THE COUNTRY.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17115, 9 April 1921, Page 13

THE COUNTRY.

Jo&ffigs lor Farmers. "1 itave not sai(J an animal this year except at a loss/' said a well-known Taranakt farmer the other day. "But I can re-stock> at a. uiucli iovver price, and consequently I am passiAg the loss on, but. when, it comes to income tiix I vi-ilt not have to pay a penny. Tno man wlto- cannot pass the loss oa, however, will be the man who will suffer." An acute ind-ica-tica of the depression in the sfceck msirket was afforded tlie other day (says the "Herald"), when a farmer ia- Hawke's Bay took a number o£ young piiis to a sale, and, not obtaining a bid, turned them loose on the road rather than, incur the trouble and expense of conveying- them, back to the farm, where provender was scarce owing, to the effects of the drought. Mr Pierce Cotter,, giving evidence in n Compensation Court in. Masterton on Wednesday, produced an interesting 'balance-sheet.'of-the operations on his daily t'ai'a* on the Opald in a recent year. Tho. area of the farm was 130 a.-res, and the milking wxs done ou the share system. 'i"he balance-sheet was as follows":—Receipts from milk of 70 cows, €»7o' 19s; from, pks and calves, £l6B i?s 3d : total, £1039 17s'3d. Expenditure : 'Wtf.atesr »E< expenses, £429 0a 3d; interest oh laua«l,-£195-; inteviest on-cows. £sl-r dfeprewa-tiqw of plant, £30.; total expenses,.: £705 0s- 3d. The- ueb profit on tho■ waiVwoVfc was £351 17s. The net return per cow was £5 ; Cls 6d. Mr Cotter added that he valued his land 1 :.t £3O per acre. • An ex-Southlander, just returned from a visit to tho eastern district ofstated to a "Press''/i-eporter | yesterday that the depression there 'seemed to be more acute than it was in •Canterbury:, *?ho collapse of tho stock ■,market has left in its vrnko a uuraher of ■victims of straitened finance, and the ruinous, oat pi-iceS have acceatua)tedi the gravity of'the position. Oat-growers are- acee}*ii]ittg;''yMi r prices oS-ering r -and. a ■fair amount of business has been done hit Is 9d on trucks. Townspeople are , (froaly buyisg oat* for. fowl feed at ;' r severr.hohf a i bag;"' -Brought mto th»m fby tho growers: 'Howavcr, there are { probably faw. localities, ia the Dominion ' where good l -farming- is carried* on so extensively as in tho district referred to, I and a recovery, there is likely to bo. 'speedier than in many other centres-.

The first, Magazine, of. the- Ashbua'fon A. andlj.* Association: has come, to hand, and tho compilers are to be complimented on the informative character of tho publication.., Tho preface seta out that the- Magaaine; ha» its origin iii the schemes- off the recently formed! ediuca-' tional coairaifcteie,,-' Jt attempts to serve a. threefold purpose—firstly,- theiprovision of a brief but easily accessible record of the.activities;o6 the association;' secondly, the-spreading throughout the county of a knpwjcugo, of the ideas and. trivet-fees of the successful farmers,,,, of tho district; ■ aad .tbiiuJy v Giwfttinig a wictep interest jnj'ifie idea-is of the; educational committee.- of. ,tke. vassoci-aiiio» r by emphasising tho necessity of agri-country-Is educational system and urging tho association 'to foster the teaching of scientific methods and rural science in our. schools .and, colleges. : Tho Majpzme comprises a qnatitityof interesting &s----toncalinformation concerning the* asac^