FARMING PROSPECTS

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11664, 31 October 1923, Page 3

FARMING PROSPECTS

•EXPERTS’ OPINION. DAIRYING DIFFICULTIES. (By Telegraph—‘Times'’ Special Reporter.) PALMERSTON N\, October 30. M> O. Monrad, a well-known exbreeder, informed a “Times” reporter that lambing in the Manawotu district has been 5 to 10 per cent, above normal. Tho increase in the sheep section he attributes to the natural conditions. The Romney classes provided and enabled the sheep farmer who cannot comepte with tho allow breeder to have his own class. 'While there has been on increase in the number of eheep in the Dominion in last year he believes it will be difficult to maintain it owing to the demand for fat lambs, the foundation of which is the Southdown ram and station ewe. The latter are thinner, give greater returns, and show less mortality. If wool is wanted Romneys are the-host, but they cannot have meat and wool too, for a heavy fleeco pulls down constitution. RETURNS MUST BE IMPROVED.

Regarding dairying cattle, Mr Monrad states that the position of the dairy farmers since tho slump, especially where they went in on the land when high prices wero ruling, is that they must improve their returns in the dairy or get out. The present prices for butter and cheese pay well for the man not having heavy mortgages. But the heavily mortgaged man is working for nothing, aud he wiH have to improvo his selection and provide plenty of winter feed to keep cows in good condition to get better butter-fat- returns. Breeders, too, will have to guarantee their stock, for dairy cows are being tested under semi-official supervision, and they will have to give returns of mothers of bulls to prove the strain.

Pig breeding in the Manawatu district, ho said, had greatly increased, and will extend as dairying increases, but few outside dairy farmers understand the science of pig breeding, which has a big future.