THE FARMER.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1264, 21 May 1896, Page 4

THE FARMER.

“ Agriculture is the most healthful, most useful, and most noble employment of man.”—George Washington.

EDITORIAL NOTES.

British dairying. Lord Vernon, of Sudbury, an English nobleman who takes a great interest in matters agricultural, and whose estate is one of tho best managed in England, takes up the cudgels for tho British farmer in tho April number of tho Nineteenth Century and warmly resents the charges of laziness and incapacity to go with the times, so frequently brought against him by critics ■who loudly vaunt the suporior ability and industry of the Danes. Lord, Vernon does not believo in any wholesale adoption of the factory system by tho English dairy farmers, because he holds that at 3id per gallon, separated milk returned, which is what tho Danish milk suppliers are content with, tho British farmer could not do more than maintain the barest existence. Ho cannot understand how tho Dane can make a decent living at the price above quoted, for taking the comparatively high average of 500 gallons of milk per cow per annum, ho shows that tho jprico is equivalent to less than ud per day for the keep of the cow if th 9 separated milk and the calf be set against other expenses. As far as regards tho Derbyshire farmers, Lord Vernon says they are not satisfied with even Gd per gallon, and quietly observes, in answer to those who say tho English farmer must go in largely for the factory the factory system or lose the [butter trade, that “ it seems to be a waste of energy to try and persuade him that if ho makes butter as well as it is made'in Denmark or Sweden ho will bo able to get 3id per gallon for his milk.” Commenting upon this expression of opinion, a writer in the Field remarks: —“ But how can Lord Vernon pay Gd a gallon for milk to make into butter? It would bo interesting to see the balancesheet of his creamery under such circumstances, with butter at tho current price. No doubt his butter is superior to Danish, a nd sollsata higher price, otherwise Gd a gallon

was stated last autumn} that a Scottish creamery company had paid only 21 d during the season, though it cannot bo

imagined that farmer's in any part of Great Britain Would continue long to supply milk at so ruinous a price.” Tho Field writer proceeds to predict that English farmers will not imitate tho D.-mos 'so long as butter, sold wholesale, returns barely 3Jd per gallon for tho milk. Deferring to Australian and New Zealand competition in the butter trade, tho Field considers it unlikely that tho English either can or will attempt to competo with “ men who supply milk at 2ld per gallon,” and adds “ that it is only men who work and live like farm labourers who can produce milk at (oven) 3.Jd per gallon, except in countries where land is extremely cheap and taxation is a trifle.” Evidently the British farmer is not going to wake up and meet colonial competition in the butter trade with that energy which has been prophesied of late. So long as wo can produce milk at 3J-d —and somo of our factory suppliers get much less than that price—wo havo no need to fear British competition in factory made butter. But against tho Danes wo shall have to he ever watchful, and we are convinced that tho Argentine competition is dostinod to be a very important factor in tho trade before long. LUCERNE.

In recent issues of tho London Field to hand by tho last San Francisco mail, considerable space is occupied in tho “ Farm ” columns of that journal with discussions on the value of lucerne as a forage crop. One correspondent, “ Viator,” claims that lucerne has completely revolutionised grazing in Argentina. One very favourite method of dealing with lucerne, as practised by the German farmers—very numerous and sucessful in Argentina—is described as follows: When cut, the crop is immediately put into cocks and allowed to heat to a temperature sufficient to be all but unbearable to the hand when thrust into the cock. It is then spread out and allowed to dry. Tho point to which it should bo allowed to dry is thus described : “ To test the condition of the lucerne at this stage, take a stem of average thickness and twist it in tho hand. It should neither exude

moisture nor should it be dry enough to crack or make a rustling sound ; it should bo pliable without being moist, of a greyishchocolate colour and giving forth a rich, strong fragranco similar to that we recogniso in sweet silage. It may now bo stacked in the ordinary way or stored in thoMiay shed.” Another correspondent of the same paper warmly recommends tho English farmer to go in for lucerne, lie says: “It has been the general idea that lucerne wants a particular kind of soil, a particular climate, Ac., and that it must be cleaned by hoeing, Ac., every year; that it must bo manured rogularlv, and altogether be managed like an only child—and he was a wonder —sort of a crop, and by that idea prevailing it has no doubt caused hundreds of pooplo to hesitate before growing the crop, because of the supposed cost of its after cultivation. Now [the sooner that idea bo exploded and abandoned the hotter, for it is the crop of the farm. It will grow on almost every soil, and I think I may say every soil, bar land which needs draining, and has a water-logged sub-soil. In any climate, from Sweden to New Zealand, it will stand through the longest drought ever known ,• it never wants manuring of any kind, and will produce the greatest weight of food, either green fodder, hay, ensilage,[[or sheep feed of any known crop, for tho greatest number of years, and produce three or four crops a year as long as one likes to cut it. I havo seen pieces that have been down from ten to thirty-live years (and I think tho thirty-five-year-old crop is still growing, it was JaaL-keening a good head of

except England grows the crop as a general thing, because they find out something special, and do not hesitate, as an Englishman does, hut try it at once.” We don’t grow half enough lucerne in New Zealand ; but every year its value as a forage crop is being more and more recognised. Mr BUCHANAN AS A WET BLANKET.

Mr W. C. Buchanan, tho member for tho Wairarapa, is first and foremost a sheepfarmer, and outside tho interests of wool and mutton has but few sympathies in common with the small settlers. Just now Mr Buchanan’s mind is strongly tinged with a pessimism which asserts itself not only in his political speeches, which is only ! natural seeing the poor chances of his party returning to power, hut in tho addresses he delivers in connection with such local bodies and non-political societies of which he is a member, which is much to be deplored. Especially have wo been struck by tho peculiarly dismal tone of certain remarks made by him at the annual meeting of the Wairarapa Agricultural and Pastoral Society, held last week at Carterton. Those who read tho annual report, a condensed version of which appeared in last week’s issso of the New Zealand Mail, must havo noticed the specially despondent tone of tho remarks made by Mr Buchanan as to the dairy industry. As a sheep-farmer pure and simple Mr Buchanan may not bo much interested in tho dairy industry, but his lack of sympathy with an industry which lias done and is doing so much for tho small settlers, and is destined to do so much more, must bo a source of disappointment and even disgust to thoso who, like ourselves, bad expected to find tho president of tho ’Wairarapa Agricultural and Pastoral Society only too eager and happy to say a word of encouragement to tho dairy farmers in his district. But what did Mr Buchanan do? He damned the industry with the faintest possible of praise, expressed disappointment with the results of the factory system unfairly and ignorantly compared tho New Zealand system to that of Victoria, and generally pooh-poohed, with the lofty squattocratic scorn which is characteristic of tho man, the hopes and expectations that the dairy industry in this colony lias

a prosperous future before it. But what are the facts with respect to this industry which Mr Buchanan, with his countless Hocks and herds, seems to consider worthy of only a passing and uncomplimentary reference ? What lias the dairying industry done for the Wairarapa alone ? There are, we find, in the Wairarapa four dairy companies engaged in the manufacture of cheese. These factories turn out cheese to tho value of, at the lowest estimate, JUS,OOO each year. They afford employment, directly and indirectly to some 250 families, which means, taking the low average of six persons to a family (including outsido help), that some 1500 people in tho South Wairarapa district alono aro supported by this industry, tho results of whose institution aro, according to tho sapient and sympathetic Mr Buchanan, so small and discouraging. But besides tho four factories there are several private cheese and butter factories, and it would bo safo to say, at a rough estimate, that the milk suppliers’ farms, averaging between sixty and seventy acres each, amount in total area to somo 10,000 acres. Some of the Wairarapa sheepfarmers (Mr Buchanan can supply the names himself) hold as many acres each, but what amount of employment is employed by these mutton-freezing and dairydespising gentlemen ? About half-a-dozen permanent hands at the most, that is all. What a difference is here when compared with the employment afforded by the dairy industry. Instead of making light of the dairy industry, instead of endoavouring to throw cold water upon the

member for the district, the ex-president of tho Agricultural and Pastoral Society, would, in our opinion at least, ho much better employed were he using his wealth and influence to help it along. If ho thinks tho dairy industry in Now Zealand, and in tho Wairarapa in particular, is in a backward and unsatisfactory condition, why has ho not, as president of the Society, dono his best to initiate special dairy shows on the conveniently situated show grounds possessed by the Society? His comparison between tho industry in Victoria and hero is quite misleading. In Victoria tho dairy farmers had for somo years a Government bonus, and it is, by tho way, very amusing to find Mr Buchanan, who poses as a good freetrader, advocating the Victorian system of bonuses which, according to bis own views, ought to be a fiscal heresy. Victoria has had many advantages over New Zealand with respect to the dairy industry, especially in tho way of moro speedy and cheaper carriago of produce on a railway system which centres on the colony’s principal and almost sole port. But New Zealand is rapidly catching up to Victoria, and that she is doing so is largely due to tho energy and enterprise of that very Government which Mr Buchanan, in tho interests of — well, we will say, himself and his brother squatters—is so anxious to turn out of office and power. Would Mr Buchanan, who tells the Wairarapa people that ‘’they manage these (dairy) things better” in Victoria,be surprised to hear that in his annual report to tho Victorian Department of Agriculture Sir D. Wilson, tho chief dairy expert for that colony, is strongly of opinion that the Victorians have a great deal to learn from Now Zealand methods and measures in connection with dairying? Wo quote ono passage alone for Mr Buchanan’s special edification :

“ Without wishing to ho an alarmist, I cannot help referring to tho fact that the quantity of inferior butter annually manufactured in Victoria demands immediate remedial measures being taken. ’The only remedial measure likely to havo any permanent effect would bo the training of our butter makers in dairy schools and stations. There is a want of uniformity in the system of management adopted by our best factory managers, while amongst many of them, where sufficient salary is not paid to secure the services of skilled men, great ignorance prevails of tho first principles of buttermaking. Government instruction and Government supervision havo given Now Zealand dairy produce a reputation for quality and uniformity that lias established for it an equalityin valuo when placed on the English market. Dairy education then having accomplished so much for Now Zealand, why not give the system [a trial in Victovia.”

Evidmnly the loss Mr Buchanan talks about the superiority of Victorian methods the hotter. Time was when tho Victorians wero ahead of us, hut thanks to the dairy schools and system of grading inspection established by our New Zealand Government we shall soon challenge tho world as to quality. Mr Buchannan [had also, of course, a good deal to say about tho moat industry. Hero} ho was a more congenial subject, but his airy explanation, or attempted explanation, of tho strikingdifference in tho values of fat sheep at Addington and in tho Wairarapa respectively, acceptod for what it was and nothing more—an ingenious plea for the Wellington meat companies of one of which he is the largest shareholder. We aro glad, however, to hear—though not from Mr Buchanan—that an endeavour is now being made to start killing and freezing at the Waingawa works for tho benefit of small farmers in the district, and the new departure has, we believe, fluttered the big squatters’(dovecot not a little. At the Waingawa works, so wo understand, killing and boiling down sheep for tho fat W proceeding, and we are

erediqly assured that the settlers aro by this means getting a better price for their fat sheep than by selling to tho big freezing companies. If Mr Buchanan wishes to assist tho settlers, ho should assist the starting of freezing at these works, for tho small farmers would save considerably in freight by freezing on tho spot and sending the carcases by rail to Port Nicholson instead of shipping tho live stock to Ngahavranga. We have frequently expressed the opinion that many of the agricultural and pastoral societies exist only for tho benefit of tho big men, and that the interests of tho small settlors aro neglected by tho committees and officials. A perusal of Mr Buchanan’s presidential report confirms us in this opinion, and also affords a striking proof how absurdly out of touch the member for the Wairarapa is with th 3 interests of the vast majority of his constituents.!