SCIENCE OF FARMING

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 24 March 1930, Page 7

SCIENCE OF FARMING

DOMINION'S HIGH STANDARD ADVANTAGES IN DAIRYING COMPARISON WITH EUROPE After an extended (our, devoted espccially to study of the science of fanning abroad, Dr. 11. E. Annctt, of Matangi, Waikato, returned to Now Zealand by the Rangiliki, convinced that tho Dominion can learn little from England or the Continent of Europe about dairy production and thp treatment, of grasslands.

For three years Dr. Annelt lias been carrying out intensive research on his properly at Matangi, and he spent sovoral months abroad investigating farming conditions, the treatment of soils and dairy production methods, 110 has accepted a. position with British Imperial Chemicals Limited ;md his lrij> has enabled him to compare New Zealand methods with those employed in primary production overseas. Much was heard of dairy production in Denmark, and the high butter-fat contest secured by Danish farmers, Dr. Annctt said, but he was of opinion that Now Zealand had nothing to fear from overseas competition in regard 'to butter-fat production. THREE GREAT ADVANTAGES The Dominion's advantages in dairying compared with England and the Continent, arose from three chief causes. "We have a climate in which we can grow grass practically all the year round, ' Dr. Annctt proceeded. "It is not necessary to grow root crops nor to buy any concentrated food. We can also keep our cattle out of doors the whole year. This eliminates the necessity of erecting buildings to house stock. The cost of food purchased by farmers in England and on the Continent represents a very largo proportion of their cost of production. I visited farms in Holland and Germany whore farmers owning from 140 to 150 acres were spending in the vicinity of £3OO a year on concentrated foods alone.

"Another important point is that there is no other country so far advanced in the use of milking' machines as is NewZealand. The type of machine used bore results in great economy of labour. Two men in New Zealand can milk 60 cows, but in England I found that six men were needed to milk 65 cows with the type of machine used there. CO-OPERATIVE DEVELOPMENT "Although we hear wonderful things Denmark has done in co-operative methods I think New Zealand is even more wonderful in her co-operative development. We have a very fine system, and it has been built up almost entirely since the war. Because of this co-oijerative spirit throughout the Dominion I think farmers have a more progressive outlook. They will adopt a new principle where a British farmer would not take to it to anything like the same extent. "At the same time New Zealand farmers will have to look into the marketing. There are certain complaints in England that dairy produce landed in London from the Dominion in the offseason is below quality. It is said that this arises because butter placed on the market in, say, September, October and November is probably made six or eight months previously. ' I think that probably some system of dating imported butter boxes would load to at least a temporary improvement. What we will ultimately have to develop in New Zealand is all the year round milking, so that we can place produce on the market during all months _of the year in more or less even quantities.

TREATMENT OF GRASS LANDS

"New Zealand farmers would have to pay further attention to the treatment' of grass lands and soil," Dr. Anneft added. "They have been using superphosphate entirely in the past and they have reached the stage where, having taken so much out of the land, they have to consider more systematic manuring. The deficiency of lime in soils results in the production of grass with a low lime content. Since the New Zealand dairy animal gets practically no feed except grass, the production of gra-ss with ■ a high lime content is of very great importance. "Similar considerations apply to potash in soils. In future New Zealand will have to turn her attention to a greater use of lime and probably also of potash manuring. With the increase in the knowledge of results obtained in experimental work with sulphate of ammonia it is likely that the use of this substance combined with superphosphate and lime will bring about a very much more bigger production in agricultural products."