For the Man on the Land

Waikato Independent, Volume XXXVII, Issue 3272, 27 February 1937, Page 3

For the Man on the Land

LAND UTILISATION WORK IN NEW ZEALAND High commendation for the efforts made in New Zealand to co-ordinate surveys of pastures, land utilisation, soils, and farm management was expressed by Mr Arthur G. Knowles, M.Sc, Sydney, before leaving on his return to Australia, " Mr Lowndes has spent some, time in this country studying various research projects, and during the science congress at Auckland he read papers on his research work in Tasmania and Queensland on land utilisation surveys.

Co-ordination w6rk such as was being done in New Zealand was most essential, said Mr Lowndes. Scientific work in this country was far ahead of any such effort in New South Wales, Queensland, or Tasmania. He felt that the methods in this country were being developed along the soundest of lines. Pasture research, so vitally important to New Zealand because of the Dominion's dependence on grass-land farming, was proceeding along a valuable avenue.

Soil surveys using modern technique should be extended, but the work to date had reached a high standard. These surveys must prove of value in further development of primary industries. Farm management surveys at Lincoln College, Canterbury, and in the Hawke's Bay district, represented a desirable attempt to approach the difficult economic problems of individual success or failure in a scientific manner.

MEAT PRICES A NEW EXPLANATION Writing to Mr H. Robertson, of Te Aroha, an acquaintance who occupied a prominent position in the Smilhfield Meat Markets, London, throws some interesting light on the reason for the general improvement in prices for Australasian produce. He states: "Trade has bucked up quite a lot in most directions—though not in the meat business. Our unemployment has lessened during the past twelve months, but is still something like 1,500,000. If we don't run into a war in Europe it looks as if this spell of prosperity will continue, but as I previously mentioned, the meat trade is low.

j "I know that both Australian and 1 New Zealand farmers are getting good prices for their produce, but they are not warranted by the returns when the meat is sold in this country. The New Zealand farmer is making money because of the big fight between six large importers for control. Between them I think they take more than 80 per cent of the Australasian meat, leaving only 20 per cent or thereabouts to be split up between all the local shippers. When your meat arrives there is the keenest competition among the six I have mentioned to obtain it and dispose of it through their depots in the provinces, and in the market. Between them . they are managing to lose a fortune. This : would not matter so much if they were not steadily killing the independent firms who arc engaged in the distributing trade. In my own particular line, things became so impossible that I decided to retire." The above is interesting in that it affords a hew explanation for the sudden rise in prices; and at : the same time serves to give a warning to those who may be anticipating a permanent increase in meat returns.

TWO TYPES OF FARMER What a difference there is between successful farmers, when one is a retired town business man and the other is a farmer born and bred! exclaims Mr A. G. Street, in a recent article. The townsman looks upon his farming as an amusing top in his retirement. Everything is fun to him—the vagaries of the weather, the experimenting with new ideas, and the curious but always entertaining idiosyncrasies of the rural workman. The whole business is a glorious game to him. -With the old farmer who has done nothing else save farm for a living all his life, the attitude of mind is very different. No matter how successful he may be, he always gives one the impression of a war-scarred veteran. To him, farming never has been and never will be a game; it is a battle which never ends, in which, while defeat comes to the vanquished, there can be no victor save farming itself; for the most a successful farmer can hope to win from the struggle is the power to continue it.

N.Z. LAMB IN ENGLAND

"English butchers have a very high opinion of New Zealand lamb," said a Dunedin businessman, who has recently returned from a trip Home. The lamb was well advertised, he added, not only in London, but in country districts, where he was surprised to find the meat so highly rated. Fine quality Argentine beef was also very popular in the Smithfleld district. INSECT ATTACKS GQRSE Mr G. A. Howe, the harbourmaster at Hokitika, having noticed that the extensive growth of gorse on the board's reserve on the south side of the harbour was rapidly dying off, made some Investigations. Over an extensive area where the gorsg. fcad flourished he noticed the growth of grass and the dying stalks of gorse bushes. He broke off several stalks and found a small black insect eating its way to the root of the bush. A stalk was sent with the insect inside to the Cawthron Institute at Nelson for observation. FARMERS SAVED £269,000. Mr A. F. Moncur, M.P. for Rotorua, in a recent address to farmers at Walton, claimed that during the past 12 months the Government had saved the farmers £125,000 in bank interest on advances, £47,000 levy by the Dairy Eoard, and £97,000 in a reduction of commissions paid to Tooley Street merchants, the commission having been reduced from 2 h to 2 per centum. The total savings were thus £269,000 without reckoning the savings in commissions which were formerly paid to private sellers. GOODS FOR GOODS In extolling the benefits of the facl that the sterling credits obtained in London belonged to the State and not to private firms, Mr Moncur, M.P. for Rotorua, recently explained that reciprocal trade agreements could be arranged on a basis of goods for goods. For instance, in reply to an Auckland paper which < asked how could New Zealand continue her customary purchase of £75,000 worth of tea from Ceylon, Mr Moncur said: "That was quite simple, for all she said to Ceylon was: We will take your tea on condition you take payment of your £75,000 in cotton goods from England, where New Zealand credits are."