PROSPECTS OF THE EXPORT TRADE.

Waikato Times, Volume XLI, Issue 3346, 7 December 1893, Page 9

PROSPECTS OF THE EXPORT TRADE.

It iV,in. seasons of adversity that agriculturists become thoughtful and reflective. While prosperity reigns and money is earned easily,:there are very few farmers who have the time or inclination to fully test the capabilities of their farms. The hard time which a few years ago fell with, heavy ! force ! on New Zealand did that colony a great service, simply because it diverted the attention of its people from land-jobbing and dealing to sound trade and production. The land wasput to its i proper uses. Good farming displaced a loose system of pastoral work; and, as a ; resultj before three years' trial of the new system a great export 1 trade to Britain was established; When happened in New Zealand is now being experienced in Aus- : tralia, and instead of waste we bow have strict economy. Each pastoral district has its: big boiling-down works, so that ; surplus stock may be profitably used; If droughts occur, and there is fear of the sheep .and cattle becoming starved,.the boiling-down will help to place something more valuable than the dead wool to the station accounts. More important, however, than this are the efforts which are being made to'open fresh markets for our produce! The exportation of meat and dairy products is beingconducted on sound lines, and efforts; are being made to.test other markets besides those of BrK tain. The latest illustration of this is the cabled report that •Mr Valentine/ the 'London expert, is sending a report to the New South Government as to the possibility of : honey replacing sugar in certain; manufactures. He is of opinion that a trade in New South Wales honey could be created, provided it was carried at a low freight. Mr Valentine will also visit Chicago with the object of seeing whether arrangements cannot.be made for shipping Australian butter to that city, The enlargement of a demand for boney would be a great benefit to Australia. The climate and forests are peculiarly favourable to the bee, and when encouraged by good reliable markets the beekeepers cm j easily send very large quantities of houey to the ports. The success of the: export gutter trade is almost completely assured, So sound is the position reached by Australasian butter in Britain that Denmark farmers now find it necessary to use extra precautions in their dairy work, so that the best qualities of butter may be shipped W' London. New Zealand, • South Australia, Victoria, New/South Wales, and Queensland, !are } now" shipping ; butter. Europe. The action in 1 the way of improving qualities in Denmark will nccesf sitate' greater, care .on : this : side of the world. The.exportation of low qualities of butter from' Australia will. ; serve to. increase the trade of Denmark,, ,The recent independent action'of 'the.dairy farmers of this, colony,.in f:rmin£ an; association 'to encourage,by.. subsidies and, 'to regulate by closf jnsp'eetion. tfe fe'xport trade must therefore be classed'as a work which is likely to prove beneficial to Australia.—Sydney