N.Z. PRIMARY INDUSTRIES

Northern Advocate, 23 February 1926, Page 3

N.Z. PRIMARY INDUSTRIES

SOME INTERESTING OBSERVATIONS. ENGLISH M.P. INTERVIEWED. “Panning out here has been especially interesting to me, becarse I farm in a small way at my home in the Yorkshire Dales, whore we run hill sheep and fatten young cattle on the summer jiasturo for the Christmas market,” declared Mr R. G. Ellis, Conservative member in the British House of Commons for Wakefield (Yorkshire), in the course of an interview with a representative of the ‘‘Tiniaru Herald.” Mr. Ellis has made several journeys of inspection into the country districts of South Canterbury, and is immensely impressed with what he saw.

“Your soil and climate here from what I have seen for myself, and galhpred from farmers, is like a good deal of ours, but naturally even individual farms differ. Your climate is naturally a wonderful asset. What at om e strikes an English farmer "is the absence of farmyard manure, but with you this seems impossible on any large scale, as your animals arc very little under shelter, and when specially fed get no cake which has so many valuable manurial properties with us. I am toll] that even if other methods of feeding were followed, tho labour difficulty would render it impossible to make proper use of the manure resulting This seems to have made folding on green feed the alternative, and of course yon find, as w r e do, that tho treading of tho sheep has a very good action on land that has been cultivated. You arc fortunate in having an ample supply of phosphates so near at hand, and as the land does not appear to need nitrates in any quantity, tho manure question on a good deal of land would seem to bo satisfactorily solved so long as the price to be got for wheat remains at a eei - ; tain level.

“Tt is a pity, however, as regards some of the land I have seen that farmyard manure is not available, as on certain sandy and even stiffish land it undoubtedly causes a very valuable mechanical reaction. In some sandy districts at Home, the growing of lupins or allied seeds and ploughing in the crop green is being practised with success as a complete preparation for subsequent corn-growing. I am told it is suggested here. Some of the land certainly seems worth the trial.

; FUTURE OF FARMING. ! j “The future of farming anywhere in, the world,” Mr. Ellis said in dis- ! ■ cussing the outlook for the primary ' industries, “is now practically de- ’ pendent on the volume of internationral production. It is true the world • population and demand are increasing, s but as against that new producing s areas are rapidly coming into the mars ket as world market sellers. South ;■ (America is not only competing with t New Zealand mutton and lamb, but is , scmling excellent prepared butter and • cheese. She is nearer the European market than New Zealand, and is a I big buyer of English and other European manufactured goods in return, jan exchange which very favourably , j affects the freights from the pvoI ducer’s point of view, FOREIGN COMPETITION. “The settling down of Russia is only a matter of time—and possibly a short time at that, and then yon will j have to face the import of dairy products and meat from an area where! wages and standards of life are in-1 credibly poor, and which modern frees- j ing may be able to spread well over) the year. I do not doubt for a mu- j ment that New Zealand will meet this i competition satisfactorily when the ! time comes, but some day it will have) jto be faced. She is in an exceptional I i position to meet it because she is such j i a good buyer of British goods, and j I this means out and Home loading and! cheaper freightage. If New Zea- ! j land only holds to the policy of Brit-j j isli preference, encourages her people ! j to buy British manufactures and tabes j ever;, step to see that the British ■ consumer gets her meat and dairy j produce at a fair price without allowing the middleman too much toll, I j believe the exchange of trade will continue to be satisfactory to both countries, and will help to enrich both. Wool will depend for price much more ■a ieicreational demand. The goodwill cslablished by the lamb and miitI n trade is so valuable that a similar I’M-la-t for beef would soon follow if e!y freezing difficulties could be o'-eri-ouie. But if we are to cat your coat and butter you must buy oar ;v,a nufa c,lures in greater volume. LAND VALUES. ‘ Wiia I appears to an outsider to be of you;- difficulties at present,” A Eli is said discussing the danger' of inhaled (and values, “is the very »• i;>!i value still put on farm lauds. Were ail this land rented instead of I' is;; owan 1 the farmer would better rca'ac riic interest on capital value In- s now paying instead of rent. Pew ■ roo.-: woo'd rent a farm on the ’’ --ns J hat present values mean to an "o r, and sure of a good return a i lie n; ;• rhea (I charges were paid, had a s niilar difficulty in Eng- | ' ’Lev Hie war, when values were) •' on I'm mo's ’ war profits, but) ■’ i!u*:-e profits were rapidly re- j • 1 or disappeared altogether, land | diopp-d to its real economic j wib'c. One can only hope that not too! a-iiy f year farmers have come in! ■a Ge.- nf the market.” 1