FARMING ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 22 October 1942, Page 6

FARMING ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL

(To the Editor) Sir. —Does your correspondent "FanPlay for All" know in the least what he is talking about? Does lie imagine that if the few men now left on the farms are taken from them, the land will go on producing automatically the "few crops" of which lie speaks so scornfully? If not, how do he and his ilk propose to get food to eat. or clothes to wear? Does he know that cows left unmilked are ruined and will never give milk properly again. and that fields left uncultivated become so weedridden that it takes years to bring them back to profitable cropping? If sheep are not shorn there will be no clothing either for "Fair Play, etc.." or for our men at the front or in training, and sheep left unmustered, undipped, and unshorn will soon die of disease. So. when "Fair Play, etc.," gets all these "sine die" men. each of whom, assisted in some cases by a sorely overtaxed wife, sister or daughter, is already doing the work formerly done by two or three, away from the farms. I hope he will greatly enjoy life without milk, butler, bread, potatoes, fruit, and warm clothing, for none of these things will be forthcoming if the farms are abandoned by the few remaining men. most of whom would gladly join up at once if they could follow their own wishes. Meat he may be able to have, for on the derelict farms, rabbits will soon multiply in such numbers that no grass will be left for farm stock, and New Zealand will be a ruined country. I am, etc., FARMERS SISTER. Nelson, 21st Oct.