The Evening Star TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 1931. FEED THE SOIL.

Evening Star, Issue 20862, 4 August 1931, Page 6

The Evening Star TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 1931. FEED THE SOIL.

Ox more than one occasion recently it has been mentioned rather shamefacedly that South Island production for export is slightly less than half that of tho North Island, and that in the South Island list Otago’s share of exports is not impressive. Exports aro a fairly reliable index of total production; hut it has to bo remembered that the South Island has a'favourable trade balance with tho North in regard to internal trade. Canterbury and North Otago grow nearly all the wheat used in New Zealand; and though purchases of oats and other live stock feed by the North from tho South aro only a fraction of what they wore in pre-petrol days, such an item as potatoes, for example, must bo counted in southern production that does nob figure in overseas exports. Nevertheless, Otago people should zealously further any measures designed to increase shipment, of commodities from her port, whether their destination is overseas or other New Zealand ports. An opportunity is presenting itself now. At last week’s Harbour Board meeting a. letter was received from tho Dominion Fertiliser Company showing how one possible market is stifled. 'That (hero is keen competition among concerns producing superphosphate is shown by the successive falls in prions, duo to the entry of now works in the field. Because of situation, layout, and up-to-date processes the new concern afc Ilavonsbourao has brought

production costs lon - , hub .Dunedin’s harbour charges nullify all this when entry is sought into markets beyond Otago. The competition that lias to bo mot there comes chiefly from Auckland and Lyttelton. In the ports of Auckland and Wellington the harbour charges on fertilisers and the rock phosphate and sulphur are Is 3d per ton inward and Is 3d outward ; in Lj'tteltoji they are Gd inward and Gd outward; and in Dunedin they are 3s inward and 3s outward. Thus where Dunedin (if it exported superphosphate by sea) would pay 6s to its Harbour Board, Lyttelton would pay only Is; while the two chief North Island ports occupy an intermediate position in that respect. It appears suicidal to promotion of our trade to penalise our product os per ton as compared with Lyttelton. It does not even appear to bo good business for the Otago Harbour Board. The letter from the Dominion Fertiliser Company points out that the 3s outward due is nominal, because, as it precludes export by sea, there is no tonnage on which to levy the charge. A request is made to lower that duo to Gd per ton. Not only would that amount he so much found revenue for the hoard, hut it would mean a greatly increased revenue accruing from the far heavier imports of raw material consequent on a much widened market for Dunedin superphosphate. The company is not seeking for a reduction of the 3s per ton inward duos on raw material, realising that the hoard’s finances arc straitened. In this case both the hoard’s interests and those of Otago’s production and trade appear to ho coincident ; and it is a trillo disquiotening to observe that there appear to bo other considerations offsetting the proposal—for such we assume to he the meaning of the remark tlult “ quite a number of things hang on the oompanv’s request,” with winch tlie hoaid referred it to a committee. Whatever they may he, one can hardly imagine any that would weigh at all against increased trade for the port and increased revenue to the Harbour Board.

The application of fertilisers to the soil of New Zealand has beep one of the features of the past decade or more. Its importance, particularly when higher production per aero is urgently needed to make up for lower prices, is enough to warrant the Government, though itself very hard up, in putting up money to combat diminution in their use through farmers being forced to practise false economy through lack of cash. By providing easy finance and cheap railway carriage the Government is subsidising the application of fertilisers to the tune of £140,000 a year, and regards it as a good investment. The Budget states that in thus assisting farmers the Government is impelled by- fear of a reaction oh next season’s production that would iollow any marked decline in the use of these manures. There has, as a matter of fact, been a set-back in their consumption, hut there is evidence that such economising is a radical mistake. Last week the chairman of an Auckland superphosphate company called it a dangerous course to pursue, hut because of realisation of this ho anticipated an improved demand in the coming season. 'There are three main plant foods—phosphoric acid, nitrogen, and potash. Superphosphate and basic slag are the hest known of the phosphatlc fertilisers, and sulphate of ammonia is typical of the nitrogenous. In every- ten tons of fertilisers applied in Denmark (a country which feeds its land liberally) the proportions used arcone ton of potassic, throe tons of nitrogenous and six tons of phosphatic. In New Zealand (excluding blood and bone manure from the frozen meat works), for every ton of potassic fertiliser. Ifc tons of nitrogenous are used, and 52 tons of phosphatic, chiefly in tho form of superphosphate. Yet Denmark uses perhaps five tons of superphosphate to every three tons applied in New Zealand, and Denmark though fiat is a small country; but she gets high production per acre. Mr Bruce, the Now Zealand Agricultural Department’s inspector of fertilisers, is publishing in the departmental Journal a series of articles on fertilisers, and ho finds that during the year ended March last there was a marked decrease in their- importation as compared with the preceding peak year, which he puts down to farmers’ lack of money. Phosphatic fertiliser importations dropped from 346,000 tons to 247,000 tons, and nitrogenous manures, chiefly sulphate of ammonia, also showed a marked decline. That decline must have principally been in tho North Island, for in the peak year tho North Island used 176,903 tons of superphosphate to the South Island’s 26,965 tons. Such figures tell their own talc; and it is evident that any encouragement that can ho given to tho production and use of such fertilisers in the South Island could not he misplaced. No local body which is in any way involved can afford to ignore the importance tho Government attaches to furthering this industry or the examples the Government has set.