FARM and DAIRY

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 2 August 1924, Page 11

FARM and DAIRY

NOTES BY THE WAY. How- much milk and butter does each cow in the herd give during a lactation? \\ hat is the estimated cost ot teed? These facts should, be known by every farmer. If selling a cow, the purchaser is interested in what she produces. feays the Herald correspondent at Stratford:—“The annual factory ‘meeting is due shortly, when i expect the final * ‘divvy s ’ for the season will be paid and the same old arguments argued. One hardy annual is the question of installing sectional skim-milk delivery pipes, it seems reasonable to suppose that calves and pigs would do better if skim-milk was returned as pure as possible, but at present it is customary everywhere to pump milk from, separators through a chain or two cf galvanised piping, which cannot be kept clean by any known process, with the result that the milk is contaminated and the food value thereby reduced. Someone has to make a start to scrap this obsolete method. Why don’t we do it?

Monday’s meeting at Hawera regarding federation of dairy companies seems to indicate that some definite action is being taken in the matter, and 1 think tlie North Taranaki concerns could very well pull in with them. The bigger the federation the betteir for complete organisation in the province, for ou.y mutual benefit and protection. I noticed a statement in the press recently that some factory managers were opposed to .training schools, because they were afraid they themselves might be superseded by men with a. smattering ot science. Bunkum! Most managers welcome the proposal, and 1 don’t think the proposed school will he barred to managers. If some are afraid of the scientifically-trained men, my advice is, gest- some science. TRAINING FARMERS. PROFESSOR PEREN TALKS TO CONFERENCE. That a, forward move is to be made in agricultural training in the Dominion was made plain at the Dominion Conference of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union. Professor G. S. Peren, Professor of Agriculture at Victoria College, explained that it was intended to set up a complete agricultural college embracing all forms of agriculture, at which the sons of farmers could obtain' a thorough grounding in agricultural science. It was not intended to turn out a shoal of students with degrees. A useful service which such a college could render would be in supplying refresher courses for farmers. A' college on these lines was a sound proposition. They had been tried in other countries, and while they had had a bad. spin to commence with, they had made good. Dr. C. J. Reakes, Director of the Agricultural Department was fully alive to the need for agricultural education. In the past the practice had been for the Education Department to train the students up to a certain age, and then for the Agricultural Department to carry oninstruction in agriculture. There were 40 boys at lluakura. State Farm, and what had been done, at Lincoln College must not be forgotten. Mr A. H. Cockayne (Director of the Fields Division) said that nine farmers’ schools had been held this year throughout New Zealand, at which 1400 farmers had attended. All the lectures which were given to farmers during the year had been quite well attended, as many as 200 being present at some of them. A vote of thanks to the officers of the Agricultural Department for what they had done in the cause of agricultural education was carried by acclamation.

The following remit from North Canterbury was carried: ‘“That the conference wishes to urge upon the Government the urgent necessity for better provision being made in our educational system fo.r the vocational education of boys and youths desirous of taking up agricultural or pastoral pursuits as a career, and the desirability of establishing farm schools in this connection.”

Mr A. A. Ross moved: “That the basis of election of members to the University Senate and to university college councils be broadened so as to make provision for representation of agriculture. ’> This was seconded by Mr 11. Dunn (Taranaki) and carried. “That the Education Department be asked to initiate correspondence classes to teach fanners, their families, and employees principles of agriculture.” was another remit endorsed by the conference. Other remits carried on the subject were as follow: “That efforts be 1 made to have the training work being carried on at Ruakura and other experimental farms extended.” “That the Education Department be asked to at once systematise agricultural instruction from the primary schools right to the university, ‘an dtlia,t the matriculation examination be amended aceordingingly.” HOT WATER IN THE SHED. The use of hot water supplied by the factory was roundly condemned by men of experience on more than one occasion. At Rahotu the chairman stated that the supply of hot water to suppliers at the factory was an expensive item. It would pay suppliers to instal their own heaters. The directors bad decided not to cut the hot water out, and would not do so until other arrangements were made. Mr T. Fleming considered that if the supply of hot water were cut out at the factories they would get better milk from the suppliers. A motion that the hot water from the factory be discontinued was carried. The manager (Mr Farquhar) said the. only thing that would properly clean milking machines was boiling wafer with soda, not so-called hot water, which was cold when it reached the farm. The manager stressed the necessity for supplying good milk if' the quality of their produce was to be kept up. ELECTRIC FARM AT WEMBLEY. British farming, already threatened by disaster, demands the application of new and scientific methods to secure more economic employment of available labour. The British Electrical Industry has been wonderfully unselfish, in showing, at the British Empire Exhibition, how the farmer may overcome the limitations which Nature lias imposed upon him. Included in the Wembley wonders is an “electric” farm; an amazing revelation to those who have not seen the electrically-operated farms of Holland and Switzerland". The intention of the farm is to prove that, with electricity, more work is

possible with less labour and less money. The exhibit demonstrates how electricity renders the farmer independent of weather owing to the fact that work can be done with extraordinary rapidity. There is a 40ft. windmill, generating electricity, and within the enclosure are chaffeutters, cake breakers, machinery for treating cattle food, butter ehurners, and cow-milking machines. In addition there is a process for making hay without sunshine, the lighting of laying houses for increase ill egg production, and a vast number of other farm, dairy and country estate operations.

The development of rural areas has in the past been adversely affected by the unutterable dullness of English village life. But electricity sweeps this dullness away. The application of electric cooking in the farmhouse promises village communities inanv of the amenities of city life. Thus, within and without the farmhouse, electricity saves labour and brings the farmer’s life and the farmer’s wife another step along the road of contentment. CENTRAL AUSTRALIA. BEAUTIFUL FARMING COUNTRY. In the report of Mr Stefansson, the great explorer who has just gene Unough Australia, he says, "inter alia, of the country traversed:—“We travelled north by the railway, through beaulitul farming country, which the Americans agreed seemed like Ohio or Southern Ontario. Farther on the Americans began to say that the country seemed much like Wyoming, a statement which pleased Mr Ward, for hs had made the journey some years ago with Professor Herbert Gregory, of Yale University, who had also stated that the same country was almost identical with Wyoming. So it appeared to me also. Where~the vegetation was heavier it seemed like the sections of Wyoming, where rain is more \ abundant, and when we got into the drier country it was again like the drier parts of Wyoming. The, difference as to water seemed to. be that while there was evidently more available for the growth of vegetation m this Australian Wyoming there was less apparent on the surface accessible to stock. This difficulty human ingenuity has conquered by the deep boring for artesian ■water where Nature has not supplied it through mound springs. Thanks to the presence of Lady Stradbroke and other influential people on the train, we were able to stop now and then at interesting points, and examine them more carefully. At the south end of Lake Eyre, for instance, we took a half-hour’s walk out upon the saltcrusted dry lake bed.” DANISH BUTTER, WHY IT IS PREFERRED. The London correspondent of the Wellington Post wrote recently: A certain importer of colonial butter is reported to have said there is no excuse for the disparity in price between the Danish and the Dominion butter. This, of course, is generally admitted, especially at the present time, when Danish is selling at 208 s per cwt and New Zealand at 170 s to 1725. The importer, however, is reported to have added: “In fact, in some parts of the north of England and Scotland it is a common thing for Ne\v Zealand and Australian butter to he sold as Danish.” I have drawn the attention of Mr R. Ellison (New Zealand Produce Association) to this latter statement, and he promptly designates it as “rubbish.” Mr Ellison has recently been in the North of England, and he has had conferences with butter dealers in such places as Manchester, Liverpool, Huddersfield, and Leeds. The subject discussed was the prefei'ence for Danish butter rather than for colonial, and the explanations made by the local traders are of considerable interest to Dominion producers. Too often a sweeping statement is made by those who have not studied the situation carefully. Though it is requisite'- and advisable that the campaign to introduce New Zealand butter more widely into the North of England should never relax, it is well to know exactly the difficulties that have to be faced. In the first place, the packing plays an important part in the preference given to Danish butter. What- is packed in a cask is known by the people. They have been brought up to appreciate Danish butter. In fact, they have been reared on it from earliest times, anil they know that what comes out of a cask is of one standard quality. On the other hand, butter in a box may he anything. There are good and bad, and indifferent qualities to be found Tiaoked in boxes, and the retailers have a natural nervousness in giving up what they know and can trust for something they know very little about. During the war, it is said, the Government distributed a large quantity of boxed butter throughout the North of England' which had been damaged by sea water, and the public have not forgotten it. It is unfortunate, but such is the mentality of the unthinking public that they associate inferior butter with boxes, and they associate the highlest quality, which never varies, with casks. Then, again, Danish butter is made to-day (Friday), and it is in the retail shops of England by next Tuesday, fresh and clear. There may not be the difference of 4d per '' in the quality, but the North of England people have got into the way of requiring a high standard. They know that the Danish is of the quality they desire, and so they demand it. The retailer has built up bis reputation on this butter, and he asks why should he replace it with New Zealand. What object is there in doing it ? Why should he take the risk? This, then, is the attitude taken up bv those who have been handling Danish butter, and it will be seen how .difficult it will be to bring about a j revolution in taste and custom. Danish (butter is a one-quality butter, and it ■is fresh butter. If the disparity in price between colonial and Danish is great enough there is always a chance of introducing colonial inure extensively on the market, hut when the difference in price is not more than 10s or ‘Los per cwt it would seem that nothing hut (Imperial sentiment would cause a very [large section of the people of the North (to demand colonial in preference to j Danish. | STEFANSSON. | VIEWS ON DESERT LANDS. ; WHAT HISTORY TEACHES. Interviewed on the eve of his departure on a tour of Central Australia. Vilhjalmur Stefansson, the noted Canadian explorer, explained that, although originally an anthropologist by profession, his work had greatly developed from anthropology into geography. He was not primarily in-

tere*tedin natives, and would not go out or his way to see them, but was interested in the climate and vegetation.

He continued : “I am not expecting to discover anythnig that will be of value to Australians, but to discover things for myself. It is the beginning of my education in Australian conditions.”

Stefansson remarked that in his life study of those large areas of earth that were supposed to be worthless because of their being too cold or too dry, he was now beginning a complementary study of those areas supposed to be too dry. He was familiar with the so-called deserts of North America. (I tah and California). He saw generally optimistic in his attitude towards any problem. Pessimists were more often wrong than optimists, he asserted, for a fundamental reason. The pessimist- dismissed as permanently insoluble any problem which he was himself unable to solve, while the optimist insisted that the whole trend of history taught that abler men might solve the problems. ° Mentally turning back the pages of history, Stefansson reinforced his conviction with the example of Tacitus, who had declared it inconceivable that anyone who knew Northern Africa and Italy would ever live in France by choice. Now there were many who lived in Paris by choice. The Moors, when they were pre-eminent in Europe In th l - ea - ly Middle considered that Britain could never become highly civilised because of its isolation. Tack of resources, and disagreeable climate, but that had been an absurdity since the days of Elizabeth. British peace plenipotentiaries in 17(53 tried hard to secure the gift of the Island of Guadaloupe instead of Canada-, under the impression that the former was the more valuable. As late as 1818 it was considered axiomatic in the United States that lauds not covered with trees 0 f some sort were worthless for farming purposes but by 1830 it wns understood throughout the States that prairies were, _ .acre for acre, more productive fanning land than forests. Thus land of a. total area equal to onethircl of Australia was considered permanently worthless in ISIS, and tre ! i ei i 8tn Sva + luable T ia 1830. As late {£ 4840 about one-third of the United States was embraced in the Great ™l IGr r + a n des ert. ; There were now only httle spots of real desert left here nd there, more than three-quarters of £ tf y rt havh,g

“Anyone studying history from this fi f | VI T’” Stefansson continued, can find dozens of other examples equally striking to show that while *the E3 S 1 X ISt m m b f righfc about a »y small and thoroughly-known area, he has invariably been wrong about any large area, either because he had been actuoryeime IS tbi orined the or else there was discovered new use for things known to exist. Here iH Australia you have many example! of pe!simirtic thl - lg - + C T pare « pessimistic views to-day about Aik £3? dS*** ?i th th * *£ treme S ° Und ilke ex -

i-J, n conclusion, Stefansson said that those y wbo 1C &Ve 3 ™ P - e con fi de nee to desert " b^J ere , °P t about the had 6 defeated +p y tlm€ f wben deserts i e ;? ated the people rather th™ people the desert had been wheH civil isation had gone back. For the sue t c f s of , ai }y ar ea they had to postulate “Err* •-* a“l COW-TESTING. ,Referring to cow-testing associations the chairman of .the -Stratford Company said he was pleased to see that- a tew more farmers had availed themselves of the services of Mr Gray last year, but- there was still -room for impi ovenient. Mr Gray had reported taht 21 herds were tested by him this year ihe average cow gave 253.281 b tat for the season. The best herd averaged 397.611 b fas, «nd the worst l/0.471b fat. From these figures it was evident that great value’vras attached to having an accurate knowledge of the producing capacity of the cattle. “Feed your cattle well, brOed .u'ell, weed them thoroughly; do all this accurately and you must" have the exact knowledge only obtainable by testing your cattle,” added Mr Ranford. VETERINARY CLUB. Stratford Company discussed a scheme for a veterinary club, and at Hie annual meeting the chairman mads it clear that the company had not beeu committed to the scheme in any way. but at the invitation of the A. and B. Association lrad appo/nted himself their •representative to co-operate with, other dairy company representatives and the association in an endeavour to form a veterinary club. The directors considered such <i club would be of great advantage to dairy farmers. He was pleased to say that the c-lub bad been t formed, and copies of the rules and membership application forms would be circulated to anyone interested. It was not his intention to go into the scheme in detail, but- be felt that, given reasonable support, the dub should become a permanent institution and be a boon to this district, as it would not only ensure the services ol’ a competent vet., but would also enable members to procure cattle medicines and instruments at a reduced figure. He hoped suppliers would icalise the benefits to be obtained from such a club and give their hearty support. SCHOOLBOY’S ESSAY ON, A COW. The cow is a no-bull and kinehearted creature. The man who looks after her is called a c-ow-herd, but for all that he is no coward. Cows exist by means of ox-ygen in the atmosphere. By the cow is the milk-maid. 1. know this to be true, for I have seen the milkmaid by the cow. The cow has been introduced into song. There is an old song called the “Soldier’s Steer.” This was written in Beef Flat, as was also that very pathetic ballad, “For Heifer and Heifer.” To' call a cow an ox is to make a bull. Crutches for cows are called acoustics. A cow likes resting. It will sleep in a shed, and lie on the grass, but it will not stretch itself on a oduch. A cow does not carry on an argument very obstinately. It will Soon give whey. Cows seem to do pretty well, for even at- death they make both ends meat. T can’t think how it is that so many calves die young. Perhaps the butcher could re-veal the secret. I

BETTER QUALITY WASTED. Speaking at the Stratford annual meeting, Mr M. Urqulmrt said he was pleased to see better quality butter being made, but he though! the quality of the cheese was very disappointing. Last year 116 factories in New Zealand had obtained a grade of 93 and over. Stratford had only about 90 points, and compared unfavourably in consequence. He said some cowsheds veie in a filthy condition and were not fit to keep pigs in. He was strongly of opinion that a rigid inspection should be instituted, and thought steps should be taken to insist_on pure, clean milk. In reply the chairman said the company had never graded so high for cheese as for butter, but the men at the other end spoke very highly of its quality. He pointed out that cheese was graded whife green, and altered appreciably during the trip Home. Butter. on the other hand, was graded in marketable form. Mr Urquliart contended that the solution of raising the quality of New Zealand produce lav in cleaner cowsheds. In reply to Mr Wooleston, the general manager stated that double pressing of cheese would not improve the position. Mr Hancock thought that until buyers recognised the value of grade and paid accordingly, the company might as well confine its euergies to maintaining first grade quality, and not bother about superfine quality. Thev received no more for the higher grade*. He suggested that suppliers might materially assist the quality of the make by arriving earlier at the factory and not keeping vats of milk waiting. DAIRY PRODUCE GRADING. . The chairman of the Stratford Dairy Company brought up this question at the annual meeting and discussed the matter at some length. Inter alia, he said : —Suppliers . would have noticed from press reports that there was a. proposal to alter the grading points. At present butter or cheese graded 88 points or over was second grade. The proposed alteration aimed at- making the lowest number of points for first grade 90. The directors viewed this proposal with alarm, and had wired to. the Control Board asking them to have action deferred until such time as the producers had a chance to fully discuss the matter and arrive at a definite conclusion.

Continuing, the chairman said that out of 64 factories shipping through New Plymouth they were fortieth on the list. That meant that the 24 factories below them would suffer quite as heavily as they would if the proposed alteration were made, and it was quite possible that many factories above them on the list would also suffer. The Stratford company sent 19,264 crates to the works.’ Had the first grade points been raised to 90 instead of 88 they would have had over 8000 crates of second-grade cheese. In round figures this would represent a. loss of £3OOO to the suppliers. Shareholders could thus see That the matter should receive full conisderation before action was taken. When Mr Singleton (Director of the Dairy Division) was addressing the National Dairy Association conference at Auckland, lie recommended the alteration in grading points, and in support quoted a letter from a certain firm complaining about the quality of New Zealand butter and cheese.- It so happened that Mr Ranford had a copy of that letter, which stated: ‘‘You will see from this that the! cause of the complaint is npt the original quality of the article, but the deterioration has come about through faulty handling, the retailers having bought more than they can sell in a reasonable time and not having proper storage accommodation for the butter.” *

Factories did not get paid one fraction more for extra points in grading, added Mr Ranford. In fact, firm representatives who handled the produce had repeatedly said that an even quality article of moderate grade was far preferable to a very high grading product with variations. Second grade had beaten first for price, and he was of opinion that this would happen more frequently if the grade were not stamped on crates. He did not oppose the grading of produce, but he did not think that, when an article had bestn graded, any defects that could be remedied by more efficient methods of manufacture should be pointed out and departmental experts should be sent to demonstrate how faults could be rectified, instead of stamping the produce as second grade, thus possibly dertimentally .affecting its sale. He added that nothing unreasonable was being asked, as they were entitled to it. It had been suggested that possibly the department was seeking to standardise the cheese, and by raising the grade points all factories would be forced to pasteurise the milk used for cheese. If this was the case be would ask: “Has pasteurising standardised our butter T'’ The answer was emphatically no.

“One was tempted to ask what were grade points actually worth,’’ said the chairman. At the last meeting of their directors they had a report from Mr Wright, the Government expert at Home, complaining of oiliness in regard to a particular parcel of their butter. On looking up the report from tliei grading store it was found that this butter had graded 94. V, an exceptionally high grade. They had also known of cheese graded as second grade in New Zealand being reported on by thei ifnerchants at Home as some of the best cheese they had handled, while cheese graded particularly high here was most adversely commented on by •the) same merchants. After detailing the position of the mg New Zealand Dairy Company and other factories, he stated that the Stratford Company’s high-grade butter should be branded super-superfine butter also, as ithelir average grading points for the season was 93.24, whereas that of the New Zealand Company was 9L points. It seemed to him that the demand for raising the grade points had emanated from one or two companies who had been concerned about the unsatisfactory quality of their produce. If that was so, surely they should be shown how to set their house in order instead of penalising the dairy farmers as this re-grading proposal would do. He added that the Control Board delegation at present at Home had seint highly satisfactory reports regarding the quality of New Zealand produce. His directors were of the opinion that putting in pasteurising plants, besides being a great expense, was very much like keeping an ambulance at the foot of a : cliff instead of building a fence at the top. If they could he assured of a good supply of good, pure, sweet milk, then the manager could turn out a first-class article. If, or. the other hand,, the milk supply" was of an inferior quality, they could not 'reasonably expect the managers to make anything hut a second-class article, in this connection he appealed to every supplier to play the game and to use every reasonable care in the production and handling of the milk or cream. There would then ba no need to contemplate installing pasteurisers to keep out flavours that should in the first place never be* there. Speaking at Rahotu. the chairman of the said that the time had

now arrived when fanners woulvi have to- take more care with their milk, as the Dairy’ Division intended to harden up the grading points, raising the; first grade in both butter and cheese from 88 points to 90 points. If they did not receive much better milk he was afraid they would' have a very large percentage of second grade cheese, for which they would have to take from Id to 2d less. They might, of course, be prepared to introduce a. system of grading milk and accept a lesser price far milk not up to first grade. Mr G. Gibson said he thought it was too early to raise the grading points, but he was afraid it was going to be done. Therefore they must •’supply good milk. They could not expect a manager to make good produce unless the milk was good, no matter how it was pasteurised. A Herald country correspondent says: “There is considerable opposition displayed by dairy factory men against the raising of tlie number of points required. at the grading stores to obtain a first grade in butter and cheese. It is held that it will probably force the pasteurisation of all'milk, and a good many thoughtful men are not convinced that pasteurisation is altogether a good thing. Its advocates are accustomed to utter warnings against careless suppliers trusting to it as an escape from the consequences of delivering milk in had condition, hut many factories believe that that is just the effect that it has. Managers, too, would rather pasteurise than . reject milk, it being decidedly the line of least resistance. In regard to grading, too, there are doubt's expressed as to whether the Dairy Division is quite in accord with the taste of consumers. AFFORESTATION. PROGRESS IN DOMINION. NEEDS OF THE FUTURE. AN INTERESTING ADDRESS. The following extracts are from an address delivered by Mr. L. Macintosh Ellis, Director of Forestry, to the annual conference of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union recently: 1 On the occasion of my first appearance before your 17th annual conference for the purpose of discussing forestry matters I closed by saying: “I hope that the- next time you are addressed on.forestry matters it wall be t-o hear that the foundation is well laid for a permanent forest policy for New’ Zealand.’’ I should like to open my remarks by saying that, in my opinion, a real, true and permanent foundation has been laid for the per- . manent New Zealand forest policy during the past four, years. There is no' need for me to traverse the many reasons why the New Zealand Government in 1919 decided to establish a forest policy of action and to bring into being the necessary machinery of action. Your powerful body must have had, I am sure, a finger in the pie, for the New Zealand Farmers’ Union has consistently supported a forest conservation policy.

I should like" to quote some extracts with regard to the Government’s forest policy from the opening address of Sir Francis Bell (the dean of modern forestry in the Dominion) at the Building Conference held in this city. He said, inter alia: “A large number of you who have met in this conference must be considering and looking forward to what is likely to happen when the special abnormal housing demand is satisfied and when that special abnormal expenditure on that particular material (timber) ceases. If the effect ist to be a demand, an insistence, that the timber of New-Zealand is to be cut—-not for the use of the people of New Zealand, but to enable the mills to make a profit abroad —then I trust that whoever may form the Government of that day, the people will be united against that demand. May I remind you 'that the initiation of the Forestry -Service, the creation of immense forest reserves, and the limitation and gradual prohibition of export was not the act of one party, but the act of the National Government. l want you to realise that, in the initiation of that policy, I had the cheerful, willing support of my colleagues in the National Government who were of the Liberal Party just as I had of my colleagues of the. Reform Party. I hope for that reason that it may be one of the remnants of the non-party Government,. and he so recognised, that those products which nature has been growing for us for'hundreds of years shall not be used otherwise than by us, and shall not be turned into a. .marketable commodity for the rest of the world. Let me iadd that every country in the world is gradually becoming convinced of the necessity of conservation for its own use of that great natural growth. All that does not mean that timber fit to be cut in New Zealand is not to be cut. The object of the forestry policy is that trees fit to be cut shall be cut, but that they shall be cut, not for marketing abroad, but toi the use of the people of New Zealand. It is our heritage, gentlemen; it is not the heritage of the world It is our heritage. Though the danger is not apparent to- us to-day of denudation and an insufficient supply of +i Ur timber for our own use—though it is not apparent to us unless we examine the subject, it is very apparent to every man who has the duty X xT n^ne i^ ie P os 't , ion, to compare it ivith the- policy of other countries and to .understand the duties that fall upon those- who have the power to conserve the timber. I want those of you who are concerned in the timber trade to- understand that it is a cardinal point, i.e., the utilisation in New Zealand of these products of nature and the preservation for New Zealand of the- benefits of the forest.” In brief, the guiding star in evolving the programme, of national forestry action has been and is “New Zealand timber for New Zealanders,” and the conservation, reasoned use, and .sound management of our own resources. Essential Conditions. You rightly ask, , what has the Forest Service been doing during the past four years, and to what extent has it achieved the objectives of assured permanent timber supplies for the people of the Dominion? In 1920 I outlined to you the conditions under which the forestry Department must work if it was to carry out its work efficiently and economically, and the conditions which must prevail if the national forest* policy were to be in all respects successful. They were: , 1. All the forest resources of the country to be managed by the Forest bervice.

2. All the non-agricultural lands carrying forest values or that are more suitable for tree growth than for agriculture, to be grouped as State, forests and to be dedicated in perpetuity to timber crop production. 3. A comprehensive national forest inventory to be made as soon as possible. 1

4. A policy of enterprise to be adopted towards forest and forestry education, and the dissemination of forestry ideas and literature throuodiout the country. " o. A business-like management be adopted with regard to the handling

of the immense State timber resources.

6. The evolution of a system of equitable forest land and plantation taxation by which it will he possible for the individual to- grow trees at a profit to himself and incidentally for the benefit of the community at large. 7. The enactment of a broad, liberal, and modern Forest Act. 8. The establishment of a. forest products. laboratory for the investigation of all wood problems, and the economical utilisation of the forest resources of the Dominion. What Has Been Done. To what extent have these eight vital points (and others) been 'acted upon. I will deal with each seriatim. With regard to No. I.—ln the year 1919 the forest authority was responsible for 1,650,000 acres of forests and woodland. It has now charge of the protection and management of a forest domain of nearly 7,400,000 acres. There are still, however, over 2,000,000 acres of Crown-owned forest land which could be clearly dedicated to the stream flow protection and the production of timber craps.

With regard ta No. 2. —The work of commercial and protection forest demarcation is well in hand. At least 50 per cent, of N the commercial forests have been exam/ined by forest reconnaissance and the definite work of boundary delineation is progressing as per plan. The classification of forest lands occupying good settlement country has been tackled,first, and all timber sales are made on these areas so that they may be released for human occupation as soon as possible. _ With regard to No. 3. —The national timber stocktaking was completed last year, after four years of close scrutiny and inspection j'of practically every acre of indigenous bush in the Dominion. The grand total capital of all standing softwood and hardwood timber in the Dominion at the- close of the year was 62,000,000,000 feet (39,000,000,000 feet softwoods, rimu, totara., white pine, ma-tai, cedar, miro, kauri and silver pine, and 23,000,000,000 feet hardwoods, beeches, tawa and. rata). This includes everything standing—whether now exploitable- or otherwise. It is apparent, however, that the country’s annual consumption of forest produce is greater than its annual increment growth by many million feet; this deficit can only be satisfactorily met by a speed-up in utilisation efficiency and by a wider use' of hardwoods, otherwise the Visible supplies? will be exhausted in from 35 to 45 years. (And yet the other day a most eminent public man stated that there was enough rimu in New Zealand to last 500 years). With regard to No 1 . 4. —The sustained efforts of the Forest Service, in co-operation with the Forestry League, Bird Protection Society, the Press, and many other organisations, to inculcate a- spirit of lindividu'al forest consciousness and appreciation in the people of this Dominion can be measured by the results attained _in forest fire prevention, in the planting of trees by individuals, local bodies, companies and others, and in many other ways. From a fire damage loss of 50,000 acres of woodland in 1920 the loss was reduced to 200 acres in the 1923-24 iseason. A strong public sympathy, spirit of co-ioperation and active support accomplished that. The quantity of forest trees being planted during this year by the State, local body, private and proprietary interests will be over 16,000.000 as compared with 4,000,000 trees in 1920-21. During the year the service- sent out over 85,000 pieces of literature arid letters of advice with regard to forestry matters to farmers, settlers and others, throughout the country. With, regard to No. 5. —From annual receipts of £7500 in 1919 the Service receipts have- increased to nearly £95,000 in 1923-24, and every penny of this went back into- the formation of new plantations; the opening up of indigenous forests by track-roads and telephone lines ; the protection of the areas from fire and. the building up generally of the means of continuous production of wood crops. Forestry is now entirely self-supporting in New Zealand, and is paying its own way, and in disposing of the ripe timber crops from the forest- special consideration is given to assisting the smaller millers and co-operative working parties in securing raw material on such terms as will permit them to compete in the open market. The country is now receiving its fair share of the value of the timber and i-s securing the funds thereby to restore the forests.

“With, regard to No. 6. —It- is encouraging tO' note that the Royal Commission on land and income taxation, when it recently made, its report, recommended that “relief from lanO tax be given to* land devoted to plantations of timber, and areas not exceeding 25 acres of native bush.” The Forestry League is responsible for representations made to the Commission along these lines. It is to be hoped that favourable governmental action will result, for an equitable method of assessment and taxation will prove a great stimulus to- private tree-growing With regard to -No. 7.—The enactment of the Forests Act wa-s accomplished in 1921-22, and has proven of great value in guiding the affairs of tne crest Service and in securing effective operation. With regard to No. B—Much of definite good to the community has been accomplished by the operation of timber-testing operations at the Auckland and Victoria Colleges and elsewhere. Practical Steps. . 0n x the Principle, that “a tree saved >s a tree grown,” the branch of Forest -Products has carried out the followlng works which are of especial interest to the agricultural community • simple and practical method for the preservative treatment of fence posts and other farming timbers has been evolved. This trea£ the J ife these bk 'll redl f e th€ir cost and will tbi t 0 put their plantation thinnings to more permanent use Inin? are M "- being made leadk nf , Un ]r V i n,Gnt in tlie construction of butter boxes,, fruit cases, etc by better nailing and design, and by as e s ,S thel m - tal cases these improvements have been frcompamed by reductions in it „ P ?se (l standard metal-bound butter-box, in which timber and <Sace aie economised to a. total savinoper package. An im-estigatSfis n ow enamel "for to ,- develo P a. shellac or thnnl f 7- coating resinous and other to'," b a.Ki »ut A number of other investio-a.tinm; farmers^ 8 ' 7 The of - indi "*t interest to laimers these include the work of establishing the properties and uses of he secondary uatit-c timber" ,u c h Planted timbers such as the pines and the eucalyptus, and the development of better seasoning methods foTthe o woods.- New Zealand timbers e being more widely applied in the ment??! 1 '? f° f implements, and of coaches, waggons, etc. as a result of their work. The life of wooden poles e 0 extensively used in hydro-electric work

will be increased by the use of new preservative treatment now being developed by the Forest Service. This will possibly make an outlet for eucalypts, which ure now being so widely planted throughout the North Island. In addition, -experiments are being made with regard to the manufacture of plywoods, pulp and paper, and the production of resin and gum by the controlled bleeding of kauri trees. Advice regarding the culling and use of timbers, whether native or planted, is always available, and farmers are encouraged to make use of the valuable information collected by the Forest Service. Additional Results.

Other results have been: —By the end of this present planting season the State plantations will cover 60,500 acres (this year the Service is planting 8500 acres, whicli is over five times the average of the years before the establishment of the Forest Service). In five years as large an acreage of plantations has been established as would have taken fourteen years under the old regime. The annual sale of trees to farmers, settlers and local bodies by the Service has increased eight times since 1919 (300,000 to 2,500,000 this year), and the cost of trees has been reduced by nearly one-half during the same period. Bach year’s savings and economies in production are passed on to the customers of the Service. The establishment of a sand dune experiment station at the Rangitikei Heads, where the most practical and cheap ways and means are being evolved for the; economical reclamation of the 300,000 acres of drifting dunes wasting in the Dominion. A forest experiment station and tree nursery has been' established in Westland and 120 acres of cut over lands were planted with trees —this is only a start to solve the Westland afforestation problems. The deer menace to the forests and to pastoral lands has been tackled and a beginning made in bringing this vermin under reasonable control. Along many other directions definite assistance- has been given by way of developing a concrete interest in forestry through experiments, expert advice, co-operation with local bodies in securing suitable planting areas in co-o-pera-tion with other departments, corporations and individuals in crystallising the forestry idea—but much remains to be done. ■The Parting of the Ways.

Forestry has now come in New Zealand to the parting of the. ways. The time has eome to recast the- forestry programme in the light of the knowledge and experience gained during the first four years. We know now what our forest resources are and the rate of growth, the extent of the waste lainds suitable for tree growth, the probable consumption of timber in the future, the local and provincial needs for. protection and commercial forests, costs of the- raising and planting have been boiled down to an efficient basis, what trees to plant -and where. I ask you, is the country ready to take the necessary forward iste-p to- clinch the matter and to for all time settle this forestry business for once and for all? I believe it is. It is going to cost money, but the forests now existing are our capital and will pay all costs. Briefly, what do these new permanent responsibilities involve: Suggested Basis of Action. The establishment- of adequate State timber. planting and forest tree nurseries in each- of those provinces not already provided for; from the nurseries will be- made available unlimited cheap supplies of trees for private planting as well as for the State plantations Tentatively, 250,000 acres of State plantations must be provided for at the rate of planting 20,000 acres per year. A forest products laboratory equipped to investigate new uses and methods of utilisation for our inferior indigenous timbers, and to solve the problem of utilising the tremendous annual wastage in wood—B,ooo 000 tons a. year incident to forest exploitation. 1 A school of forestry for the practical training of foresters and forest workers and a forest experiment- -station m the North Island. The establishment of primary school forest nurseries and plantations and elementary instruction in forests and rarest life.

The complete elimination of the deer and wild pig pests and the conservation of our bird life so essential to the perpetuation of the indigenous forest 6 - 1 " 6 <M-mptete dedication of forestry l;'* 1 ? C [ m ™ fore 'Sts and woodlands not inquired for settlement and vital to stream flow conservation and timber ero-p production. D t Ul> of Gvei Y farm ivith tree shelter belts, wind-breaks, and a farm _ woodlot, generally peaking are? tf> 10 per of the area of the farms of New Zealand such as Pkllt * d "-ith t?es cama rna "'° o<S ’ msignis, macrowS? P°U lar (fdr butter boxe*), Douglas fir, and a few gums rhe carrying out of these and many her activities is the concern of the N?rkfs ce and s -Appeal for Action Our continued prosperity is in a measure vitally dependent ion J eon. TriTf e f stenee of forest industry The forests give an essential product se b n?d in i r , ltS - mar VF >ullat i°n ranks only second m importance to the other pi unary industries of pa-storal fanning and dairying. We mug keep our forests green and continuously P P m wellbeing? ' Pb and the perpetuation of our for SK. 7 U * ~v ! n; Liie.se tilings To our true patriotism this cause of forestry must appeal j ask you to make id cause offorestrv ?he P SiVof y Z r P?licy PhW*™, & h.7/no'votes.*”"' f ° r remember