RURAL MID-CANTERBURY

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19137, 21 October 1927, Page 4

RURAL MID-CANTERBURY

Its Place in The Province's Wealth. IMPORTANCE OF WHEAT INDUSTRY. That infallible authority, the "New Zealand Official Year Book," tells ... that the capital value of the County of Ashburton is £11,718,929, and the unimproved value £9,800,469. The only county in New Zealand to exceed it in value is Southland, with £14,628,701 capital. Singularly enough, however, the unimproved value of the Southland County is slightly 1e55£9,650,72 £9,650,728 —accounted for by the fact that the area of rugged country is proportionately less in the Southland County than it is in Ashburton, However, in estimating the relative importance of the two counties it should be remembered that Southland, to all intents and purposes, is a province, and measured by ordinary county standards, Ashburton may claim to be the most valuable county in New Zealand. The only two counties in the North Island to approach it in this respect are Hawke's Bay (£10,967,799 capital), and Rangitikei (£10,244,412). Auckland, which makes a specialty in producing records of one sort or another, occupies a seat in the pit in this particular respect, as its most valuable county—and that a suburban one—figures in the H6t at barely 6% millions.

The reflection mav be permissible in " . i passing that it seems strange that a county of such predominance should be singled out by the powers that be as the one to lose its electoral identity. The fact that its population, including the borough, is 18,000, combined with its wealth, was a strong argument for the retention of the old-established Ashburton electoral district. However, the purpose of this article is not to cry over the. milk that has been unwisely spilt, but to touch on those subjects that combine to make the county such an outstanding factor in the production of the province, and for that matter, of the Dominion. "THE GRANARY OF NEW ZEALAND." If the rest of Canterbury yoked up its team or cranked up its tractor with the samo freodom as the Ashburton County, there would be no wheat problem to worry the Government, or to provide fuel for discussion at the Farmers' Union meetings—at least so far as supplying the country's needs are concerned. For that reason the caption to this article is thoroughly warranted. Of a total area of wheat grown in the province in 1921-22 of 260,000 acres (this was about a record year in New Zealand, 352,918 acres) Ashburton's stmre was 68,099 acres. In 1923-24 of a total area in Canterbury of 139,000 acres Ashburton had 38,275 acres. In 1925-26 the proportions were 123,195, and 33,554 acres, and in 1926-27 137,217 and 31,439. From the hills to the sea there are not many districts where wheat is not grown. Naturally over such a wide area the soil varies considerably in character and quality —from the best of heavy wheat-growing land to light soil with the shingle not very far away fronv the surface. However, even on the light land it is not often that a complete failure is experienced. Dry seasons have very serioush reduced the yields—indeed, to the extent that there has been nothing 'left for the grower for his labour —but in other years of generous rainfall returns from this lighter land have averaged up to 40 bushels

to the acre. This, of course, is an exception, but year in and year out the average from tho light lands of the province range from 20 to 23-bushels to the acre. If tho conditions of harvesting that are employed in Australia could be adopted on tho light lands of the province, where the rainfall is below the average, there would be no menace to the industry from that country. Australia would be beaten at its own name. But the day of the combined harvester rcaperxhas not arrived in New Zealand, and all that can be done is to utilise and put to the best account the contrivances that the wits of the inventor have provided for us. ( B*ut that is another story which may be touched on later. The High Producing Districts. Tho reference to the light land and the comparatively low yields derived therefrom should not be taken to imply that such soils are typical of tho province. Far from it. In the Methven district down the rich stretch of country marching the K&kaia river there are thousands of acres of as good wheat country as there is in tho Dominion. Forty to. GO bushels to the acre are far 'from the exception, although, of course, it would be an exaggeration to say that the higher figure represents a general average. Then in the Wakanui district, towards the sea coast, there is land that will vie with any in the weight per acre that it will produce. The 60 bushels mentioned has been many times exceeded in favourable seasons on many farms. Then down through the famous Longbeach, Waterton, and Flemington districts thero is a large area of first-class wheat country. As is well-known to all who have taken an interest in the primary production of the country, tho Longbeach district claims a unique position in the cereal-producing history of the country. There is nothing to-day to compare in immensity to the operations of the Longbeach estate of 40 yoars ago and more. As much as 5000 acres of crop have been grown in a year and the old hands talk of the inspiring sight provided by the army of harvesters that the garnering of this huge area of grain required. Their number totalled in some seasons over 300, the actual number of permanent employees on tho estate ranging up to 170. The biggest cropper we have to-day in New Zealand grows up to 2000 acres of wheat, but he has the advantage of

the latest methods and inventions, unknown in Longbeaeh's hey-day, and, it may be added, he uses them without stint. He has tried out for himself the advantage of the latest machinery in solving the problem of the wheat producer —reducing the costs of production. Cheapening Production Costs* ]S T ow that the Government, after much trial and tribulation, has extended a measure of protection to the wheat-growers, that .should ensure a uniform atid a fait price for their produce, it is directly to their interest to figure out by what means the production costs can be got down to something approaching the basis enjdyed in other countries. It is in this direction that the grower must look for any increase in the margin of profit, as it seems fairly plain that the recently amended tariff represents the official last word en the matter. 'The two to one majority of North Islanders in the House has already shown a sufficient hostility to South Island wheatgrowing interests to make any further Parliamentary discussion on the subject extremely impolitic. The hostility may gather force and the wheat-grower, in such case, may find Some of his hardWon advantages taken away. The fact that Ashburton County is the "hub" of the wheat-growing industry justifies the reference to the subject here. A few months ago the writer of this article' spent some time inspecting the wheat-gro ring areas of North-east Vic toria. Eighteen years had elapsed since a previous visit, and he was enabled to judge the immense strides that had taken place in the, interim on the extension of the wheat-growing areas. Miles and miles of what were on the occasion of the first visit wastes of mallee are to-day wheat fields. Up to 15 million bushels of Victoria's wheat production come from the north and north-eastern parts of the State—from land that was practically idle 20 years ago. As the average yield ranges no more than 12 to 17 bushels to the acre it can be realised to what extent the mallee has been reclaimed. Under the old conditions of horse labour it would have been impossible to have given much of this land the necessary fallowing to secure payable crops. Dry with the aid of the tractor, has made wheat-growing a profitable business, and in addition has minimised the effects Of droughts. In the country visited by the writer the rainfall last year averaged from 6 to 10 inches, and under the old conditions of non-fallowing much of the Crop would have been an utter failure. It would be absurd to claim that practices and experiences in Australia can bo applied to New Zealand, but there are lessons to be learned that can' be followed to some extent. In Australia, as in New Zealand, the horse is still the vogue on the small farm, where the power work is limited, but on the big wheat-growing properties tractors do the great bulk of tlm ploughing and. harvesting. One young, farmer informed the writer that Witli his tractor he could place his wheat on the truck—the* railway is not far away in Victoria—at 3s 9d a bushel. Previously he figured it out at about 4s Od, and ho had' not the "spells" that he had now. He instanced cases of where the tractor had been a costly experiment, being useless after a couple of years, but the general experience of these failures was that they were due to careless or inefficient handling. Ho 'pointed out one derelict machine, where the lubricating oil was used as gingerly as if it were French wine. In his own case he kept his machine "smothered" with lubrication and after two and a half years it was going as well as when new, and repairs had been practically negligible. The excuse for introducing the fore- ; going into an article that is dealing with I the Ashburton County is to suggest only one line in which investigation might take place in regard to the all-import-ant problem of production costs. There are many others that deal more directly with the technical side, such as better varieties of wheat, both in yield and quality, manuring, tillage, crop rotation, etc. It is worth reflecting that the varieties used years ago are still the main varieties sowu to-day, although in at least one case local experimentation has improved the strain. Other countries have a much wider range of vn '■• ties and are continuously trying out new ones, and it is permissible to suggest that a good deal of leeway has to be made up in New Zealand in this respect. The quality of our wheat, even making allowances for the climatic influences, in comparison with that of other countries has formed the subject of criticism of late. These aspects, however, are more of a technical character in which the farmer has to depend on.expert guidance. But the question of cheapening working costs iB a matter in which the farmer himself is the expert. His close obser-

vation and the keeping of a careful record of figures dn his own farm is worth i more than all the academic calculations in the world. I By the average farmer is | not a mechanician) and it is to this, perI haps, that a fair proportion of failures | in handling the more modern machinery is attributable. Generally, after the export's first day or two to start him off, the farmer has to teach himself all there fs to learn about differentials and suchlike.- There is no system of teaching him except in a private way. One would not look to labour-ridden Queens land for guidance in agricultural matters but there periodical tractor schools .ire held at which farmers' sons, farm employees, and farmers themselves put in 10 days or a fortnight receiving instruction in the mechanism Of tractors. The' Government organise the schools, arrange for transport, and provide equipment In the Way Of tents, etc., and the instruction staff and the machines are provided by the Various implement firms. In view of the fact that agricultural tractors increased in number in New Zealand between 1925 and 1926 from 1026 to 2025 there is surely some scope for similar activities in Now Zealand! STOCK WEALTH. Returning again to the sourco of our first inspiration—the statistical records Of production—we find that in 1926 the Ashburton COunty claimed 941,846 sheep of the Canterbury total of 4,711,837, or over 20 per cent. It also j claimed 19,975 cattle (of a total of 187,054), 11,064 horses (of a total of 58,790), and 5549 pigs (of a total of 48,370). The Sheep industry. The Ashburton district is particularly well adapted for sheep-raising and fattening. It has a large area of hill co tntry, where fine-weolled sheep are raised, and where some of the best wool grown in the province is produced. The' warm plains are ideal for crossbred sheep, and the' breeding and fattening of lambs for export. The land is also specially suitable for the growing of root and fodder crops, and no matter how dry the season may be the turnip' crops can never be a total failure, because of the fact that the upper part of jthe plains receive moisture from the | nor'-west rainß that come over the ranges. Naturally, then, the Ashburton district plays an important part in | the sheep industry of the Dominion. The Fattening Industry. There are many very fine stud-flocks Of sheep of different breeds to be found, which not only Supply local farmers' requirements with rams, but assist to meot the demand from other parts of the Dominion, and even Australia. Like other parts of Canterbury* the Ashburton distriot can fatten njoro sheep than it breeds, and every year large numbers are brought in to bo finished off. The ewe stocks have also to be added to from outside sources. At the same time there are probably more farmers' standing flocks than in other

agricultural areas, where dependence is placed to a greater extent upon tho annual purchase of eWos.The Fairfield Freezing Works, Situated almost in the centre of the district, are conveniently placed for the freezing of sheep and lambs, and large numbers are also bought for the Works nearer Christchurch. The district contributes largely to the Weekly supplies of fat sheep and lambß at the Addihgton market, and during the winter and spring the turnip'fed sheep ate among Uie finest consignments, both for quality and finish, sent to that market. Farmers also have outlets for tho disposal of their sheep at various local markets, tho principal Belling contros being at Ashburton and Methveh, which have been built up into important markets. Dairying and Beef Raising. In the early days, before grain-grow-ing became a great industry in the Ashburton district, cattle-raising ranked as second in importance to the breeding of sheep and production of wool, and particularly was it of importance when the Otago and "West Coast gold diggings required supplies of meat, as fat cattle were better suited to driving long diS' tartces than fat sheep., Beef-raising is still carried on, both on the back-coun-try stations and on the farms, but the j principal development jn the cattle industry has been in dairying. The rich swamp land on the Ooast is particularly adapted for the production of milk and butter-fat, and another suitable area is that along the foothills, where the supply of feed suitable for cows is more certain than on tho drier, plains.. There are a number of butter and cheese factories in tho district whose manufactures are well up to the highest standard of quality.. The district'B main outlet for ■. fat cattle is the Addington market to wlych supplies are regularly dispatched. ' Horse-Breeding. As practically the whole of tho Ashburton plain is capable of cultivation, the means to work the land has had to be provided by the breeding of the necessary horseflesh, as the tractor is an arrival of recent years. The studs of Clydesdale horses have always been noted as among the best in the Dominion. There have been many good breeders, who have devoted themselves to the maintenance of the best type of farm horses, either by their own breed" ing or by the introduction from other parts of the Dominion, or by importation from Scotland of the best strains of blood. Nor is horse-breeding confined to that of draught . horses. There are studs for the breeding of thoroughbreds, trotters, cobs, and ponies, so that in providing horseflesh Ashburton has done, and is doing, its part well. Pigs. In days gone by, when there was a profitable trade to be done with Australia in the export of bacon and hams, the pig-raising industry was of Wore importance to Ashburton than at present, when the demand is mainly for the

local markets. At <m« Us t beach Estate turned Off falfelJJHjM large numbers, and this WaftalM chief industries carried-on <»i*sM with grain-growing on thai yjjßM property. At present the dufaffhH plies its quota to the proTuu'ijSfl of baconers and Subsidiary tndtotßta,' Besides AshbUrtnn. flUtfci|. ti§M largest grower of wheat. thVuftS in oats in 1926 was lietttly titSftml that down in the Cantelbttry'tiSsHJ Of the total area of acres were used for feecuflj i*7mß Barley, peas, and Pftahft. fa-FHfB are not extensively CUUlvaltd,«ißßi tato-growing is not as ifoporsi|9H dtistry ns in other palt« CwH In turnips and, gres'li fodwaßH will bo mostly rape, AshburU«*j§§M stand out prominently ..with &7]UhH of the former, and 27,41)1 it™M latter in 1920. Xt is| tfcifgj3a9| which explain the prfliainaiaaßH Ashburton district as a £>ttm9fl sheop and lambs. t gJSM Again in the the figures are well ahead tfjfjWß tricts in the province, y itb*-i™B| and- Ashburton comes iraHfifflH Peninsula in the n.inion's supply Of COChlffldnS|jsH Altogether, as will fo the foregoing, the AstbatfmfflH| stands out prominently; fi4wjfi|W most f ertilo parts of this &W§hH one in which the dive*fiifloMf|BW production ensures the eflrhiiSf|M steady volume of roveiine. sfflm