FARMING NOTES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIV, Issue 286, 31 October 1934, Page 5

FARMING NOTES.

RURAL RAKINGS. The Sydney Morning Herald states that in a considerable area of the Parkes, Bogan Gate, Condobolin, Nvngan, Narromine, and Dubbo districts, unless Government action is taken immediately, there is every possibility of huge losses of crops and pasturage resulting from the ravages of grasshoppers. Last season the pest was scattered over an area officially estimated at 32 million acres, in which damage amounting to £3,600,000 was done. Then the first swarms did not hatch out until December. This season the swarms have been hatching out three months earlier. According to reports the egg beds are scattered over a wide area (probably 42 million acres) and the risk to crops and grass is thus considerably increased. In the Condobolin district an authoritiative opinion is that damage three times that of last season is extremely probable. The yield of wheat from the forthcoming harvest in New South AVales is placed at 42,000,000 bushols by the State Marketing Bureau. This represents a reduction of 13,000,000 bushels on last year’s yield. The area harvested for grain last year was 4,528,000 acres. This year’s acreage for grain is estimated by the State Government Statistician at 3,869,000 acres—a falling off of 659,000 acres, or 14.5 per cent. Compared with last year’s recorded yield of 55,000,000 bushels, the present forecast of 42,000,000. bushels for 1934-35 represents a reduction from 12.1 bushels to 10.8 bushels an acre. An assurance that he would “put up a big fight” to have New Zealand potatoes admitted to .Australia was given by the Prime Minister when speaking to a deputation representative of some of the potato growers in South Canterbury. That New Zealanders should .be thankful for the prevailing low prices for wool, since they ensured consumption, -was an opinion expressed by Mr L. R. C. Macfarlane, of Canterbury, interviewed on his return from England. “Wo have got to sell to the public at a price at which they can buy,” he said. The statistical Agues for wool were excellent, showing that there was no spare wool in the world to-day. Though some loss to New Zealand might be expected through the absence of German competition at the next season’s sales, German buying in the Argentine market would be of some assistance, freeing the market from competition by Argentine producers. In addition, Germany had had to conserve all her financial resources to secure winter food supplies, and when the spring came and the fear of famine had passed, she would be willing to buy more extensively.