FOR THE FARMER

Opunake Times, 12 January 1934, Page 3

FOR THE FARMER

REMARKABLE WEATHER FOll ALL PLANT LIFE The most important requirement lor the production of grass (and of all plant life) is moisture and fortunate is the country with u good and well distributed rainfall. It is here where such favoured dairying provinces as Auck- ! land and Taranaki have their great advantage. These greatest grass growing sections in the Empire have not only the good rainfall but the warm equable climate with it. One is reminded of this great combination of favourable natural conditions for grass production by the very remarkable conditions prevailing in Britain. Cables tell of a winter devoid of rain and with many farmers compelled to cart water over snow covered country. At the end of September, the drought (which broke at Christmas time) had caused a drop in the milk yield of in many cases 20 per cent and up to 40 per cent in some districts. Springs never known to fail went dry. Large acreages of beet were stated to be almost-destroyed. On numerous farms the yield would not be more than one-half the normal—tips gone and roots brown and leathery. Farmers in all directions have been put to considerable expense in the carting of water long distances and in the shortage of feed. The shortage of milk has been met by diverting to the liquid market milk used for butter or clreesemaking—but what effect this will have on the Home cheese position and indirectly on the position of New Zealand cheese is not known. Meanwhile branches of the Farmers’ Union throughout England are passing resolutions demanding that the Government put a quota on all imported dairy produce, no matter what the country of origin. Where Denmark Scores, The arrangement made by New Zealand and Australia to hold back shipments of butter, to thereby temporarily relieve the market is playing right into the hands of our great rivals. Danish butter is a fresh butter, reaching the British trade -every week in the year —an absolutely regular supply of high grade fresh butter. New Zealand butter is not a fresh butter and with supplies stored for several months, the quality is going to suffer, especially the lower grade butters, which are still unfortunately sold as “New Zealand,” An Australian was recently told by a large retail grocer with shops throughout Great Britain that the prime factor for the preference by the British public for Danish butter is “that it is weekly shipped to our market in a fresh condition, hence it always comands a higher price than colonial butter. I dare not tell you how many thousands of tons of colonial butter is in cold storage ready to be released when, if ever the price goes up.” iNoi till New Zealand can supply butter all the year and marnet it as rapidly as possible, will she be ever able to compete with the Danes. And even this absolutely regular supply will not be everything. Only the highest grade butter should be sold under the New Zealand brand and then intensive propaganda will have to be instituted to actually prove to the British consumer that the best New Zealand butter is not only equal, but superior to the Danish article. Wood v. Coal.

There is a movement on foot in the State of Minnesota, U.S.A., lo boost wood as a fuel instead of coal in order to assist the farming community. Municipalities and business man in general are being urged to extend the use of wood fuel. Local bodies and Government departments are bem fc asked to accept wood from farmers in direct payment of taxes. It is contended that under the proposed scheme everybody will bene fit. Using wood provided by farmers, instead of coal presupposes that the farms of the State have wood to cut—wood lots and some timber land. How few farms in this country have made any provision for firewood or timber for use on the farm by planting wood lots, a serious lack of foresight. Hie expense would be small. By fencing off squares where four fields meet, the cost of fencing would be small as the existing material could be utilised for the greater part of the work. In addi‘;on to the annual supply of firewood that would be provided, by utilisation of the thinnings, shelter would also be established.