"OUR GREATEST ASSET"

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 56, 4 September 1934, Page 11

"OUR GREATEST ASSET"

WEALTH FKOM GKASS

NEW ZEALAND'S OUTLOOK

"Our climate places us ia the foremost position of any country in. the world for the production of grasses," said Mr. J. T. Martin in the course of an interesting address at the Wellington Rotary Club luncheon today.

I He said the subject of Iris address was "Our Greatest Asset," a claim, with respect to grass which he said was supported by the greatest living authority lon the subject of grasses—Professor Staplcdon, of Aberystwyth, Wales. He remarked that Mr. A. H. Cockayne, Assistant Director-General of Agriculture, had figured out that since 1853, 81 years ago, New Zealand had exported gold to the value of £95,000,000, yet in the two years of 1928 and 1929, the export of her pastoral products was £100,000,000. One acre of fertile land bore more potential wealth on its surface than all the gold that would be mined from beneath it. No other country in the world was so dependent upon grass as was' New Zealand, whose grassland produced 94 per cent, of its total exports; Australia 00 per cent., Canada 17 per cent. "Of 33,000,000 acres in grass," said Mr. Martin, '' 18,000,000 have been sown and it is this 18,000,000 acres which gives 80,000,000 tons of grass yearly, which in turn is converted into 300,000 tons of meat, 100,000 ton's of cheese, 120,000 tons of butter, 100,000 tons of wool, 600,000 tons of food and clothing.'" A comparison was then made by the. speaker between the agricultural posi-. tion ia Denmark and New Zealand. He said, that New Zealand had an area of 103,285 square miles; Denmark had 16,750 square miles or less than onesixth of New Zealand. ■ Denmark carried a population of 3,500,000; New Zealand carried 1,500,000. Denmark exported £26,000,000 worth of dftiry produce and • New Zealand exported £17,000,000. Denmark exported S 24,000,000 worth of meat, pork, and bacon, New Zealand £17,000,----000 Denmark exported £5,000,000 worth of live cattle, New Zealand £125,000. Denmark .exported £5,000.000 worth of eggs, New Zealand practically nothing. On the other hand Denmark imported £17,000,000 worth of grains and fodder for feeding cattle, while New' Zealand had no need to import any. CONTINUED PROSPEKITY. "We can accomplish great things for this young country if only wo are prepared to think constructively, experimentally, and courageously," said Mr Martin. "I consider that the continued prosperity of this country lies i" the devotion of our thought and experimental work to the greatest asset we possess, and that is—grass. "You know that in this country you form your idea of the valuo of land by the'number of sheep or cattle, it will carry to the acre. Well, eminent authorities assure us that you can also estimate the. carrying capacity of a country, in population, by the extent of its food supply of grass and grain. So in the United States and other countries you will iind on examination that the density of the population is in proportion to" tho rainfall, and the rainfall largely decides the soil's productivity in grass and grains. Measured by this standard, .the potential population" of Now Zealand is 7,000,000." After referring to tho enormous strides made by New Zealand in the production of high-class certified grass seeds, Mr. Martin concluded his address by quoting tho.following tribute to grass from the pen of ono of its devotees, Mr/ B. A. Oakley:—"lts tenacious fibres hold tho earth in its place find prevent its soluble components from washing into tho wasting sea. It invades ' the solitudes of deserts, climbs the inaccessible slopes and forbidding pinnacles of mountains, modifies climates, and determines the history and character and destiny of nations. Banished from the thoroughfare and tho field, it liides its time to return, and when vigilance is relaxed or the dynasty has perished, it silently resumes the throne from which it has been expelled, but which it never abdicates. It bears no blazonry of bloom to charm tlie senses of fragrance or splendour, but its homely hue is more enchanting than the lily, or the rose. It yields no .fruit in eartii .or air, and yet should tho harvest fail for a singlo year, famine would depopulate *lio world.,"