PRODUCTION.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 15976, 19 November 1919, Page 6

PRODUCTION.

OF INTEREST TO FARMERS

(Contributed by SIR J. G. WILSON.) Although Mr Hoover was said to have been employed by the Meat Trust before he became so noted as head of the great movement to feed the starving people on the Continent, he has placed his name in history by his great achievement. He is therefore entitled to speak of “the Economic. Situation in Europe...” This he did in the National Food Journal, on condition that it .was viewed as an analysis and nfit as a criticism. After discussing the cause of lessened production, he sums up his. opinion as follows; ‘ Unless production can be rapidly increased there can be nothing but political, moral, and economic chaos, finally interpreting itself in loss of life on a scale hitherto undreamt of.” We in New Zealand will not feel this loss, but already the loss of life by starve tion is enormous, and during the coming winter it will be much increased. We have Our own troubles to meet. Financial requirements to meet the enormous increased interest on loans, yet with the saving clause that the war loans have mostly been raised in New Zealand. Still, tbe only way we have to meet this increased expenditure is by more production. WHEAT-GROWING. i While the inhabitants of the towns are increasing as recorded by each census, it is rather alarming that the proportion of the country people is decreasing. Yet New Zealand is practically dependent upon what those in the country or on'the land are able to extract from the soil. Slowly but surely the townspeople are driving the wheatgrower into other linos of farming which pay him better and are less worry. Only those who have had crops of grain know the anxiety and worry connected with grain-growing, and moreover the disappointments are almost ever present. More and more, therefore, farmers will turn their attention to farming on the lines of least resistance as it were. As I write I find a cable from Australia telling that the wheat crop is a failure owing to drought. “Reserve stocks are almost used up, and selling at prohibitive prices.” That means that there will be dear wheat for us if we have to purchase our deficiency in Australia. We certainly wii. not have efficient for our requirements in New Zealand, and if the price goes ,;.up iu Australia., flour will be at very high prices. Still, it must be acknowledged the labourer is worthy of his hire. England ruined the farmers who grew wheat in order to get cheap food for her operatives, and ran a great risk of losing the war in consequence. Now Lloyd George says farming must be encouraged. OUR MAIN PRODUCTS. It must never he forgotten that it is only the best soils and the most favourable climate that can grow wheat successfully. If we cannot grow enough wheat for our requirements, we can fortunately grow more than we require of meat, wool, and dairy produce. Practically our future depends upon these three, together with* other products of the land. The Year Book shows that out of a total of .£30,000,000 worth of exports in 1917, the last year given) pastoral products amounts to £27,000,000, of which .£23,000,000 worth was taken by the United Kingdom. About £25,000,000 is accounted for by the products of our sheep. The vital question at the moment, it appears to me, is not what set of men is going to govern the country, so much as how are we are going to increase cur export; for when values return to normal prices, or at any rate to lower prices, which seems inevitable, .and the value of our exports decrease in value, we must increase them in, volume or all must suffer. INCREASED PRODUCTION, If we could increase the return per sheep of wool by one pound it would mean about a millich sterling in the annual return. The one way to do this is by educating our wool-growers. One of the greatest factors, it seems 1 - to me, tji do this effectively is for breeders to use the best rams procurable. Shows of sheep, therefore, must have a material effect iu this respect The sheep man has there an opportunity of judging -which is the breeder of stud sheep (having found out or, at any rate, determined in his own mind which breed suits his country best) the sires from which give the greatest promise to increaes the weight of wool. It must, always be remembered, however, that s;,inc breeds giving the greatest weight per fleecq do not always give the greatest return per acre, which, after all' is the final test. A QUESTION. The numbers of sheep seem for the moment to be stationary j indeed the last return shows a slight decrease of, threequarters of a million. It is, however, unfortunate that this decrease in sheep is mostly in breeding ewes, there beinw apparently some 680,000 fewer breeding ewes shown in the sheep returns than were put out last year. On the whole in our district tho lambing has been good; but the losses jn lambs in some districts is likely to still further lower the number of sheep next year- The thought occurs, are our present-day farmers as gqod sheep masters as of old? Thei pioneers in sheep-breeding are gone. Are those of the young tion as careful of their flocks as they were? For it must be remembered that tho sleep farmer must be a very observant, thoughtful man, spending most of his time on the farm and not concerned in speculating in land. His thoughts must not require stimulating with over-much attendance at sales; in fact, he must attend to bis business if he is to make a success of it. FODDER CROPS. It is true, too, that however good the breed of sheep may be, they, will not grow mori l '- wool if they arc not properly fed. The man whose occupation is “mixed farming” if he is to grow more wool will have to provide such fodder crop which he finds suitable for his land, in order that he may keep more sheep and increase his wool. No doubt the scarcity of labour will necessitate the greater use of machinery, and higher pay to the really skilled labourer, whose work must be commensurate with his pay. Large!- fodder crops can only be secured by a oentinued and 'increased use of manure, as well as skilful working of the land. Our system of farming precludes tho use of that great stand-by, “farmyard manure.” We can therefore only secure success by mineral and animal manures, and these have gone up to an exhorbitant figure, which unfortunately is likely to restrict thedr use, To have secured such a store

of phosphate (for New Zealand soils are, as a rule, very deficient of this mineral) as is found in Nauru Island is one of the greatest recompenses of the terrible war wo have just gone through. It ensures for centuries "hat we have a sufficiency of that essential ingredient. W<? can extract free nitrogen from the air perhaps better in New Zealand than in any other country save Sweden; so we have an assured supply of nitrogeneous manures for the future. Potash is not much in use with us, but will be used in increased quantities' as time goes on, and the Strasfurth deposits will bo available, as Germany will be only too glad to find some commodity which they can export and which we will take. The mixed farm can certainly with skill, care, and experience be made to yield a greater amount of prodnee than before. .Experiment will help him, and education on rural lines must be provided for the lads growing up,

THE HILL COUNTRY is a problem, arid as the number of sheep grown on tho hills is far greater than in the mixed farming carried on, it will require great perseverance, added to skilful observation, to get larger returns than hitherto. Bush country does not continue, after the first few years subsequent to the burning of the bush, to cany the sheep it did. It cannot be ploughed, or only to a limited extent, er lands are top-dressing their grass, and it may be that sheep farmers will have to do the same, but dairy farming is much more exhausting to the land than most people think. Already I have occupied more space than you are likely to be able to spare, buc DAIRYING, which takes second place in our exports, could and should be turning out greater of produce. Cows by selection, ascertaining by weight, and test for butter- fat the “passenger” and discarding them; the proper provision, for green food in summer and fodder crops for winter; and dairy produce might easily -be increased by 20 tier cent. One great factor in increased output is “a pull altogether.” Wo arc in the midst of what my grandparent called a “coliy shangic.” There is a deplorable want of unity in New Zealand at the present moment. How can we pull together when every section of the people is suspicious, and often jealous, of the ether. Our house is divided. Many years ago Mr Ballance wrote a.n article in your paper which I have always remembered He was a strong party man, and ha< been fighting for some principle (I foi get whether it was the land tax or not , and had carried it. He wrote, however, after the event an article in which he said that both sides should examine well the arguments, the aspirations, and the demands of tho other, in order that a better undei'standing m.’ght bo arrived at. At such a time as this, when production is so necessary, could not the political hatchet 'be buried and “all hands and the cook” turn to to try and reach the 40 million export line. Wo have taken it over the 30 million line. It cnlv requires “a long pull, a strong pull, and a pull .altogether,” and we could accomplish it.