Poverty Bay Herald PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1911. OUR PRIMARY INDUSTRIES.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1259, 13 October 1911, Page 4

Poverty Bay Herald PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1911. OUR PRIMARY INDUSTRIES.

There are some people who are trying to persuado others to believe that Ne*.v Zealand is making no progress, that land settlement is stagnant, and that our primary industries are not making anything like the headway they should do. From these pessimistic Utterances it is refreshing to turn to the indisputable record of what is being accomplished by the people on the land. Tlie annual report of the Department of Agriculture, prepared by the Hon. T. Mackenzie, is crammed with facts and figures that speak of solid progress. As the Minister points out, to New Zealand the successful conduct of rural industries is of special significance, for, handicapped by dis^ tance from the world's markets, and as we extend to labor better conditions than is the case in older rival countries, the secondary industries must needs play a minor part in the creation of national prosperity, thus leaving to agriculture iu a striking degree to provide the ooun : try's wealth. The year's trade is shown by the report to have been a record one, despite tlie fact that 1899-10 was' also a banner year, and despite also the lightness of the last season's wool clips, due to an unfavoi-able winter. New Zealand's exports run to a total value ot £21,543,91)0, as compared with £16,267,329 six years ago, and our imports last year being £17,713,185, there was a balance of trade in favor of the Dominion of £3,830,715. The previous year the balance was £6,138,228, and for the six years under review it runs into over seventeen million pounds sterling. In the matter of frozen meat our total exports were £3,813,007, in wool £7,454,---027 (an increase of £2,039,832 on the previous year), whilst in the dairy in--dustry our output was a shade short of three million pounds in value, being an increase of half a million pounds over the totals of the previous • year. The Minister record's that the general expand sion of the dairy industry continues. Not onlyi is the output from ' the settled milk-producing areas on the increase, but as fast as new country can be pre* pared for grazing the production of milk is taken up. Advance is also being made by the majority of the factories in the quality of butter and cheese manufactured. Mr Mackenzie pouits to tbe value of the. movement instituted by the Department for the formation' of cowtesting associations, .which, will result in gaining greater returns from the herds and to the importance of the pasteurisation of by-products, which should effect the stamping out of tuberculosis from herds of cattle and swine. In regard to grain crops, last season's harvest was above the average in yield, and particularly so in quality, but the total output was slightly below that of the previous year. The cocksfoot seed produced within the Dominion is obtaining a reputation extending beyond New Zealand. It has been asked for from America, and is in constant export to, Great Britain. The same may be a-pplied. to rye-grass, and that of Poverty Bay ; and Hawke's Bay is remarked upon as being the most perennial in chai-acter, some of the local pastures being of 40 years' luxuriant production. Clover, beans and peas are also taking their position in .the ex : ports of the Dominion. The area under green crops was estimated at 790,000 acres, and thanks to the officers of the Department there is an extending appreciation of the importance. of these crops, especially maize and lucerne, in dairying districts. Very considerable expansion is taking place in the areas planted in fruit trees, mainly on the lands which are of doubtful value . for agricultural purposes. Especially on- the gum lands of the North, settlers are realising that their environment is particularly well adapted to fruit production, and that this gives a greater promise of successful enterprise than does any other phase of primary production. A conservative estimate of the area to be planted in fruit trees this season is 2000 acres. For the past three years there has been an increase of 5385 acres. It will be seen, at this rate of progress, that the fruit industry in the near future must rank as one of the most important of our rural undertakings. The output will exceed the amount that can be consumed in local markets, and provide a surplus for the export trade and ; the canning industry, which latter is now being developed on sound principles. Growers throughout the Dominion are exhibiting an increasing inclination to work well with one another, and co-operate with the Department, with the result that the business is being conducted on more up-to-date lines. Much has yet to be done, however, in the better control of the sale of the output on local markets. In this connection a broader spirit of co-opera-tion, so essential in successful conduct of the smaller industries of the soil, is demanded not merely in districts,., but throughout the Dominion. Tho hemp industry is in a sounder position than it has been for some timO," and last year's output was valued •at'. £451,120, as against £297,582 for the previous year. New Zealand has established a good trade in draught horse stock, also in the exportation of stud sheep to Australia. Pig breeding is proving a lucrative by-indus-try to the dairy farmer, and the* export of by-products last year was valued at £32,833. The poultry indiistrv is developing on very satisfactory lines. But a few years ago it would have been difficult to find an individual poultry keeper in the Dominion who was making a good living solely out of fowls. To-day there are at least forty men who are are proving that egg-production can be made a successful commercial enterprise, and this result has been . very

largely brought about owing to the practical instruction given by tlie Department. Bee-keeping is making satisfactory progress.' and an export trade is developing. It has been proved that New Zealand can produce a honey that will stand comparison with the best raised in any part of the world. The Minister refers to tho valuable work that is being done at the experimental, farms. The work of training young men at these farms is intended to furnish a sound, practical preparation for those whose occupation will be on the farm. Tlie building up of pure bred dairy herds on a productive basis is one of the leading features of the experimental farm work \>f the Department, so that farmers will 'ie able to secure at these farms pure bred stock, with the highest milking pedigrees. The scientific side of the farms is being extended principally in the direction of plant breeding and .seed selection, while the testing of many important plants that may be of utility to the Dominion will form a feature of future work. With the object of nurturing and conserving the pastoral resources of. the countrv — which give a return of £12,664,272 'to the total export wealth of the Dominion — the Minister is directing his attention to the vegetation of depreciated pastoral land. There are lands in the South Island that have been going back. Many thousands of acres have been depleted of vegetation. In the Vincent County alone the sheepcarrying capacity of the land has been decreased to an enormous extent, and country which carried flocks of 500,000 in 1879 now can only muster a little over 30q,000. The Department is endeavoring to re-establish useful types of grasses and other edible plants, and is making extensive experiments}. In the inspection of meat and butter, and research work regarding animal and plant pests the Department of Agriculture is doing usefiil work. Its educative displays at winter shows are regarded as most valuable and are greatly in demand. Altogether agricultural and pastoral pursuits are receiving most liberal encouragement from the State and there is every reason to feel gratified at the substantial headway that Ls being made.