of a partial exhaustion of the soil, but as the yield has been a small one the profits can in no case be large, and after all expenses have been paid must in many instances show a deficit. Oats cannot bo profitably grown at ls per bushel, nor wheat at 2s 3d, which, after cost of carriage to Dunedin and charges have been deducted, is all that can at present be netted. It seems that the cost of the carriage of oats to a seaport, and the freight and charges incidental to shipping them to the Old Country, preclude us from profitably sending them there, and with all our labour-saving machinery we cannot compete with other countries, auch as India, etc,, where labour is so cheap, in growing wheat for exportation. So it behoves us to turn our attention to the production of crops in which, from the productive nature of our soil and our temperate climate, we can defy competition. The frozen meat industry is now a great success. We aro exporting large quantities of mutton and lamb, tlie quality of which is second to none produced in the world, and a payable price can now be obtained by our sheep farmers for all fat sheep or lambs suitable for exportation. The dairy industry has lately developed to a very h.rge extent, and pays those engaged in supplying milk to the different factories well, but this business is peculiarly adapted to low-lying rich lands where cows can obtain a full bite of grass without having to travel to seek it, and for which a large quantity of our agricultural lands are certainly not suited. — Another industry which is almost neglected in this district is that of pig feeding. It is said that pork made Chicago ; why should not pork help to make Baiclutha ? A few months ago a Mr Vecht travelled through New Zealand making enquiries with a view to establishing factories for the pickling of pork for exportation to tho Old Country to supply the British army and navy. In course of a conversation he asked me what number of fat pigs could be purchased in this district at, say, 3d per lb. I had reluctantly to reply, " A very small number," but at the samo time stated that were a demand created at that figure the supply would soon be forthcoming. I see by statistics published in the Field that there are fewer pigs in Great Britain at the present time than there have been since the beginning of the century, and already the Queenslanders have taken advantage of the demand to forward shipments "of frozen pigs to the Old Country with very satisfactory results. The demaud for good bacon and hams is also practically unlimited, and were pigs once largely grown in this district factories would soon be established in our midst to cure all the suitable pigs farmers could raise. Mr Vecht, in an article in the Australian Farmers' Gazette, says that on a 100-acre farm of good land a farmer with 25 breeding sows should turn out 500 fat pigs a year, which, at 35s each, (no fancy price) equals LB7s— a return on paper which certainly compares very favourably with wheat and oat growing. Of course it must not be supposed that pigs will pay to feed in the manner usually adopted — viz., shutting them up in Btyes and carting the feed to them. Tho labour would be too great, They must be treated much as we do our sheep — by running them out in the paddocks. This is, I believe, done on a large scale on Greig's Long Beach and Ellis Bros. Five Rivers estates, and on many farms in Canterbury. Sows thrive well in paddocks provided they have a dry bed, such as a straw stack or rough shelter, and even in the winter would only require a few turnips or mangolds to keep them in sufficient condition for breeding. After pigging in the spring, however, thoy would have tb be better fed, which could te done by turning them into a paddock of rape and rye or clover until such time as the young pics were weaned. The young pigs would then require some extra food for a few weeks until such time as they grew strong enough to fossick for themselves, when they would grow and fatten readily on clover, and could be topped off on rye, barley, peas, or oats, etc. , whichever the farmer found his farm most adapted for growing. Such are a few rough outlines which could be extended to any length, but I refrain. I may, however, say that I can see no reason why a pig farmer should not get as large, if not larger, cash return from his pigs than the dairy farmer from his cows, and certainly with a much less expenditure of labour. — Again fruit-grow-ing is worth attention. In California, Oregon, and British Columbia the fruit industry has assumed large proportions, and I suppose yields a larger return per acre than any other crop known. And I feel sure that were each of our farmers in this district to plant a few acres of fruit trees — such as the best sorts of apples, pears, cherries, plums, walnuts, raspberries, and strawberries— factories would soon be erected in our midst to take all they could grow at a payable price, and apples of the best sorts —for the growth of which our climate is peculiarly adapted ' — could be shipped direct Home, where they would realise full values, as they would arrive when apples grown at Home are out of season. — Again, poultry raising for exportation is among the possibilities of the future. Indeed, I see that several shipments have already been sent from Australia of poultry trussed and dressed ready for cooking, packed in boxes aud frozen, and as the demand is ' at certain seasons unlimited, a large and j profitable trade will doubtless develope. :

— In conclusion I would quote from a Taranaki paper, which says : — " It is all butter with us. We live on butter, we pay our debts with butter, and tho whole place from beginning to end is butter. Why, even our breakwater will have to be finished and paid for out of butter." If it is butter with them why could we not make it mutton, pork, butter and cheese, and fruit [with us, for the production of all of which our soil and climate are peculiarly adapted. I must apologise for tresspassing to so large an extent on your space, but hope that the hints I have given will not be altogether thrown away, but that someone will take the matter up, and if 1 am wrong challenge me, when I have little doubt good will result. I should like to see the different farmers' clubs discuss the question, and, should they desire it, I should have much pleasure in attending their meetings and giving them any information in my power. — I am, Sac , James Wilson Wilson. Balclutha, April 30.