FARMING OUTLOOK.

Waikato Times, Volume 108, Issue 18159, 25 October 1930, Page 11

FARMING OUTLOOK.

POSITION IN DOMINION. SOME GENERAL; REFLECTIONS. EXPERT’S ADVICE. “The Great War was truly worldwide, affecting not only the nations actually engaged, but also commercially and economically every country and State on the globe,” says L. R. C. Macfarlane in the Journal of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association. Actually the war did not cost the world any cash except for those losses caused by the destruction of property; but vast sums of money were transferred to unusual’channels. Neutral Stales were paid for services and lent money to belligerents. Soldiers, munition workers, etc., were paid more than they had been accustomed to during peace. At the close of the war money was plentiful in the hands of a vast number Of the public. States had been forced to pay high prices with borrowed money for various services, raw and manufactured articles, etc; . The strain of the war resulted in people spending more money in pleasure and on luxury when it ceased. All this gave a great impetus to trades and business of all descriptions. Probably in no period of the world’s history has there been such progress commercially, industrially and scientifically as during the last twelve years'. Production increased, consumption increased, but quicker still did the cost- of distribution, the cost of social and governmental services inorease. Statesmen in all countries bowed to popular demand for more State assistance to all and sundry. It is interesting to note that this was greater in the newest democracy, Australia, and calmest in the oldest. France, the result being that the former country has felt tne slump most and the latter least of any country in the world, which proves that democracy, like a fever, will run its course, and when better will regain common sense.

At last the saturation point was reached—production had caught and passed consumption, and distribution was waiting at the door with his overdue and over-high account. Prices for raw materials dropped slowly at first, but the Wall Street smash in the United States of America precipitated things in 1929, and all raw materials started a rapid decline in prices. On a falling market the secondary producer cuts his output and dismisses his men, who go to swell the unemployed. The primary producer has sb inahy fixed charges that he is stimulated by lower prices to increase production, but lowers his cost of production only as much as lays in his power. "811110 departments are sheltered from the ebb and flow of price levels, and ale not affected except by legislation.

Many ideas are being expressed as to the proper means to meet the depression. The suggestion is made by many to restrict production and employ the labour so displaced on State work. This is analogous to cutting down the flow to a city of a gravityfed water supply and the town council paying men to carry water in buckets from the nearest river to make up the deficiency; Again, we are told that high tariffs Will be the balm to salve our wounds; but international trade to-day is barter, not a cash transaction, and we cannot sell to any country without first buying, and a debtor country must sell or go bankrupt. Then we, have the organised selling bogey; we are told to cut out the middleman; yes, and take over the middleman’s risks, his bad debts, and dissipate the personal element so necessary in any successful trade and substitute an enormous selling organisation, the officers of which are chiefly interested in their own salaries. Face the Facts. We have to face_ the facts, and all sections of the comVUnity should realise that we are interdependent on each other.

To-day the farmer Is producing most of his products at a loss. He is prepared to go on producing —Js prepared to produce more and so absorb labour and capital —blit his costs must come down. The fceMlces he buys, the stores siibpiy, must be at a price In reasonable relation to what he gets foh his products. He can afford to pdy oniy in wages what he can econoniloally get frbm that labour;

It Is useless to talk of unemployment relief; the money for this relief comes ultimately off the land, and at the present time this well is drying up: Reduce wages, reduce salaries, reduce 'charges, and unemployment will reduce itself down to normal. The cost of living should and must come down in direct ratio to the other reductions, but the standard of living will have to be lower, more work will be necessary in order to make good liie wasted time, the wasted energies Of the last few years. \Ve can only trade with the outside world if our goods and prices are right. To my mind farming in New Zealand to-day is in a very critical stage —either it is to develop into farms occupied by tenants cont/nted to work hard for a living of a lower standard than that of any other section of the comrmpiity and advised and semieducated by a vast army of Governmeiit Officials, or the production is to decrease, land being half-farmed and run on a starvation basis, costs reduced by amalgamating farms, lighter land going out of cultivation, and the worst grazing land out of use. One hopes that better counsels will prevail, however, and that farming will take its place as a profession, each individual farmer a business man, an experienced Ilusbaridfnan, and an expert at the branches of his particular line of farming. We hope and look for the hereditary farmer—son following father, attd each succeeding generation getting better results, breoding better stock and so contributing to the progressive advancement of the country. IVSodern Farming. There is one big factor in farming to-day that should be studied by every farmer on the land, and that is the economics of farming. The costing of every branch of his business, the application of new ideas only after they have been carefully tried out by some, scientific body or himself. Generally speaking, New Zealand needs lime and phosphates. Nitrogen makes the grass look green, but phosphates will make your clover grow, and the clover will make you nitrogen for nothing while you sleep, so why pay more for it? Young grass should always be sown with super, or prefer- - - —-aer. and top-dress after-

Wards according to your purse a&d your class of land. If we are too rich to work we have all sorts*of condiments'to go with our cold mutton, bus after a good day’s work salt is all we ask for. I don’t tillhk, stock ask foy much more either, if you give thefn sound, healthy country and plenty to eat. Rotational grazing was introduced the day Noah came out of 1 the Ark. The mountain-bred merinos prganlse theif own rotational grazing. Of Course it is sound, and should always be practised on every farm; but don’t overdo It, and always have at least two months’ supply of supplementary feed on hand—chaff; hay, oats, turnips, mangolds, etc.

Have you ever noticed how well your sheep look right up to about two weeks before lambing, then after that they seem to fade away? There is no substance in the eariy spring feed, no sun on it, no sugar. This is the time of year to give your stock a ilttle extra bit of feed— : chaff, hay, etc. Keep the ewe going, with a sort of Pluilket lamb stunt to follow.

Have you Over reckoned out the difference in oost of selling all your lambs fat by, say, end of February, as against not getting them all away until May? That is, provided the export prices remain steady. It is an interesting study, and will interest anyone who works it out: The idea is to have a flock 60 per cent, of the lambs from which go fat off the mothers; but to do this we must have mothers with substance and bone and the right constitutions to keep the lamb going all the time, and we must give them normal treatment, feed in plenty, careful handling with dogs, and the wool off as sbon as the warm weather comes; not after Christmas, because we were biisy at something else before. Try and use all the grass you can; make hay of the surplus in a good year. Good grass and mothers will work wonders with our Plunket lanih. Any extra feed you give, grow it yourself. The Future. What of i the future? Enhanced prices appear distant. Wool will go slowly up, as the low prices will stimulate consumption. Blit any big rise is negatived by the big. Carry-over from last yCar. Meat Will remain about the same, or a little lower, owing to increased world production, the United States of America tariff, and the reduced purchasing power of Britain. The next year Will be one of price and wage adjustment to a iower scale. The New Zealand farmer has increased his output enormously during Hie last few years, and should how rest on his oars until the purchasing power of his £1 increases, before he lays put any more capital expenditure on his property. Empire free trade is a bedrock principle that all in the Empire should subscribe to, but our costs of production should be such that we can sell our surplus outside the Empire, To have a higher standard of living than other countries we must have better and harder work, better busi-, ness organisation, and more efficient State administration than our rivals.