FARMERS AND LAND SETTLEMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19486, 16 November 1926, Page 10

FARMERS AND LAND SETTLEMENT.

Si?,—While it must be admitted that the condition of the farming community to-day is not a perfectly happy one, and granting that the coming conference of representatives is a wise moveafent, it is to be hoped that the conference will pay due attention to the failures of the farmers themselves. As a beginning, I would suggest that the conference''delegates be supplied with a copy of each of the seven articles on farming, together with the very excellent summary which appeared as the leading article in the Hjsraid of October 12 last. How many farmers neglect to take advantage of the opportunities afforded for herd-testing 1 How many neglect to take advantage of the opportunity to improve herds by the purchase of pedigree sires, for which at least the leading dairy company is willing to pay up to £SO, under certain reasonable conditions? Again, for years the ■ Government has advised farmers to go in extensively and systematically for th© breeding of pigs and Mr. K. W. Gorringe has been pleading with farmers for years to produce a "Wiltshire" carcase (Berkshire-Tamworth first cross). Last year, however, because of the failure to take his advice, an order from two firms for 60,000 carcases of pork had to bo turned down. To-day pork is somewhere in the vicinity of lid c.i.f., at, least 8d net. Again, a leading farmers' concern • engaged m the manufacture of manures was asked to suppfy its product direct to a dairy company which would take and pay cash for about three fifths of the total output and save some* where about £1 per ton to the consumer. However,, this . offer was turned down. It appears to me quite a simple matter for the various co-operative dairy companies to combine and perhaps take the whole output. In any case, if the manure companies refuse to take advantage of this <iffer, other means will be adopted. The conference should begin its operations by cleaning oat the farmers'' own backyard, encoaraging him to take advantage of all the educative and improvement schemes put forward by the Department of Agriculture's officers and, genei'ally, encourage a higher standard of farming. Finally, it should ask the various farmefs' organisations and farmers themselves to cease from squealing. Unless confidence is restored, all efforts are hopeless, and only farmers themselves can restore it. M. EL. Amxahber.