FARMING IN HOLLAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18471, 7 August 1923, Page 10

FARMING IN HOLLAND.

NATURAL, HANDICAPS,

HIGH 'VALUES FOR, FARMS.

■'Farming in Holland differs in many, respects from that in Denmark and also in Belgium, says the agricultural correspondent of the London Times. There is less uniformity in rotation and system in the Netherlands than in any other country, except Great Britain. The reason for thisus intelligible to anyone who knows the circumstances that govern the use of the land. If Holland does not possess a diversity of soil and climate as puzzlingly distributed : as England, the balance against her i farmers appears to be made greater by the very low water l»yel in many of her most 1 fertile areas. The activity of the plough is greatly restricted by the proximity of the water level to the surface; indeed, but for the wonderful maze of canals and minor channels in great parts of Western Holland the land would be unfit for/agricultural purposes of importance. Naturally the larger proportions of theso are under permanent grass, and in this condition they are fairly profitable in normal times. The quality of the herbage varies, but in parts the profusion of rich grass reminds one of the famous meadows in South Somerset. The stock-carrying capacity appeal's to be equally remarkable, and it is mainly from these fine pastures that the London markets a,re so liberally supplied with lamb and mutton in late summer and early autumn. The principal pursuits, however, are the ranking or" cheese and butter. Butter is made partly on the ' factory system and partly at private dairies, and exported in largo quantities, but Gouda, Edam, " Cheshire, and other kinds of cheese are . the best-known products of the grass areas. The-herds consist for the most part of one or other of the three recognised breeds— noted Friesland! and its relative in Holland, the red-and-white Mass-Ryn-Yssel, and the Blarrkop, black with white faceexclusive or mixed, for the process of standardisation is not yet complete. The proportion of milk cows is amazingly large in most parts of Holland, grass "and arable. This is due to the general concentration upon milk production, as well as to the efficiency of the farming. ' / Pig-keeping is not so conspicuous as in Denmark, and is not organised with equal efficiency, but it is a very important feature in the general system. Holland sends to England enormous quantities of fresh pork and also supplies a considerable demand from France. At present twothirds of the pig products of Holland are consumed at home, but it is hoped that the exports* will in time ,bo raised to 50 per cent, of the whole. . t • Like Denmark, Holland is a large importer of both feeding stuffs and oreadstuffs, for animal production is the, chief ambition in both countries, and it is interesting, as confirming experience in England, that stockowners nave better withstood the trials of the past adverse years than the purely or mainly arable farmers. Great importance is attached to the potato crop, and the imposition of any barrier to the English markets would be felt acutely in Holland, and especially in Friesland. Other vegetables also are grown in variety and exportable quantities, so that the English markets, are as. essential to Holland as to Denmark, for in neither case at present is trade with Germany any more feasible or acceptable than in Belgium. - Farming land in Holland is very valuable, the market price of arable usually ranging from £66 to £83 an acre, and the annual rents from £6 to £7 10s. The corresponding rates for good , grassland are about £100 and £8. Labour is expensive, a high rate of wage having to be paid to balance the high cost of living in Holland. The men work long hours, however, the twenty-eight* hours a week required for milking and feeding the cows being added to the regular land week of forty-eight to fifty-two hours. Naturally the wage under this system is liberal, but it varies greatly and often with the texture, of the land, there being separate scales in the same provinces for light and heavy land respectively. The method of payment is also different, but it would appear that the earnings average about 40s a week. ,