“The Hungry North”

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 714, 13 July 1929, Page 13

“The Hungry North”

Land of Opportunity

A HUNGRY country, indifferently farmed. That, in a few words, is the impression of the North made in the mind of the average visitor after travelling over the greater part of the coxtntry. The practical visitor goes further, however, and realises that the day is not far distant when Northern farmlands will be vying with the Waikato for intensity of economical production.

Indifferent farming on the one hand •and a lack of cheap freights on the other, has undoubtedly done much to keep the North back. Today there is no excuse for poor farming, while any policy which aims other than at the rapid connection of all parts of the peninsula by good roads to the railway is detrimental to the general prosperity of the Dominion. Speaking at a recent conference of dairymen in Whangarei, the chairman of directors of one of the local factories referred to the almost phenomenal increase in production in his district since cheap fertilisers had been made available. The output of the factory had increased several hundred tons in a few years.

j Other speakers went further and | pointed out that within the past de- ! cade fertilisers and better farming methods, generally, had been responsible for an increase in the total dairy production of the North little short of 1,000 per cent. Could any greater testimony be asked for as to the possibilities of the North under proper treatment? As yet the peninsula is only partially opened up and, even now, much of the land which has ac- ! cess to cheap manures is indifferently | farmed.

One can travel for miles and see wide tracts of hungry country indifferently grassed and, in many instances, where a good sole of grass lias been established, it is questionable whether it is of the right variety—a variety which will yield the highest return.

The argument is raised by many, thinking of the large number of failures which have been reported from the North, that profitable occupation of much of the country up there is impossible. Recent experience proves this to be from correct. On a recent trip the writer passed over much country which seemed to he farmed only in patches. On some farms stunted scrub and fern would suround an exceptionally well grassed paddock carrying pasture equal to that to be seen on similar land in the best pait of the Waikato. In such cases it seemed reasonable to aslv vhy the country was not all well farmed. It may he that the North suffered with high prices like many other districts a few years ago, and existing holders with big mortgage commitments find difficulty in carrying out improvements, but that is a question for individual settlement. The fact remains that there is opportunity for outstanding development in all parts of the North and that a big section of the farming community is beginning to realise it. The main need of the North at the moment is improved methods of communication with which to obtain cheap fertilisers. Meet this need and production will be doubled within a very short period. If isolated effort can bring about an increase of approximately 1,000 per cent, over little more than a decade, what could organised co-operative effort do?

LARGE-SCALE FARMING HUGE AUSTRALIAN CONCERN There is some very large-scale farming in Australia and attended, as it is, by problems little known in New Zealand, it follows that developmental schemes of magnitude are necessary, states an exchange. A case in point is furnished by a recent development on the 112,000 acres property of Mr. Anthony Hordern, situated near Hay, New South Wales, on the Murrumbidgee River. An area of 600 acres is to be irrigated for fodder growing and pasture. Two lOin electrically-powered pumps, capable of lifting 250,000 gallons, an hour, have been installed. The irrigated crops at present comprise 150 acres of paspalum, 90 acres of lucerne and 200 acres of Sudan grass and amber cane. The property carries about 11,000. sheep and some large stock. NEW SETTLERS FOR CANADA The Canadian National Railways report that nearly 1,000 settlers with a capital of £300,000 have gone into the Peace River Country as new settlers this year. The settlers are mostly Canadians and Americans of excellent type. I Rands beyond railway extensions both | north and south of the Peace River are favoured. During 192 S over 12,000,000 bushels of wheat was grown in the Peace River district. Some farms produced as much as 77 bushels to the acre. WORLD’S GRAIN CONFERENCE J Arrangements are being made for | the holding of a world’s grain exhibi- | tion at Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, | from August 1-13, 1932. It is realised that, in order to ! interest all the grain-growing countries iof the world, prizes of a very substantial nature must be offered. It is proposed to pay 90,000 dollars in I prize money for wheat, 30,000 dollars for oats, 21,000 dollars fop 1 barley, ! 19,000 dollars for maize, and sums j varying from 1,000 dollars upward | for other cereals. ! It is expected that these prizes will draw the best cereal production of | every country in the world. TOPICAL NOTES j Fertilisers of a total tonnage of j 153,851 were imported into the Union jof South Africa during the nine ! months ended September 30, 1928: j 103,244 tons were imported in the corj responding' period of 1927. ; A return issued by the Canadian | Bureau of -Statistics reports that the number of cattle on farms in Canada \ on June 30, 1928, was 8,793,000, compared with 9,172,000 in the previous year, indicating a decrease of about four per cent. Sheep, on the other hand, have increased, the 192 S total being 3,416,000 or 153,000 more than in 1927. The increase in sheep has been progressive since 1924, the 1928 numbers being 731,000 in excess of those of four years ago.

Simple methods of preventing bloat in dairy cattle are better to follow than to revert to the severe treatments. If the animals are fed on dry hay or straw before being permitted to eat the fresh pasture they are not so liable to gorge themselves, and the danger is less. The time of pasturing should be controlled, and this will eliminate the danger element. In many cases a bridle and bit can be fitted to the animal’s head, and this prevents too rapid eating and allows gases to ; escape. In cases of bloat a rope cov- ' ered with axle grease can be forced | into the animal’s mouth and fastened j there. The disagreeable taste will i cause the animal to move its tongue ! and jaws, and also stimulate the flow j of saliva, all of which lends to aid the escape of the gas.

FINANCE FOR FARMERS CREDIT BOARD’S FUNDS STATEMENT BY OFFICIAL Press Association WELLINGTON, Today. Up to the present, the Rural Intermediate Credits Board has heen able to raise sufficient funds to meet all its requirements in full, and in view of the excellent security provided, it is not anticipated that any difficulty will bo experienced in raising further necessary funds on the open market as required. This announcement was mado by Mr. Snell, deputy commissioner of rural intermediate credits, in the coLirse of an address to members of the New Zealand Society of Accountants. “When the scheme.was first started, I must confess it seemed to me that we would have difficulty in getting people to form the association, but we have been very pleasantly surprised,” he said. “At present there are 23 associations formed, and four or five others are in course of formation. It is most gratifying that the majority of the people concerned have not been borrowers, but have taken up shares to enable others to borrow. In my tour of the country I have been impressed with the interest and fairness shown by the directors of all associations in endeavouring to administer the Act.” Ho said that so far the board had had no need to call up more than Is a share, and, if the interest being shown in the scheme continued, the board fieed never call up another penny.