ROBBING NATURE

Southland Times, Issue 20014, 30 October 1926, Page 14

ROBBING NATURE

MANURE THAT ENCUMBERS. AN INTERESTING POINT. An interesting hypothesis was presented by Dr. W. E. Herbert in an address before the Wellington Rotary Club recently. Dealing with, “the earth” as one of the great sources of health he mentioned that hitherto the public mind had been too apt to look upon human requirements as something quite separate from those of the animats of the field, or the herbs of the earth; but Nature treated all alike, and scientific research in this respect must go to the very root of things and elucidate those (essentials of plant life that gave health to the animal whose flesh was used for diet. As a concrete instance of industrial loss, due to disregarding Nature’s requirements, Dr. Herbert instanced what was known as a “horse-aick pasture.” When the soil was virgin fine blood stock was produced on it; but eventually the same land required manuring. What happened? Refuse from the stable was ploughed in, a fine crop of grass was produced but not stock of the former quality. Why? Because the stable refuse used as manure had already been discarded by the animals. The so-called manure was really an encumbrance to the soil instead of a benefit, the land became “horse-sick,” and the animal in his native state would leave it. Dealing with the sources of Wellington’s vegetable supply, Dr. Herbert asked the question: Were they satisfied that the vegetable gardens round Wellington had not become sick as regards their value for growing health-giving foods, remarking that year in and year out crops were taken off soil that had been rejuvenated by animal manure, principally sheep—something the sheep did not want. What the sheep did not want surely the human being could do without. Since the time of the Garden of Eden man had wandered from one desirable spot to another, only to be eventually turned out by disregarding the laws of Nature. Civilisation after civilisation had decayed for the same reason, and many parts of the earth had become “man-sick.” There were few spots more worthy to be considered a twentieth century Garden of Eden than New Zealand, but it would only remain so as long as there was returned to Nature some of the elements she gave. In conclusion, the speaker affirmed that the time had arrived when scientific research must supply a truer standard of the value of the carcase of a sheep than its mere weight and general appearance, and detail the difference between Nature’s cabbage and a greengrocer’s. (Applause.) THE BEEF INDUSTRY In an address in Sydney lately the New South Wales Minister of Agriculture, Mr Dunn, outlined constructive proposals in regard to the improvement of Australia’s export beef trade. Experience abroad, he said, had forced him to the conclusion that, in order to occupy a leading position in the world’s markets, Australia would have, as far as possible, to follow the methods of her opponents, chiefly America and Argentina, not only in breeding and feeding, but also in the treatment and marketing of beef. The first essential was the improvement and increase of production, brought about by an efficient system of breeding. Australia possessed ample country of high quality for the production of beef cattle, and closer attention to breeding, aided by the importation of purebred bulls, should result in a great improvement in quality. As regards feeding, Mr Dunn cited the practice adopted in America and Argentina. There the cattle were never short of feed, due mainly to the improvement of grazing lands and to the establishment of extensive lucerne pastures. In regard to dressing and killing, Australia might also emulate the example of these two countries. Efficient methods, embodying cooling before slaughtering, the concentration of killing, and careful handling of the carcase, resulted in the production of meat possessing a most attractive appearance. Referring to marketing, Mr Dunn advocated decentralisation as far as the destination of Australian meats in Great Britain was concerned, and emphasised the value of the adoption of a more or less regular general standard by the various exporting companies in America, and Argentina. He recommended as further improvements in the beef cattle industry, the production of beef of early maturity and its sale at an early age, the betterment of conditions of transport, and treatment, and the arrangement of a continuous supply of Australian meats direct to the principal ports of Great Britain, in order to keep it as far as possible continuously before the purchasing public under the most economical and efficient means of distribution.