FARMS AND FARMERS

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 September 1938, Page 10

FARMS AND FARMERS

ITEMS OF INTEREST

(By

“Rouseabout”)

DOBBIN DISAPPEARS MECHANISED FARMS The- development and convenience of motorisation and mechanisation in both' rural and urban areas has removed the pressing need for the horse, remarks the investigational and statistical branch of the Department of Agriculture., Consequently with the gradual elimination of the horse the quantity o.f oats required for horse feed will diminish. This movement will release, as it has already done, areas of land for other purposes. The significance to be attached to the decline in the horse becomes apparent when it is realised that for the ten seasons 1927-28 to 1936-37, the value of oats for chaff, hay, and ensilage was £17,000,000 as against £5,000,000 for oats grown for grain. In view of the predominating proportion of the area devoted to oats, some remarks upon the probable future of the horse may be appropriate. The peak year for the number of horses in New Zealand, as shown bystatistics, was 1911. Since that year there has been a regular decline of approximately one-third in twenty-six years. During the.period from 1924 to 1937 the total number of horses in the Dominion declined from 330,430 to 277,799. . ■! ‘ Since 1931 the heaviest reduction has been in respect to hacks and light working horses, which fell from 95,267 to 81,871. During the same period (1931-37) the number of horses in the spring cart or light artillery class (including half-draughts) increased from 50,197 to 50,634. The number of draught and three-quarter draught horses was reduced from 133,044 to 129,425, and the number of thoroughbred and others from 17,235 to 15,869. As would be expected the decline in horse numbers is more evident in those classes most utilised for road work. The rate, of decrease of the horse is not necessarily in inverse proportions to the rise in mechanisation because of closer settlement and intensified agriculture in evidence since the introduction of the motor. It is probable, therefore, that the motor has been advanced more rapidly than the horse has declined.

A revival of the horse took place in 1936 and 1937 but it was mainly due to a rise in the. draught and threequarter draught class as the. hacks and light working horses class continued. to decline, while the other two classes showed only minor increases. For the draught and three-quarter draught class the land districts of Gisborne, Taranaki, and Canterbury showed a continued decrease in the last two years, while Nelson, Marlborough, Westland, Otago and Southland barely held ground. North Auckland, Auckland, Hawke’s Bay, and Wciilington land districts sljowcd substantial increases.

The decline within urban areas is far more pronounced. Statistics on the data available show a downward trend, in respect to horses in boroughs (in round numbers), as follows; —11)18, 26,000; 1921, 18,000; 1924, 17,000; 1926, 1.2,000; 1928, 13,000. Tiie numbers in 1928, tiie last year available, was half that recorded in 1916. Doubtless (ho downward trend has continued, and, since urban, horses are fed to a considerable extent upon bard feed, (he decline will have had

a consequent effect upon the oat demand; the replacement of the horse by. the motor vehicle, will undoubtedly continue within urban areas.

SHEEP LOSSES IN SOUTH CANTERBURY Some time ago Mr, T. D. Burnett, M.P., asked, the Minister of Agriculture (Hon. W. Lee Martin) if he could ascertain what sheep losses had been suffered by pastoralists in South Canterbury. The Minister had inquiries made, and has now advised Mr. Burnett that as far as could be ascertained the losses throughout the district were in the neighbourhood of 74,000 lambs. Mr. T. D. Burnett writes further: — “The people of South Canterbury should realise that this year is not going to be one of their flush years, with record production yields. It is well that all hands should know that this will be one of our lean years. Through three wet seasons in succession, coupled with shortage of labour, our wheat growing industry is in poor shape, while a severe winter in many parts of our back-country is going to contribute substantially to a light clip. “Probably the biggest and most, serious factor in reducing South Canterbury’s seasonal production is the extraordinary lamb and hogget losses that have occurred during the last, six months. J. am enclosing particulars of estimated losses as supplied me by the Honourable Minister of Agriculture, which discloses an estimated loss of. some 74,000 lambs and hoggets throughout South Canterbury. “Nor does this take into account the annual losses in young lambs from three to five weeks’ old from pulpy kidney, which in many farmers’ flocks run from three to 10 per cent, of the lambs dropped. So far us our province is concerned, we are still a pastoral community. The health of our flocks is of tremendous moment to us all in every walk of life, and it behoves everyone of use to help solve the tremendous annual sheep losses which the average farmer, it is very much to be feared, is beginning to, treat with fatalistic resignation. “If we are not careful the farmlands of the Dominion hitherto our main! asset, will be a. liability. It is a problem that all our A. and P. Associa- 1 tions, Farmers’ Unions and Chambers I of Commerce should mobilise their forces to solve.” YOUNG AUSTRALIANS HAPPY RURAL FINANCIER Helping others to help themselves is a fascinating business. An Australian correspondent writes: I know a wheat, farmer who gels a lot of fun by starting young men in wheat-grow-ing. He has a very large property and employs many men. He gives an eye. to all his men, and gets to understand them. When he comes to the conclusion that a certain man has Hie right stuff in him there is a conversation something like this:

The Farmer: When are you going to start on your own, .Jim? 'rime you did, isn’t it?

The Man: I haven’t thought about it. sir. I haven’t any capital. The Farmer: But you have brains,

mam and knowledge. Aon have your business here, haven t you ? ell, you should get out on your own. There is a farm over at —— that ’ see. is for sale. Yon had better buy that, i’ll run you over there in my.car this afternoon, and we’ll look at it. The inspection is made, and the young man is warmed up to his opportunities. Then the conversation goes on: The Farmer: Well, you can get this farm for so much. It is a. bit out of shape, because the owner does not know anything and won’t, learn. I’ll lend you. the money to make the necessary deposit, and you can take out a mortagage for the balance. But on one condition. The condition is that you do what I tell you to do. Plough when 1 tell you, harrow when 1 tell you, sow when 1 tell you. Not next weeks, or the week after, but when 1 tell you. even if it means working 15 hours a day. Knowledge is what, counts in farming—knowledge and the grit to do things, well, when they should be done. Is it a bargain? If I set you .ip in this farm will you do what 1 tell you? If you do, you’ll make a success. What about it? What would any young man worth his salt say to that proposition? This old farmer has done this for half a dozen young men, and when he is taxed with it he laughs. “I’ve had a deuce of a. lot of fun out of it, he says.

ENGLAND’S HAY CROP

2,000,000 TONS SHORT

’Phe hay crop in England this summer is estimated to be 2.000,001) tons below the average ol the past ten years. It is the shortest, within memory (says an agricultural correspondent). A lieu t 2,200,000 acres are sown witn clover and rotation grasses for hay production and their yield, according to the official crop estimators, is no more than one ton to the acre compared with a ten years’ average of over 26Jcwt.

Permanent grass reserved on some 4.600.000' acres for hay has made so little growth that it is giving on an average no more than 14cwt. to the acre, against a yearly output approximating almost exactly to one ton. On these estimates the total hay crop in England and Wales will not exceed 4,750,000 tons. On January 1 last official inquiries showed that there were some 4.800,000 tons of hay on farms. By June 1 these stocks had dwindled io only 836,000 tons.

Obviously, therefore, this year’s crop failure creates a very serious shortage, and live-stock owners are wondering how they will be able to provide enough long fodder during the coming winter.

Happily there is excellent prospect, of a heavier wheat harvest than at first seemed likely. Last year’s crop was extended by 27,000 acres and this year's is officially estimated to cover a still larger area, as are those of barley, oats and potatoes. Sugar beet is growing slowly, but has been helped by the rain. 'l’he area contracted with the factories has increased by nearly 35.000 acres, or about, 10 per cent. I’RODUCTION OF FERTILISERS Now record high levels lor both Hie physical volume and the. value of production of superphosphates and chemical fertilisers were attained during 1937-38, as disclosed by the returns of the eight works in this industry, says the Government Statistician.

The production of superphosphates in 1937-38 totalled 402,076 tons, being 54.607 tons, or 16 per coni., greater than in 1936-37. while the production of chemical fertilisers (65.133 tons) is

31 per cent, greater than the previous year’s figure, and more than double

the production recorded in 1935-36 (31,549 tons). The financial statistics of the industry disclose an increase of 20 per cent, for salaries and wages paid during 1937-38 as compared with 1936-37, while the average number of persons engaged rose frome 753 in 1936-37 to 902 in 1937-38. an increase of 20 per cent. The cost of materials used and the value of output increased by. 23 per cent, and 21 per cent, respectively. Added value moved from £597,020 in 19%6-37 to £697,269 in 1937-38.

SOVIET WHEAT-GROWING A new Russian method of insuring quicker germination of wheat and greatly increasing the yield, is beingstudied at the Sydney University. It has been found that wheat can be brought, to ear a month earlier if germinated in a refrigerator, a fewdegrees above freezing. The Russians put the grain in barns, at a temperature of about 40 degrees and spray it with water. ; It is then sown, and ripens before the drought begins. In one area, where the gram has been induced to ear about a month earlier, the yield has increased from 24 to 5921 b. an acre. Professor Ashby (Botany) believes that by using -winter wheat in Australia, as is done overseas, instead of spring wheat, germination could be speeded up, thus helping to avoid the severest drought period.