AN IMPORTANT PREDICTION.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1509, 3 August 1912, Page 4

AN IMPORTANT PREDICTION.

OF INTEREST TO THE DAIRY FARMER. There has often been heard tho voiea of tho pessimist in spenking of tho prospects of our dairy products in the future —that this and that country is opening up wido tracts of country, and that existing prices aro not for always. Something quito of another colour comes to New Zealand from tho firm of Messrs. J., and ,1. Lonsdale and Co., Ltd., of London. Writing to their Dominion representative hero (Mr. S. Turner), Mr, J, B. Lonsdale says:— "Dear sir,—Tho following extract from a letter received from our chief representative in Canada will no doubt bo of interest to. tho New Zealand dairy farmers:— " 'Wo havo been doing a little figuring as to our future exports of dairy products, and tho conclusion wo como to is that in ten years, with our present rate of consumption, we will havo nothing to export, oven with our production holding its own. Tho increased consumption of butter and milk in this country is very large, and will draw more niilk from cheese factories each year. You naturally ask—Will wo not havo increased production ? We doubt this very niuoh under present conditions, certainly not until our north-west find wheat and grain-growing unprofitable. At present this is more profitable owing to quicker returns than dairy farming. They will, therefore, continue until thoy hnvo to resort to mixed farming. In tho dairy provinces of Ontario and Quebec, young men aro leaving tho farms, ami the "old man," owing to scarcity of farm labour, is unable to keep, up his dairy herds. You c'ati judge the results.'

"For some years past tho oxport of butter from Canada has been of vcrjflittlo importance, but should tho supply of cheese fall oft, as is indicated by the abovo extract, it will mean that practically all our supplies will havo to bo drawn from New Zealand, as there is no other country that wo know of Hint o6uld produce cheeso of good quality."