AGRICULTURAL ITEMS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20626, 26 July 1930, Page 19

AGRICULTURAL ITEMS.

At Mahoenui this winter a start will be made in the development of over 4000 acres of the Totoro Block. This will be reserved for Native settlement.

The Lands Department is cutting up 1600 acres in the Warcpapa district, in areas of from 150 to JBO acres. Tho block is partly bush and part'iy open country.

The enormous increase in dairy production in the Northern King Country, in recent years has been due to the results obtained from top-dressing, improvement in stock, and the adoption of better methods in farm management.

The Otorohanga branch of tho New Zealand Farmers' Union has protested lo the Minister in charge of the State Forests, against his decision not to make further sales of young trees to farmers, who wish to plant shelter belts, and ornamental plantations. s»

The pumiccous area at Tiroa and Mangapeehi, is being tested on a practical farming basis, by the Native Minister, w ; itH a view to closer settlement. Two hundred acres are now being top-dressed, and stock experiments will be introduced at an early date. If these are successful there will be 50,000 acres available for settlement in this area alone.

The farmer of America this year is faced with surpluses on nearly every hand, having increased his efficiency at an amazing rate. Ten years ago tho farm population was above 31.000,000, it is now estimated at 27,000.000, a decline of over 4,000,000. At the same time during tlie past ten years, the total population of tho United States has increased by about 15,000.000, apparently in the cities, as are also the 4,000.000 who have migrated from the farms. Thus 4.000,000 loss farmers are required now to feed a population of non-agricultural people 20,000.000 in excess of that ten years ago.

Agriculture is Canada's basic industry, and the opportunities for greater agricultural development are almost unlimited. The total land area of Canada is some 1.401.318,388 acres, and of this vast expanse 358,162,190 acres are available for agricultural use. Tho last census statistics give 140,887.903 acres as the occupied farm land in 1921, which is only 39.3 per cent, of the land available for agricultural production. In 1928 the area under cultivation amounted to nearly 150,000,000 acres, and the previous year the live, stock totalled 3.421.857 horses, 3,894,311 milch cows, 5,277,927 other cattle, 3.262,706 sheep, 4.694,789 swine, and 50,178,485 head of poultry.

The financial statement for the past year in connection with tho Mauricevillo Dairy Company, shows tho company to bo in a sound financial position. The average pay-out for the season was Is 3 3-13 d per lb. of butter-fat, which considering the price of butter, must be considered very satisfactory. 'I he total out [Hit for the past season was 781 tons lewt., 131b., an increase of 133 tons over the previous season. It is confidently expected to still further increase the output next season, there being a general increase in the cows to be milked. The company has decided to pay out Is 3d pei lb. for butter-fat supplied during June, and to pay a bonus of 2d per lb foi the months of March and April and Id for May, in order to bring tho pay-out for theso months up to Is 2d.

The final returns from Mr. \V. Stokes' farm at Hautapu, Wnikato, show that on an area of 50 acres, 40 Jersey-cross cows gave a yield during the last milking season of 15,2801b5. of butter-fat. These figures were taken from the factory returns. Of tho 40 cows, 33 were matured animals and seven were two-year-old heifers. In addition to the milking stock, nine calves were reared and one bull, and two horses were kept, on the farm throughout the year. The yield was equal to 305.61 lis. of butter-fat per acre. Mr. Stokes has a well sheltered property divided into 14 fields, all of which are in grass. The pastures are regularly top pressed with 6cwt. of fertiliser, applied in the proportion of 2cwt. of superplios phate, lewt. of honedust. 501bs. of pot ash, and 501 lis. nf sulphate of ammonia. In addition to the grazing obtained, 11 acres of hay arid six of ensilage were conserved.

Mr. L. ff. McAlpine, organiser fir the Fanners' Union, spoke at Pnliintua recently, of the need for a farmers' union, special publication as an ollioial organ, stating that just now the union was putting up a fight against general taxation, customs taxation, local taxation, settling the unemployment question hy loading the farmer with most of the costs, unfair valuation of farm lands, tho ever increasing cost of Government, and battling for the de-rating of all farm lands for roading purposes, hut unless the members wero behind the movement, it must fail. The cost, said Mr. McAlpine, would he 6s 8(1 per year, and they were asked to sipri an order for CI fo cover three years' subscriptions, their money to he returned if the project was abandoned. On the motion of Mr. 11. ('otter, seconded by Mr J. If. Brenmer, it was decided that, the Pahiatua branch support tho principle of tho establishment of an official Farmers' Union journal.