WHEAT-GROWING.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 723, 24 January 1910, Page 8

WHEAT-GROWING.

SCOPE FOR EXPANSION. .: • TiVheat-growing should' be bno of the ' pormau(int : indnstrieß :o£ ,No\r. ' Zealand, ■ tor. wo 'possess -"fertility,,.of' soil and; ox-' § ! ;,x:ceUerit : ' climatic': conditions -ito^mnko; tho industry a' euccess. Unfortunately wheatgrowing - cannot;, be'"-regarded as one -of •V: "the. fixed' industries of this• country. tho'prico of 'wheat is' exceptionally ,v . high—when it : l6riches from 4s. .'Gd... to ;■ ss. bushel in Mark Lane—then wbeat0sv s grrfvring becomes: extremely profitable,;but •• when tho- average • price ranges from. 3s. , fS?i:i7di : is riot-muchMni the • ~' bnsmess, , 1 and -yet the - lower prices., aro :,T. about'4llo'normal. • , ; •, • , ,', Thero are three'causes for the htful character of tl«. ■ industry. High prices' ft'f-SvofJwheat' lands; ;highjcq'st of:'labohr;-and: Kirvhigh' trahsport. charges.' liTho firstf'iSspro-; 'serious/ibut': the. other: two aro not beyond,'-remedy.;. A yield of .30 ...• and-over per ~acro ,is about the -Sormal thing in New: Ze'alantl.' and' this, 1 'no doubt, forms the basis- for the high : >havo ; ihis,, peculiar jof ?;aff airs; jtofaceVjthat V:, AusItraliCL, .with a yield of from 10 to ,1-i ■ : : r.-.bushels 'per. 'ac're, can make: the industry pay,: even when, the, price -is normal, ■! while■ New -Zealand,-, with :• from, two to, •three times tho yield,: cannot (lo so. ,-. S? 1 Tho question of;, .wheat-growing■• will 'k-' --.have to-be faced - mthe near future, :for L'.-, thero. is a:growing-demand for-'tho,-.cereal, ', - and: a-, shortagoin production. . Tho .'i . United States, at,one time tlie pnncipal : exporter, of ; wheat,- is now able to, spare :less ; and less,- owing to their -own- domestic demands, and tlie ' time -is. not -fnr -. distant:'.-when:ithe -States will ecaso .to ,v-i. - export wheat. -Europe has.;now to rely J> but' there is no leason whv New Zealand , ■: should not- have- a, - share .of this , tri'.do: njighlyKalwiiti. -»■. export, - and. we: ought; td .-have,- fully three times the quantity > , V^increastjS-'-TKeV-srreragb i-".,":::'.'prices ; of, - wheat :imported- into. Eng- - :, land have been 'as ; follow:—^1000,-■ 3s:>: Bd. : . por bushel;l9ol,-. 3s. GJrd-; 3902,35.: 7d. ; RJiM 1903; "35., Bd.;. 19IM;''3s; ■9d:;r.l9os i s3s;>loWjj' 19H0, 3s. 9d ; 1907, is. 2d ; 1908, 4s.' Cd ; 1909, Is. lid. :.The' 'quotation noo-:-is-in the;ncighhour-: t.-hood. of. ss. , par : bushel. --. K: the- average . • : Df the. part, three 'years, which, works out ;;s:js»k:a'4iftle,':more:'th^ J becomes the' normal":price",for some; tim'ej preatly: stimulated. The North .Island studied this;:niatterv ' possibly becatise wool anri:mpat' are:easier to, produce;:aiid.^^re^ire-litUo-hired-labqur.'-