THE Western Star AND WALLACE COUNTY GAZETTE. Established 1868. Vincit Amor Patriae. WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 1896. LINT-GROWING INDUSTRY

Western Star, Issue 2112, 20 May 1896, Page 2

THE Western Star AND WALLACE COUNTY GAZETTE. Established 1868. Vincit Amor Patriae. WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 1896. LINT-GROWING INDUSTRY

Mr Jos. Quin, of Isla Bank, dropped a remark the other day which set us thinking. He said it was a pity to see all the lint straw grown in this district a waste product; and when we consider what valuable material this is in the matter of linen manufacture, it does seem strange to us that farmers have not invoked the aid of the Department of Agriculture to ascertain whether or not it could be placed on the market instead of it having to be burnt. The Agricultural returns show that an area of 960 acres was under lint in Otago, and we should say about two thirds of that were on the Waimatuku Flat and at Drummond. To show the value of the industry, which is yet in its infancy, we may state that estimating the yield per acre at 30 bushels, the total derived from 960 acres at 3s 6d per bushel would be £5040. At 3s 6d it hardly pays the farmer on account of the risk incurred in growing, one night’s frost being sufficient to kill the whole crop, the difficulty in threshing, and the fact that it is very severe on the ground, it being impossible to get crops from the same soil two years in succession. However, as it would alternate very well with oats—in fact, oats thrive better after a crop of lint—farmers would not hesitate to go in on a larger scale for lint growing if the return were more remunerative, and if the straw would realise anything like the price sometimes quoted at Home for it. Gippsland farmers, according to* the Melbourne Leader, get L 42 a ton f.o b., but we are not in a position to say whether that figure would recoup the farmer here or not. What we, desire to do in this article is to direct attention to what might be made an important industry. New Zealand by its position, its climate, and the character of its people is essentially a farming country, and we do not hesitate to say that if the farmers are studied, if they are assisted into a prosperous condition, it means wealth to the colony and abundance of labor for all. This is a fact that many townspeople fail to recognise, but it is none the less true, and instead of the country existing for the town, we think it is the other way about—the town exists by the country. The Government are ever ready to listen to the voice of towns, and we think they should be equally ready to meet the wants of the farmers. While striving, as the Government are, to put people on the land, they should even with greater energy, endeavor to assist the farmer to place his produce on the market. We have now a Department of Agriculture, and it gives evidence of its existence by the collection and dissemination of information respecting plants, weeds, insects, cattle diseases, cheese and butter. As the manufacture for export of butter and cheese is pretty well in the hands of companies, the Department would, we think, do much good in the way of stimulation and encouragement, if they were to collect information with respect to lint seed and lint straw ; the excellence or inferiority of the New Zealand grown product as compared with that grown in Australia, India and elsewhere j its relative value ; the best means of mak ing it a payable industry for farmers ; best markets ; and suggest means to the Government for assisting growers to send it Home. We believe the Department of Agriculture could very materially assist the individual farmer in this matter and, in conclusion, we express the hope that they will endeavor to elicit the information we have suggested should be obtained.