SEASON'S LESSONS

Evening Post, Volume C, Issue 23, 27 July 1920, Page 10

SEASON'S LESSONS

IN PASTURE AND FIELD

SUCCESSES AND FAILURES.

A review of the pact year by. Sir James Wilson, President of the New Zealand Farmers' Union was read at the conference to-day. While the Northern Provinces of the North Island and the West Coast had had a good season, there hadl been a vary dry season from Poverty Bay down the East Coast. There was a good deal of loss in cattle ; and though prices for fats had kept up, the uncertainty as to future prices had made buyers more cautious in trying to replace those sold. Especially was this the case with young stock. This, with the want of feed on the East Coast, liad completely altered values, and many buyers had lost heavily by having to meet a falling market. At present no one was inclined to buy until it was known how the stoppage of the meat contract was going to affect values. Sheep values had not been affected to the same extent, although there had been a lull in th& demand in soms districts. The market was better in the South than'in .the North, ' • «

Now that a minimum price had beeii offered and accepted for, Wheat, information led one to expect that a. much larger area would be devoted to that cereal than last year. It .was increast ingly evident that the South Island would have to be relied upon for wheatgrowing ; the climate of the North: Island was agafnst successful operations. It was said that there was a_ good response to the appeal of the Minister for Agriculture to farmers to • grow more wheat now that the prospects of a pay> ing price were brighter.

Oat-growing had shrunk remarkably, and the only reason must be the advent of the motoi'-lorry.

Thp feeding of poultry was a mattei of some moment, and Sir James said ho had been told tha*,, if wheat were available, poultrymen could take a million bushels. If oats were suitable, they could be grown. Sir James suggested other feeds—sunflower ' seeds, lucerne meal, and maize. The question of grain-growing had also to be considered in relation to the fattening of pigs. Farmers must re-, alisa more and more that to utilise their land to the beat advantage cropping where possible was a valuable adjunct to the dairy cow. The potato-growing farmer had found himself in an unexpectedly bad position. This year, after much toil, he had re; alised a big crop. The price* however, was disastrously low, and owing to the absence of a market, and the refusal of Australia-td allow importation, many of the crops were rotting in the ground. This would probably mean that next year very few potatoes would be grown, andl the price would be relatively high.