NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3755, 2 March 1926, Page 12

NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

One is not surprised to learn that farmers in the Old Country are Farmer* questioning the wisdom at Home. of acquiescing in the present State-aided emigration policy, seeing that many of their men are migrating tlominionwards. The cry doubtless would have been raised earlier if arable farming had not slackened off in favour of more grazing of pastures. Arable lands necessitate more handling compared with grassed acres, and give more employment. Only recently the council of the National Farmers’ Union carried a resolution protesting to the Ministry of Agriculture that Stateaided emigration does not help unemployment, and demanding immediate reconsideration of the settlement policy, to prevent the taxpayers’ money being used to the detriment of agricultural interests. The resolution was inspired by a conn munication from Warwickshire deprecating the action of the Canadian emigration officials canvassing agricultural workers and profiting by the recently reduced passage rates to Canada. No doubt the type of settlers desired by the dominions are just the class which the Home Country can least spare. Canada is pre-eminently a producing country, and necessarily Canada's gives a deal of attention Way. to the marketing of her exports. A system of wheat control has been developed under which the producer is more or less relieved of anxiety about getting the best price for his wheat. The last few years, indeed, have seen a most remarkable revolution in wheat-selling in the Dominion. Instead of the farmer selling his wheat personally, as an individual in competition with thousands of other wheat-growers, he lias entered into association with his fellow-farmers, and they now sell their wheat together as common property. The usual contract stipulates that all the wheat grown by the farmer for a period of five years will be delivered to the pool. Several of these provincial wheat pools are now controlled by one central agency, and it is estimated that this year some 200,000,000 bushels of Canadian wheat is being sold through one common agency. By restricting the sales of wheat, Canadian producers are in a position to influence world prices, especially when supplies from the Southern Hemisphere are short. Such an agenc) can watch the market, selling wheat at the most favourable times, and secure a better average price for all the members of the pools than it would be possible for them to get by individual celling. Such wholesale manipulations have their fascination, and no doubt relieve the Canadian farmers of much worry, but the initial plunge is the feat requiring nerve. Here, we have the Meat Control Board piling up considerable moneys —possibly for a rainy day (it is somewhat misty to-day) ; the Dairy Control Board, with their absolute control next season: the Fruit and Honey Control Boards, etc.—all of which have yet to prove that they are worth the money.

The honey industry, although not bulking so largely as some of the The Honey primary industries in the Industry. eyes of the general public, yet possesses features which, in view of the keen American competition for the exportable surplus, warrants attention. It is a good sideline on many farms in the Empire, and as such should be safeguarded. The chairman of the Honey Control Board (Mr J. Rentoul) recently tabulated some interesting figures regarding the marketing of New Zealand honey produced for export. Last year, he says, approximately 785 tons was exported, an increase of 250 tons on the previous year. As far as could be seen at the present time, the production of the current year would not reach that of last season owing to unfavourable climatic conditions, the present estimate for export being somewhere about 600 tons. The chief competitors were the United States (principally California) and Canada. The United States last year averaged 4d to 5d per lb, Canada averaging 4Jd. Export conditions were more favourable to their competitors owing to lower sea freights. Canada was operating over the same markets as New Zealand. The Dominion at the present time was marketing its honey over the United Kingdom and Scandinavia, while an agency has been established at Weisbaden, in Germany. From this latter agency a start had been made in distributing our honey throughout Germany and Austria. The film demonstrating the production of honey in New Zealand and its distribution throughout Europe, and shown at the Wembley Exhibition, was now being exhibited at the Berlin Exhibition, while New Zealand honey was being displayed in many shops throughout Germany. The distribution in the United Kingdom and Europe was handled by the Honey Control Board’s agents in London. A commencement has been made to open up markets in the Straits Settlements and in Hongkong and Montevideo. Needless to say, export honey is graded, and beekeepers are advised to send in their honey from the apiaries : n good condition and roughly graded, and so lessen the work of the graders in the stores. The comnctition being keen, it behoves the producers to help their association in every possibly way.

At a conference held recently at Rothamsted Experimental StaPotatoes tion some interesting oband Manure. nervations of the manuring of potatoes were made by Sir John Russell. Farmyard manure, he urged, should be the basis of all potato manuring, ns it increased the air and moisture supply of the roots, and he suggested that it was best applied in

the autumn, as it then had time to rot and supply the necessary air anti moisture in the spring; but he admitted that trials were wanted to determine the relative values of autumn and spring applications. Three factors, lie said, which had to be )x>rae in mind in potato cultivation were* First, it was essential that there should be sufficient air space and moisture in the soil to allow the tubers to grow; secondly, disease was a more important factor for potatoes than any other crop, and scab was associated with an alkaline soil, and blight with over-manuring with nitrogen and under-manuring with pot ash; and, in the third place, variety and climate set definite limits to yield. Coming to deal with the details of artificial manuring, Sir John Bussell put the general results of experience in this way: In general, lcwt of sulphate of ammonia would increase the yield of potatoes by one ton per acre, and at Rothamsted good returns had been leceived by applications as high as 3cwt. Superphosphates improved the root action, but it was not essential for the English crop on all soils. An ample supply of potash was important for yield, health, ancj quality of crop; and sulphate of potash in general was better for quality than chloride of potash. It came out in the course of discussion that dung was beneficial to yield, but not so much to quality, except where low-grade potash salts were included in the artificials: tliat potash paid well in most forms except as very low-grade salts; and that nitrogen always paid up to certain limits. In general, these points are all worthy of close studv. AGRICOLA. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. By Agricola. “Potato-grower,” Invercargill, refers to a patent potato digger and bagger, a diagram of which appeared in a recent Witness, and asks: (1) Is this digger likely to be a success? (2) Will i£ e be on the market this season. (3) If so. wlure can it be seen? (4) Can you give an estimate of the price of it?(1.) It is questionable, except under best soil conditions, whether such a machine would succeed in New Zealand. Stones would, 1 think be fatal to its success. (2) \ ery unlikely. (3) Agents handling Canadian implements. (4) Considering that potato-diggers here cost around £SO, the machine in question, with carrier, etc., it. is surmised might cost anything in the vicinity of £l5O.