THE FARM.

Colonist, Volume LIV, Issue 13454, 27 June 1912, Page 8

THE FARM.

THOROUGH CULTIVATION. A contributor to a Northern ex- , change writes: — It admits of no contradiction that ! thorough cultivation is essential, if farming in this country is to bo placed on a permanently prosperous basis, ! especially in view of the fact that with the increasing price of land, it will bo necessary to make it earn more money. Thorough cultivation, however, implies labor, and every year this is apparently to become more unsatisfactory and more difficult to obtain. This season the labor trouble has been particularly severe, especially in the- south, and this, while, men aro looking for work in the towns. Tijeshing mills have been compelled to work with two hands, while potato growers, in North Otago have been forced to pay up to 2s an hour to. secure assistance, a fact' which, was brought under the notice of tho Prime Minister at the annual smoke concert of the Otago A. and P. Association by a farmer present, as showing tho .need for immigration. If is stated on good I authority, that thousands of tons of potatoes have had to be loft to rot in the ground in tlio south owing to inability to secure labor to dig them, whT.e the values ruling at recent 'horse sales have been seriously affected, due, it is declared, to. farmers being chary about purchasing teams in viow of tho difficulty of securing ' men to work them. ' Tho o brio us result, if this is general, is that loss land will be;cultivated ' this year, and agricultural work will have to give place to grazing, a bad thing for the country. One solution of the difficulty is the employment of mechanical power, but even when this becomes more perfect and less costly, it will bo more useful for preparing tho soil for the crop than for after cultivation. This will not be* evident in the production of such a crop as lucerne, which is destined to become a very widely grown forage plant in this country, but the difficulty will have to be- encountered in connection with root and other crops •which subsequent tillage 'improves ?o ■nuch. The world .at largo is beinr faced with a grave labor crisis. I>nt the trouble in rural districts has yet to come, .'i::d tho best way the farmer can fatv it i- to be prepared. It is sincerely. to bo hoped! the best labor saving devices and the latest types of ■agricultural motors-, will be tested at our experimental farms, so that the farmer may have some accurate guide as to which art? the most effective, and at the samo time the moat economical. Such work should be the first duty of an experimental station, for if vhp farmer must resort to labor saving devices, it is much bettr-r for the

'Kite to spend money in acquiring tha needed knowledge of them than that individual farmers should have

■> spend time and money i" ascertaining which are real'y up to the work claimed for them by the agent. True, a good demonstration has been afforded at the Ruakura Farm of Instruction of the economy in utilising modern appliances in making hay, but agricultural motors have yet to be ■thtoro. oxperi merited -"witfe, ~ ■ ■'_."' '/..' "Oiie "gratifying effect of the .scarcit,. of labour is that it is bringing our farmers closer together ami then'by establishing a community of interest which must have a permanently wholesome effect on rural economy. Neighbors have been forced to ■'co-operate in necessary farm operations—an economical arrangement, while it has often assured more satisfactory work and results. There are many activities on the farm which afford an opportunity for <Jo-opetration amongst neighbors. |