RURAL NEW ZEALAND UNDER REVIEW.

Colonist, Volume LIII, Issue 13169, 27 July 1911, Page 1

RURAL NEW ZEALAND UNDER REVIEW.

(By R. J. EAMES.)

No. 33.

(All Rights Reserved.)

CANTERBURY,

SOIL THAT NEEDS FEEDING

In many parts of New Zealanr agents and speculators and others in terested in the inflation of laud value: preserve a studied silence upon tin need for feeding the soil. Bui throughout Canterbury, although tin average farmer shrinks at first fron: the expenditure of hard cash, there is a fairly general recognition that the soil requires nourishment, and thai artificial manure, imparts to a farm a greater net earning-power capacity. Still it is not every day that one meets a farmer who makes the satisfied declaration: "I manure my land because the profit, after a manure expenditure, is greater that the profit would have been if there had been no manuring at all." After a scientific analysis of soil constituents, certain declarations have been made to which the fullest publicity should be given. In an official report, referring to soil exhaustion, Professor Alexander said: "To nut it very plainly, when the pastoralisfc sells 100 lambs (assuming their average weight to bo SOlbs) he sells as much nitrogen as he can buy in ]4cwt. dried blood; as much phosphoric acid as ho can buy hi sewt. superphosphate- (40 per cent.), r.s much potash as there is in lewt. kainit arid lewt. lime. For every 600 gallons of milk the dairy farmer sells there is a loss to the farm cf nitrogen equal to 3 ; ',cwt. dried blood, phosphoric acid equal to 601bs superphosphate, potash equal to 801bs kainit, and lOlbs lime." It is the business of the analyst to speak.with authority regarding the producing capacity of soil, and a Lincoln College •scientist, after examining 26 samples of soil, declared that in comparison with the Rothamstead wheat plot, on which wheat had been grown continuously for 57 yesirs, "an analysis shows that there is not much margin to work on in the Canterbury soils." This opinion is not quoted as showing a marked inferiority in Canterbury soils, for good farmers in other parts of New Zealand will realise that the judgment might have been passed with equal justice upon a number of other territories between the North Cape and the Bluff. But the recognition of weakness is the first step towards strength and applied agricultural chemistry in Canterbury is restoring the soils which have suffered impoverishment by continuous cropping, sheep-grazing and dairying. VALUE OF LAND. Right through the middle of the South Island there runs a rugged backbone which sends out mountainous spurs at all points down the Canterbury land district. In common with other parts of Now Zealand tlio valleys which occur between the numerous ranges are constantly increasing in productive capacity. At ihe same time the enormous area nifler leasehold has not made anything lilec the best conceivable progress. The barren wastes of the .nountainous regions represent the leutral value point, but as the land drops to the hills a sound gracing value is created, which value grows immeasurably greater as the hills become undulating land and finally drop to those expensive plains which have made the name of the district famous. But beyond what has already been *aid with regard to land values, no /eiy helpful idea can be conveyed. To say that the land on the plains may bo had from £6 to £60 per acre (some lower than the former and some '■ligher than the latter figure) will, lowever, suggest to prospective buyers the necessity for close personal inspection. In Canterbury the selling Value of "the farm next door," so to speak, is not much of a guide. Besides the .pastures and the wide variety |of crops above and below ground, there is an abiding faith in the ultim ite success of the fruit industry, the present area in gardens, orchards and vineyards being, approximately, 8000 icres. The intenser farming made possible by the water-race system, and ivhich developed naturally and as a matter of course, has increased the price of land, but values throughout Canterbury, as compared with other | parts of New Zealand, cannot be said to be at all exorbitant. This comment j applies to the territories right clown to Timaru, around which shipping centre there lie those fine agricultural uid grazing areas to which reference 'ias already boon made. THE DAIRY INDUSTRY. One might suppose that the district which is the greatest wheat ecu tre in New Zealand, and which |ioduces mutton and lamb which comnands the highest price on the London •nnrket, would he content to rest <n these laurels. But a glance at the district shows thai the dairy cow i.s avery year making her nrosence v.:s

profitably felt. The splendid valleys if the Banks Peninsula ("famous as rt •wrsery for cocksfoot seed) arc constantly being put to fuller use in 1110 production of butter-fat, and elsewhere, throughout the whole land c'istrict, a general increase in the industry* is observed. This year, r-r instance, tliere will probably be produced £178,000 worth of butter, iu,twithstanding that the season has boni the driest on record for many .vca:s. Had the woather conditions of of'i'i seasons prevailed that total wou'id have been largely increased. So ■■*■ tli cheese, of which this season's ma,?..' will possibly return £29,000. Of course these figures would be made to appear very small if a comparison I were made with those provinces in 1 which the dairying industry in t 1 c [ chief sources of wealth. Biit standing alone they show what a voiy valuable side line Canterbury has in butter-fat. By far the greater part of the butter and cheese is manufactured under co-operative management. Of the 1800 tons or so of butter to Canterbury's credit this year some 1000 tons were turned out by the Canterbury Central Co-operative Dairy Company, which Has its headquarters at Aldington, and whose skimming stations serve the dairy farmers over a large area of country. The distances operated over ho,ve noticeably increased the use of the borne separator, which makes is practically possible for many ont-of-the-w,V" farmers, with areas suitable for the cow, to become factory suppliers and increase the output of the province. A number of the bigger suppliers are installing machinery, and altogether there is a-general extension wliich promises to become more, marked as time goes' on. But this etreat middle part of i he South Island will never be regarded as the country of the Cow. ..Its traction engines and its ploughs, its singing threshing machines, its chaffcutters, and it.* bursting granaries must, it seems, re;jir>in vitally progressive with the disjtrict: but over and above that there is the frozen rrent industry, which hap done so much i~" the province and for New Zealand, t'"> million carcases of mutton "and lamb vhie'i bave attached to the province'its cWof "nssocWion •and commercial . sentiment: Prime Canterbury, ir .. ■