THE FARM

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LIII, Issue 16, 21 January 1919, Page 8

THE FARM

MONEY IN TURNIP SEED A Central Otago correspondent, in writing to a Dunedin paper, says : “That*there is money in side lines was forcibly find pleasingly brought home to a Manitoto (Central Otago) farmer recently. The fruits of his harvest proved highly payable, yet when the facts are known he was fortunate in getting it. Turnip seed, which was responsible for the rise in the case in question, is no wworth 4s 6d per lb, the pre-war price being only 7d, The farmer had a small area (about an acre) in turnips, which had not been eaten off, and had gone to seed. He was about to commence > ploughing it in, when the representative of a Dunedin firm of stock and station agents, suggested that it would be a payable proposition to save the seed. The farmer was led Ho see the wisdom of the advice, with pleasing results to himself, and to several others, to whom he gave | half shares in return for harvesting the I seed. The method of saving the seed was primitive in the extreme. The heads were simply cut off and thrown into sheets, and tho seed flayed out; hut it paid handsomely, the harvesters and tho farmer dividing £IOOO. Wo understand’ that fa gentleman in the Tarras district is at present harvesting a fine 10-acre crop of turnip seed, and it is expected to yield anything from £SOO to £IOOO per acre.

THE WOOL PROBLEM. The last number of the Pastoral Review has the following intertsting '.note on the wool situation in South Africa: —The vexed question of the disposal of the 1916-19 South African wool clip has been agitating the minds of farmers during the past few weeks, and meetings at various centres in the four provinces are being held with the object of discussing the advisability of again approachng the Imperial Government. The Union Government has refused to approach the Imperial authorities until it receives a guarantee from wool-grow-ers that an appreciable quantity will be offered. A special conference will be held at Pretoria next month, the outcome of which it is difficult to hazard. At most of the meetings held so far strong resolutions have been carried favouring the Imperial scheme on the same basis as that of last year. There is, however, a section of the South African farming fraternity which appeal’s to be opposed to anything which may assist England and) her Allies in the present international struggle. Several have open’y declared that they would) rather allow their wool to rot on the ground than enter into the contract without the price is increased. Those who stood out and sold in the _ open market last year secured considerably higher prices than those who accepted the Imperial scheme, audwihis has had a nasty influence. This year, however, there seems to be little or no hope of an open market. It is said in well-in-formed circles that the American Government has commandeered the whole of the clip of the United States, and has prohibited brokers from buying, and that both America and Japan havereceived authority from the Imperial Government to secure large quantities, of the Australian clip. It is estimated that there are 72,000 bales of last year’s South African , clip lying at the ports unsold, the same quantity sold but awaiting shipment, and the new season’s crop should amount to over 500,000 bales. If South Africa refuses to follow the wise lead of Australia and New Zealand it is more than probable that r £10,000,000 or £12,000,000 will be tied' up, a condition of affairs which the | country cannot afford. I