CORRESPONDENCE

Hawera Star, Volume L, 29 November 1930, Page 4

CORRESPONDENCE

.(To the Editor.) Sir,—The letter hr last night’s issue br "Old Farmer’’ made interesting reading. There a.re many of his estimates that could be .challenged, however. For instance, it seems to me, a very great deal' depends on the class ox farm, and its situation. Firstly, ‘Old Farmer’s" estimate of £27 for am 80-1 cow farm, for Power Board, is a long •way out. How many . farmers could milk 80 -cows, run .water heater, and possibly pump water for £27? It would be very interesting to know. Mr Poison’s figure® in this case are nearer the mark. Then to get those returns, would £6O on manures, be sufficient? Especially i'f that, is to include manures for cropping. /Farmer } 7 mig'-h. r. say leropping is not necessary, hut, indeed, on .many farms' it is. Then, how can £2O be sufficient for working expenses on the farm)? This figure is far too low: Take two farmers milking the same number of cows, for instance. No. 1 may be next door to the factory, where the expenses of carting hi® milk would be next t'o nil. No. 2, however, may be three, miles away. I know "of at least one ease, where the farmer in such circumstances, estimates that it (costs him over £SO annually, to get; his milk to the factory by loTry.. Even with a waggon, there are constant repairs to if and renewing of harness and horse-shoeing foT the man who is a long Avay from the; factory. £2O would not go far tw'i’th these men. Nothing has been allowed for horse and coW covers, etc., and for replacement and repairs to implements (l'Ss 9d for a ploughshare!) I cannot help commenting on the fact that while both "Old Farmer” and Mr Poison allow £2OO living expenses, (one farmer .may have a big family and another none), neither allow the owner any wages. Then! in the "farm returns’’ colimm, one item seems somewhat vague in both estimates, that is the (calves. Mr Poison has a return of £l3 for 40 bobby calves. What happens toi the other 46? But. "'Old Farmer’’ says ai return of £22 10s from 75 bobby calves. Surely "Old Farmer" does not mean to suggest that with a herd of 80 cows to keep only 5 'calves for herd replenishing would l be sufficient? Why, men with 30 cows would keep that number! ‘‘Old Farmer" and Mr Poison are .both out, I reckon, on the calves' question. Now, sir, my letter is somewhat lengthy, ibut 'the subject is of such vital interest ait the present time that a few more opinions would be of value. We want no inore land at inflated values. That is 'the cause of more than half the present trouble. —I am, etc., '"interested." ■P.'S.—An important item in farm working expenses is the costly though effective treatment of ragwort with sodium 'chlorate. Perhaps "Old Farmer" has none, but many hundreds of farmers have, and this is going to 1 eat a big hole in that £2O this year.