The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1908. PROVIDING FOR THE FUTURE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2124, 25 February 1908, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1908. PROVIDING FOR THE FUTURE.

The long spell of dry -weather which has prevailed in most parts of the Dominion during the present summer, with the consequent scarcity of feed for stock, should bring many lessons forcibly home to New Zealand farmers. One is the folly of valuing land at its maximum carrying capacity in a favorable season, and the other is the absolute necessity of making some provision for the unfavorable periods that will come occasionally, even in the most regular of climates. Poverty Bay farmers are luckily in much better plight than their neighbors, now that useful rains have revived the thirsty pastures, hut it is not so long since they were crying out because of the paucity of food. That there was over any shortage was entirely duo to their negligence, or to lack of foresight, in not making provision for possible bad times. In most parts of the district it is quite possible -to grow enough green maize in the spring to -provide ample 'food to tide the stock over a dry spell or for use in the winter months. Discussing the question of feeding the green maize plant to dairy cattle when pastures begin to lose their succulence, Air. AA T . AI. Singleton, acting Dairy Commissioner, who has had wide experience of Canadian dairying methods, remarked recently that- in- many -districts of Canada dairy farmers had long -since realised that maize or corn —as it is popularly known in America —was the best of all fodders for cattle, but they were giving uii feeding it green, and were making it into ensilage. The advantage of the latter was that the maize, in this form, could be held for a considerable time, and could he fed just when most required. What ' s S°ed for the Canadian farmer in this respect is equally good for tlio Now Zealander. It is true that wo have not tlio excessive cold which makes the Canadian dairyman dependent entirely upon stored food for the winter months, but at the same time our stock would undoubtedly thrive better if more adequate provision were made for green food during the periods when pastures are low, or sodden with moisture. The fact of (the matter is the “man on the land” has, in many cases, been able to eke out a fairly comfortable existence without taking any special pains to secure tlie maximum results that could be obtained from the holding, and has got into an easy-going style that only a -sharp touch of adversity will cause him to alter. Putting the matter in a nutshell: Will anyone say that there is a district in the Dominion in which a farmer could not have grown sufficient food in the past -twelve months to support a payable quantity of -stock, provided that the most suitable class of food '"as grown, -and that. it was carefully husbanded? The drought of 190» will have provided a severe lesson to many a farmer, but it u ill not pioi e too costly, if it has the effect of making our producers take advantage o every device known to science, m conducting their important work.