AUSTRALIAN FARMERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22778, 14 January 1936, Page 13

AUSTRALIAN FARMERS

VISIT TO DOMINION TOUR COMMENCED IN SOUTHLAND “We are a party of primary producers who have come from Adelaide to see what we can learn from the farmers of New Zealand,” said Mr R. C. Scott, the leader of the Adelaide Primary Producers’ Party, which is going to tour the Dominion thoroughly, to a Southland Times reporter on Sunday before the Marama berthed at Bluff from Melbourne.

Mr Scott, who is supervisor of experimental work in the South Australia Department of Agriculture, said that the tour had really been organised by Colonel 0. P. Butler, agricultural editor of the Advertiser in Adelaide, Colonel Butler had travelled through New Zealand some time ago, and had been very impressed with the country. On his return he considered that if a party of South Australians interested in agricultural pursuits visited the Dominion much interesting and valuable information would be acquired. He set to work and the present party was the result of his labours. Colonel Butler’s assistant, Mr K. Esau, was with the party, and so on their return the travellers would have a valuable record of their activities.

Mr Scott said that the great value of the New Zealand export trade must be due to skill in animal and land husbandry. “In the Dominion we wish to see something of the methods adopted and judge whether they can be applied to South Australia despite the fact that climatic conditions are different. It is interesting to note that South Australia has a considerable area of land where conditions are somewhat similar to New' Zealand. The greater bulk of this land awaits development and w r e hope to obtain much useful information from the Dorninion in this regard. PRIMARY PRODUCTION.

“ The rain falls in our part of the world in the winter, anti in the summer months a very dry period is experienced. As a result of this, the growing of perennial pasture is much more difficult than is the case in New Zealand. Because of this fact, subterranean clover is the chief legume, whereas in New Zealand I understand that comparatively little of this clover is grown. Because annual pasture plants constitute the bulk of our pastures, pasture management is more difficult than where regular growth occurs throughout the 12 months.

“ In South Australian we have approximately 8,000,000 acres under cultivation. This land produces annually about 37)500,000 bushels of wheat, 5,500,000 bushels of barley, 11,000,000 gallons of wine, and 10,000 tone of raisins. Fruits of all kinds are produced in abundance, and large quantities of excellent apples, oranges, and pears are exported each year. The value of the annual output from orchards exceeds £750,000. “ The State has many fine flocks and herds. South Australian studmasters have developed a large-framed, plain-bodied type of merino, with a constitution unequalled in the world, which stands preeminent in the production of a deeplygrown, strong wool of high average quality. It is recognised throughout Australia as a distinctive type, and is the nearest approach of any class of merino in Australia to the dual purpose sheep. SECONDARY INDUSTRIES. “ Hand in hand with the development of primary production has gone the expansion of secondary industries, and South Australia promises in time to become almost as famous for its factories as for its farms. It already possesses the largest motor body works in the southern hemisphere and the second largest in the Empire, and the most up-to-date silver-lead smelting works in the world, besides the biggest furniture and tinware factories in Australia. PERSONAL CONTACTS SOUGHT. “Our party is small in numbers, but it is representative of the primary producers of South Australia. Our aim will be to make contact and personal friendship with those who follow similar paths in New -Zealand.”

Yesterday the party proceeded by cars to the estate of Mr A. S. Holms, at Waimahaka. Lunch was partaken of at Mataura, and then the Mataura Freezing Works were visited. The tour was concluded by way of the Western District. In the evening the travellers were the guests of the Farmers’ Union and the A. and P. Association. This morning they will travel by train to Queenstown. The members of the party are Mr R. C. Scott (leader). Colonel J. W. Parsons, and Messrs A. Palm, H. Hattye, R. M'Lachlan, S. Makin, J. Sellars, J. Timmins, R. Beck, H. Roberts, A. Cowell, H. Haydock, J. Koch, W. Grundy, L. A. De Garis, and K. Esau.