ADVANCING AGRICULTURE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 5883, 1 April 1915, Page 10

ADVANCING AGRICULTURE.

INCREASING PRODUCTION.

DOUBLING EXPORTS.

DUTY AND PROFIT.

" The extraordinary high prices ruling for a!! classes of New Zealand food products -should make oar farmers consider whether they are acting wisely iu keeping so much "of their land under 'grass and depending so entirely upon pasture as feed for live stock. Of course, at the present time the value of foodstuffs has been forced up by the demands of war, but even before war was thought of our butter, cheese, beef, mutton, lamb, pork, and every variety ot . farm produce was at a very profitable standard and there was an ever-increasing .demand for our 1 commodities 111 the -"markets of the world. The United States, Canada, and several Continental countries were eager to take many of the foodstuffs .'which we raised, and our old markets in Great Britain were continually increasing. ' Whatever may be the condition of affairs -when the war is over, there is now no •doubt whatever that people must be fed. -If there is a general shortage of money, amusements, luxuries, dress, and such like things may be curtailed, but there is not 'likely (o be much curtailment of food, and t." there is certainly not likely to be any in--1 S crease in supplies among the old world * countries or even in Lie Northern Ameri--'can" communities. Th?s being the case, "there is every inducement for New Zealand ~ farmers to concentrate their energies on t, doubling the output fiom other farms. No 5; one need ask if this inn be done, for the 1 answer is manifest. Afe could double, and -more than double, our present output of -'pastoral and agricultural produce wi'Jiout • padding a single acre In those, already in occupation, and we could, as a matter of .fact, double our present output without increasing the area at present under some form of production. A Vo could double the "output of dairy produce by improving our pastures, growing extra feed for summer and winter use, and by breeding better ff. W3. It should, not, require a farm ot 'th 'Ae or Sour hundred acres to carry a 1 herd of 63 or 70 cows; half this area, moderately cultivated, would do. It should not require a herd of 13 cows to produce a ton of .-butt in the year, for half that , number of' veil-bred, well-fed animals " jvuld produce this amount. It is much the same with beef, mutton, and lamb. At - the present": time our occupied lands are riot averaging one sheep to the acre. Is it unreasonable to expect that their carrying capacity could be lifted to an average of two sheep to the acre? It has been proved beyond dispute that by the aid of suitable top-dressings the pasture on some of or"dinarily poor lands of Ruakura can be made to carry eight sheep to the acre, and _ .there are tens of thousands of acres in the V : , country which by ths same methods could -be made to give the 1 same results. But it '. -.'is with the higher fjorms of agriculture 'the raising of root crops and fodder crops f' that the greatest increases could be won i tin'the production of cattle and sheep for tbe export tnide. If every farmer in New' •\ "Zealand put one-third of his land under , crop its stock-carryi tig capacity could be more than doubled, and undoubtedly the / meat production would be increased at a ,still greater rate, because where proper fattening foods are vised a much greater - percentage of the animals could be turned into what are technically known as fats. It is not only in the direction of increasing the production of land already produc--1 tive that the greatest advance could be -"made, for there is a tremendous amount of > 'land in the aggregate on our farms whicn 'IS not in use at all—land in scrub or fern, swamps undrained. Inthe newer districts -of the North Island particularly it is doubtful whether mere than hall" the land occupied is in productive use. Much of ' this land is of good quality and only lacks that useful thing we call capital, always so scarce among farmers, always so difficult to obtain in new countries. What ever be the reason why, we know very well that, farmers in most of our districts do hold quantities of land which they cannot use. In some cases men hold more land than they can work in the hope that their children wilL ftse it. In some cases they held it in the hope that they may 'fell it at a profit at some later time. ..Whether in our case holding land out of •use is any benefit to the individual is some--•what of a problem, for the interest on its capital'value must make a heavy charge on it. There is, however, no' problem about the matter from the State point of view, for every aero out of use is so much loss to the nation. New Zealand exports annually something over £20,000,000 worth of farm products; to double this amount would be a great benefit to all classes of people in tlie community, but no one would benefit more than the farmers themselves, in many cases the farmers are striving niceasingly in this direction, hut it is doubtful whether the community or the .State is helping them as it should or even realising how it can help them. The financial institutions of the country can do a great deal toward increasing the output of our farms by advancing capital for reasonable improvements by giving credit where time is required to win results. The State can help enormously by giving farmers a greater use of money by building railways, making roads, and teaching still more vigorously the lessons of scientific agriculture. After all, however, the real increase in farm production must come from the farmer himself. He must realise the neces-

eity for, better stock, be stern enough to throw out unprofitable animals, wise enough to see that profit is to be made by providing abundance of food. Ho must educate that racial inclination lie has to hold more land than he can use and be prepared to sell his surplus lands in order that he may have enough capital to properly work that which lie retains. He must put aside old methods where they are not good and take up new methods Our farmers, averagely, are practical, energetic, and intelligent, but some of them dislike change and bustle. They are apt to think that as soon as they are able to make their farm keep them that no further advance need be made, apt to give up dairying for sheep because it means easier work, apt to keep land in grass be- ; cause cropping requires labour and capital; but if they have a real sense of duty to themselves and to the State, of ■which they are a part, they will see that 3 ,' J ? striving to improve their land they are V'-.,yWEjng.aWftmere selfishness and performing J optional work.