WHEAT HARVEST.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19594, 25 September 1925, Page 4

WHEAT HARVEST.

OUTLOOK BAD IN CANTERBURY,

(Peb United Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, September 24. The position as regards wheat is that this coming harvest will be worse than the last, as tho area sown is much below the average. In some districts only 20 per cent, of last year's acreage has boon sown. The probable shortage will be threo or four million bushels. These facts were revealed at a meeting of the Farmers’ Union, when the question was under discussion.

ECONOMY IN PRODUCTION.

AIDS TO DAIRY EFFICIENCY.

At Enfield on Monday, Mr A. C. Ross (dairy instructor for Otago) delivered a lecture on “Economy in Production.’ Mr Roes pointed out to a large audience of dairy farmers that it was a more payable proposition to endeavour to decrease tho cost of production than to seek to boost tho price of the product. Three factors governing the dairy farmers) profits were — milk yield, cost of production, and prices realised. The first could be controlled by the farmer by systematic testing and culling. This, he said, was a matter of national importance and upon it depended the future of the dallying industry in Now Zealand. In dealing with Ihe cost of production Mr Ross (stated that when every oow was costing several pounds per year to feed, it was not economy to bo paying the same fodder bill for the cow producing 11b of fat per day and (ho one giving considerably less. It was a great mistake to feed “scrub cows.” Tlio beet means of obviating such a position was through tho herd sire, after the “scrubs” had been weeded out. Another groat mistake- was tho “scrub feeding” of good cows, which was a very common fault among dairymen. Too often the herd was terned into paddock after paddock, and left to find its food as best it could. Care should bo taken to study the food question thoroughly, as a cow would not cat sufficient to' suffice for its internal needs, and its milk yield, if the pasture provided wore not to its liking. Dealing with the third factor, Mr Ross considered that even tho price of the product was not altogether beyond the control of the producer, ns the quality of tho butter or' cheese manufactured depended a lot on the state of the milk supplied. Milk and cream were very easily tainted and too much care could not, be taken in the choice of a site for the oow byre and the milkstand. Also, the milk should not be kept on tho farm too long. ’The most common causa of bad milk was undoubtedly carelessly washed machines and utensils, which ■, cry quickly made tho milk slimy and even the pasteuriser could not. altogether purify such milk. A little bad milk in a vat soon contaminated the whole. 'there was room for a great amount of reform in tho matter of (ho handling of milk on tho farm, and dairying in New Zealand could never reach perfection until radical changes were made on the producers’ side.