HAZARDS OF CEREAL CROPS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 708, 6 January 1910, Page 8

HAZARDS OF CEREAL CROPS.

y '£fe ; a wheathas; the/.call| dyer other■' cereals," ' That at" ; least is 'thoposition" in New; Zealand. -The reasonVissinipie. Wheat is .wanted, every-" ';>vKere; :and3n; : the Wgworid's Operations'i .^®V^ w^'^V^yeragS.ias/a.ohai|CQ''-to:, Keep ..supply and '-demand\'fairly; balanced.. It is .not so witk, maize, or barley.' The inquiry .fors^ch.crops as,we harvest '■oi;kthdse': cereals:'is 'limited.^ r ,When v we : 'hayo.;i'^-buiy.horses;'ahd ; 'niiide..'a ;mere. trifle of, oatmeal^.;what use'have : we - for ioats? ;We-can-export'if-the'fbfeign mar-' :kets invite, but ihe prices arc often low and--uustable;.'a:rid. tlie expenses are heavy.. : ; The outlet for barley is still more con- . : ;- , l.;,fe#;-'-.'ihore.v. : acres--'-sowii:'of- : ,the cereal,;a.-few.bushels;more -obtained'per acre] can easily overstock the market and '.eatiinto.the,'profits pf the Harvest;- .; ;: '%, But worst of, all—though-it ought to: be '■ the; roaizc. Maize in America has the j greatest number of; outlefe of - all the grain'-crbps. '.'lhunense ; . industries are built-up on the innumerable patent foods into" -which :maize enters. ': .Glncose; , starch,-■;and-"''scores :'■■ of; other '.commodities. Voffer maizei a steady ; mnrket,' , and,- in : addition ■theVmaizo stalks; are now being niade i into ..a;:superior; kind; of. : paperj; thus-'givi'hg a double:crop for; fields.. In conBeqUence of tte existence of so many putlew, .the {maize crops, of -America are tho most; important and'extensive corn crops grown;;;and;,.the'..feeding of; : stock'•:.on the surplus- has become a regular j practice. In New- Zealand,we have; practically only, .one.-outlet -for'maize—poaltfy.!feed.,- : -Yef the/yields'.'obtained 'fromy ;maize jaire'..; so; •heavy; tliat it -\rould ajvpear advisable to make greater'use. of-the crop.j ; .',ln. poverty.. 'Bay .the.-'growerstsometimes-harvest.'lOO ■bushels.solsinaize.per .acrei V-.-iThe.-;ayprage. bushels!-;:.: 7 t^-'■;■;;;-.'?; 7 ;-;-V; : '' ;.'.This' is '■-■ over twice:as much.as the avißrage:yield'of;wheat. selling prices, [however;, just''.how aro^not.very r dift'erent.' l,Thb";Wellington-, produce :mercnants are (quoting\vHjheftf at '4s. 9d.' and.- Is. '2d; : per;-bUsHeLJ-pn :tnsse';figures, an' average acre, of wheat.would'realise 6s. iSd:, ■ and ."an "'■ average i acre , 'of.' maize"-. ;18s.' ! 9d.: ! .fBut s .the:trouble , is;thdt;if, after i,r'eading;thes'e -figures, some farmers go .and' isow; an ; exlTa 1000, acres of maize, ;the o.ut- ,1 Iputwpuldfl3wairip:the:local market. >' : ,; : ! :f>.llaize,'ima'j;. bo grown/.withbat limit and ;;Without: anxiety when;,we. have developed la;systemipfvipig-farming,-on maize,, and Ihave" among,us'factorie3-making tho vari-, 'bus ■-. m'aize; foods, : : and; tie- other:: "maize j (products 4 now in' use.-V- The- American rule is to feied' 60-cerit ; (half-crown)', maize.; tp : - ithe stbck.-l but"to':.sall':it''-.when' theiprice . : U;bveritHat'figure. l ; .For.the ■present:.we iin'NewiZeajand niiist:be. content to, mea-, ;Bure : oury maize-.areas vcMefly.;; in accord-.ance'-.Tvitff Vthe; size'. of ".burl very,/restricted; -pbuUry'. industry. : ..;,;.:-:- r ;,. : , ;. ; . ;' *:.■.:■'. If: With-.wheat the -sitoation 1 is- : quite su-i ■^eriprri.SVheat-grb.wers : ;]£npw. /thatA. -ttej.-. ■can.{never: glut - : .th'e":local "market::; Sup;; bosei- for instance,'thatnnstead of ■.an'.ex!p6rtftble'surplvis;'of 5,000,000 : this' i;eas'o'nl. i .'we"" > had-a \surplus --! 1 of:,' '50,000,000: .ibushelsV : -;.Wieat;,-.m;;New' Zealand.-'would ibt' -be ,, .cheaper. lvalue, of- ; wheati& fixed entirely'by its'value in';Bri* tairij 'to ■;which;-bur surplus ;gdes. ; ,The. pule cptsvboth , :ways, ■of .course.;,.. If the": .wheatgro'wers : of,|. T ew Zealand had (their oropS-i'e'ntirelyVrpined,;;" that.fact _would not:;riec"essarily ".increase.,, the ;. price of irheat because the wheat price in ivbuld'.'immediately; 1 determine .tne :price ; tit , :wnicH', Australia : or . Argentina! would land wheathereV. fortunately..our wheat; t'rops rare;-not ..often.'; seriously? v' damaged; iind/the'vprices for; some) years to come-r----.ilerhapijro or .ever 1 are'; believed ;by some '■ ; j|eople?td ; ;be; "set;fair.'s : 't i --> ; "i; : .. ,':'::,;