FARM NOTES.

Golden Bay Argus, Volume XIII, Issue 52, 26 May 1910, Page 4

FARM NOTES.

A writer in the Otago Witness says: ••One of the leading men in thjs city, and one closely connected with the agricultural industry, but not with dairying, holds the opinion thac in, say, 20 years the export meat trade will be a much smaller thing than it is now. His view js th,a,t dairying will increase and population also. He'points out that if in 20 years our population increased by one million—and there is nothing out of the way in this suggestion if this country is really to be dune justice torrttyfi iucrease will WU-

auttie two and a half million sheep and lambs This would absorb ati'out one-haff of the present export, aud with the lessening of : beep through 'and being taken up i"Y 1 ..airying ill.' export trade in, i oze i meat will be small. 1

*' As indicating how increased population would affect our export of meat it may be pointed out that 20 years ago the United States export of cheese to Britain was half what it had previouly been, aud had dropped to 32,183 tons, but in 1909 it had steadily dropped down to 3765 tons, aud will soon cease altogether. In Canada the export 1 of cheese in /904 was 98,306 tons. In 1909 it had steadily come down to 76,402. Now, this was caused solely by increased home consumption. America is still the largest cheese-producing country in the world, and produces more cheese than 1-0 years ojo. Probably her make is nearly 200,000 tons annually. Canada's make is certainly not less than it was in 1904. Both these countries have encouraged immigration for many years, aud still pursue a very aeiive policy in this direction. New Zealand, lam j convinced, shoul 1, and will, follow I their example, and thus do justice to this favoured land.

"In last week's Witness appeared a very interesting article reviewing shortly the report of the South laland Dairy Association. This article called attention to what such com' iuation as provided by the association could do in other, and, I think, far more important, matters than even any yet taken up by the association—viz., combination for cattle-breeding, cow-testing, and other things. Our cows are on the average much below the productive standard we might easily attain under a proper system of breeding and culling out as the proper systematic testing t>f the cows would indicate to be desirable. 1

This is, as the article suggests, when the Danes and others with an infinitely worse climate and poorei laud than ours beat us T.0110.v,

Then there is another bit of work I suggest to the association—viz., getting the pig-re iring business started into real life among dairyfarmers. As it is now our by-pro-ducts are practically wasted. I I hope >'ome day to see the report (,f this association with tables showing the export of pork from individual factories, or from their milk supp'iers combined, in various centres. All over the world the demand for pork is increasing, and the demand tor mutton is declining generally. The imports of pork fiom America to Britain are rapidly declining. We have nevet yet tackled the pigrearing business properly."