SPECIAL COUNTRY LIFE ISSUE. GIVING A LEAD. UP-TO-DATE FARM METHODS: AN 18-FURROWED STEAM PLOUGH AT WORK RURAL DELIVERIES.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1776, 14 June 1913, Page 13

SPECIAL COUNTRY LIFE ISSUE.

GIVING A LEAD.

UP-TO-DATE FARM METHODS: AN 18-FURROWED STEAM PLOUGH AT WORK

RURAL DELIVERIES.

"If there is one lesson taught by history it is-that the. permanent;greatness of any State must ultimately depend more upon the character of its country population than upon anything else. No growth of cities, no growth of wealth, can make up for loss either in the number or the character of the farming population."—Ex-President Roosevelt. "The Country Life movement deals with what is probably the most important problem before the English-speaking peoples at this time. The predominance of the towns which is depressing the country is based partly on a fuller application of modern physical science, partly on superior business organisation, partly on facilities for occupation and amusement; and if the balance is to be redressed, the country must be improved iq all three ways. There must be better farming, better business, and better living."—Sir Horace Plunkett.

C"7 'IKE every English-speaking State, I I New Zealand has its country-life \\A problem to solve. That problem is not so acute and pressing as in some older lands: we have no countryBides once peopled. but now empty, nor have we, as in the. big Australian States, nearly half our people crowded into one vast, glittering city. /. Nevertheless, the fame symptoms which arc causing concern elsewhere are present with us, and each, year that passes sees tho Dominion with bigger:towns and cities, and proportionately fewer people on the land. The country population is' steadily growing, it is true, but despite tho bigger families on the farms and higher rate of natural inorease, the pace is slow and far behind that of the cities. The, census figures, for instance, tell the following crease of population in the four chief centres and their subuTbs from 1901 to 1911, 40.63 per cent.; increase of country population during the same ten years, 18.96 per cent. This great difference cannot be described as healthy, and it indicates that tho inclination for town life is steadily growing. • To appreciate tho smallness of the increase in tho country population it is necessary to bear in mind that tho natural increase of population— that is, excess of births over deaths— over tho whole Dominion, town and country, was about 19j per cent, during the

of good faith, but the names of.the writers will not be published unless, desired. ,■ Among tho principal, features of the issue will be found- an' outline by. the Prime Minister^. some _ of _the Governin out's plans for aiding settlers; a, striking review of-the'farmer's most pressing needs by jVIr. J. G. Wilson, ..than whom ,no. ono else in-tho isbetter r quali-.. fied to speak.; ,several .statements-by-mem-bers of .the' House .'of Representatives;', an. interesting account- of tile, course of settlement in • New/' Zealand. by -'Mr. Marchant,' f ormerly.ySurvey or-Genernl, who has. been closely, in'touch with land settlement;. in the southern- portion ;of/the North Island; not only - before 1 * tho .days, of railways, .but before almost.-the'.Says of-roads. ■ On: Page 27 is a notable;/review of'the rural problem in general, -written. by. iSir. Horace •Plunkett, the .authorityonr.lrishagriculture, after /a'.'yisit . to- the •UnitedStates, where his' opinion .'on. off airs carries hardly ';less .weight than.; in/ Great Britain. Articles will' also ■bo Jound'' dealing with rural telephone systems/the rural mail delivery, the motor-lorry and its possibilities, the country school and its needs, and another making suggestions for the better provision of books for country, readers." In addition there is a wide diversity of matter, treating of such topics os lierd-testing, the utilisation, of dairy by-products, sheep-breeding, and other subjects of interest to farmers. The work

i A-lack of knowledge on the part of \ farmers of the exact agricultural conditions and possibilities of their regions;.:' ' Lack of good training for qoumtry life-in-the-schools; The disadvantage or handicaps, of the farmer as against the established business interests, preventing him .from securing adequate returns \for 'his' products; .'Kia'ck of good highway facilities; The disadvantage or handicap of the 'soils, with injurious effects, on Tural life; • / • A: general need of new and active leadership. ' .Other causes^contributing to the general t result jWere: Lack of any adequate system .- of .agricultural' credit; tho shortage of la;.tyur.j\iacfc'.of: institutions and incentives • that . tie ; 'the -labouring man to the soil; ;-tie;-burdens and the narrow life of farm 'women; and the lack of adequate supervision of public health. - It will bo seen that the problems in America are in "the main along familiar lines. The remedies suggested the Commission were many and.varied. "Some of the remedies," said the report, "lie with the national Government, some of them *v,Hth the States and communities in their corporate capacities, some with voluntary organisations, and some with individuals acting alone."

ten-year period from 1301 to 1911. The official statistics do not Indicate tho difference in tho nAtural rate of increuse in the country population, as compared with that of towns, but the country rate is undoubtedly higher.'. And even the average rate is more than sufficient to account for the whole 18.96 per cent, of increase in tho Dominion's country population from ISOI to 1911! This means that nil the new settlement ■. that took .placo during tho ten years between the two censusesgreat as it was—was not even sufficient to replace tho population drained away from country district to the cities. It will thus bo seen that there is a rural' exodus in New Zealand sufficiently marked'to-be worth the earnest attention of all who arc interested in the progress of the Dominion. ■■ , ..The Need tor Botter Conditions. • In the past the rural problem has been mainly the land problem, and the supply of land for settlement must' naturally be tho centre and foundation ; of any rural policy worthy of the name. Time is showing, however, that tho supply of laud alone is I not sufficient to-redress the balance between ' town and country, and there is serious need of a general movement for bettering the conditions of country life as a whole and making it more satisfying, and attractive. The object of this issue of The Dominion is to direct attention to eome phases of the subject which, have not in the past received tho attention they deserve. But, although the issue is.probably tho biggest pennyworth of reading matter ever offered the public of New Zealand, it has been possible only to, touch on the fringes of the subject, -and many, matters have been left untouched, and. others compressed into narrow limits. It is desired especially to direct the attention of country readers to the series of questions printed on Pago 25, under tho heading, "The Needs of Your Neighbourhood," and tho explanatory matter on the name .'page. As'tho-replies sent in to these inquiries will be given publicity in The DoiiiNioN, country settlers will bo afforded an excellent opportunity of bringing their requirements directly under the notice of tho members of the Legislature, who nro now about to assemble in Wellington for tho session, Tho replies sent in tgguire, of course, to be signed as evidence

of the Church in the country is not overlooked, and a country parson describes what life in the'back-blocks means from his viewpoint. A Town Civilisation. This enumeration, which is by no means exhaustive, gives a general idea of the extent of the ground covered in the issue. The underlying object is to emphasise the need for the consideration of the problems of country life' as a whole. Our civilisation is in tho main a town civilisationextending more or less into tho country. The sons and daughters of the farms, for instance, are compelled by law to attend schools designed in tho main by town dwellers' for town dwellers. The position in this respect is not so bad as it was,, but as Mr. Wilson points out in his article, one of tho chief needs of tho farmer to-day is still for an education more suited to his circumstances, and for better facilities for thorough instruction in agriculture. Agriculture is the mainstay of the country's prosperity, and agricultural science is the Cinderella of "University courses—tho most neglected branch of study in higher education. It is a curious stato of affairs. Some years ago the unrest in the country districts of the United States attracted so much attention that a Government commission of inquiry into the problems of country life was set up, and made an exhaustive investigation that contains much of interest the world over. The commission found that while agricnlturo in America has progressed greatly as measured by historical standards, it is not commercially as profitable as it is entitled to bo for the labour and energy that the farmer expends and the risks that ho assumes. The social conditions in the country were also, found to bo far short of their possibilities, "and," declared the report, "wo must' measure oar agricultural efficiency by its.possibilities rather than by comparison with previous conditions." Tho farmer was found to bo handicapped in the development of his business because, his capital is small and tho volume of his transactions limited; and ho usually stands practically alone.against organised interests. A Lesson from Abroad. ' Tho leading specific causes of tho lack of a highly organised society were elated to be;-;

American Recommendations. It was suggested that Congress might authorise a system of thorough-going surveys of the possibilities of all agricultural regions; that a system of education extension, work in rural communities should be encouraged; that the middleman system of handling farm products be investigated; that an inquiry be held into the control and use of streams and rivers; that a highway engineering service bo established to aid the States in constructing effective and economical highway systems. Remedies of a more general character were: A broad campaign of publicity to inform all the people on the whole subject of rural life; a quickened sense of responsibility in all country people, to the community and to the State in the con-

serving of soil fertility; the better safe-, guarding of strength and happiness ,of, farm women'; a more widespread conviction of the necessity for organisation, not only for economic, but for social, purposes; a realisation on tho part of the farmer that he has a distinct natural'.responsibility towards the labourer in providing liim with good living, facilities and in helping him in every way 't6.T)e-'a""ma'n among men; and a realisation on the part of' all the peoploof the obligation to protect; and develop the natural scenery.'and at-' tractivencss of the open country,'. '~,.. The Commission considered; thai the. educational problem raised : the greatest, single question that came before it. "Education," it said, "has now come "to. .have vastly more significance than the mere establishing and maintaining of schools. The, education motive has to be taken into .all kinds of work with the people, direotly in . their homes and on their farms, and,it reaches mature persons as well as youths." An Irishman's View. Tho report of tho Commission was traversed by Sir Horaco Plunkett in his book dn American rural problems, and its recommendations contrasted with, his experiences, in connection with the work ' of arresting the rural exodus from Ireland. One of the first things to be done, he consirred was to interest the town in the problems of the- country. Some of the most useful workers in the Irish movement had been men who were not •tiiemselves actually farmers, but were willing to.devote timo to the work, and ; who were able to impart the impulse and inspiration which initiated and sustained the movement. One of the chief needs in America, Sir Horaco Plunkett considered- to be the extension of co-operative work. "In Ireland, from which sol much of my experience is drawn," he said," we have found a tendency growing amongst farmers whose combinations are successful, .to gather into one strong local association all those varied objects. and activities I which I have described as advocated by 'the Irish Agricultural Organisation Society. [The objects are dairying, general | marketing of produce, money-lending, and general trading. The societies number 1000 organisations, with a membership of 100,000, mostly heads of families.] These local associations are ceasing to have one special* purpose or one object only. They absorb more and more of the business of the district. One large, wellorganised institution is being substituted for the numerous petty transactions of farmers with middlemen and small country traders. Gradually the society becomes the most important institution in the district, the most important in a social as well as in an economic sense. The members feel a pride iu its material expansion. They accumulate largo profits, which in time become a kind of communal fund. In some cases this is used for the erection of village halls where social entertainments, concerts, and dances are held, lectures delivered, and libraries stored. Finally, tho association assumes the character of a rural commune, where, instead of the old basis of the commune, the joint ownership of land, a new basis for union is found in the voluntary communism of effort." ' Some idea of what America thought of ' some of Sir Horace Plunketfs recomi mendations may be gathered from the i articlo on "Co-operation" on Page 25 of • this issue. 1 Enough has been said to show the ) trend of thought abroad on the country | life question, and in the -following pages r much information will bo found as to '. what is being done, and what might be ■ done, to improve conditions in New Zea- ' land* and to check in its comparatively \ early stages the townward drift of populaj tion which, if long continued, can only . spell racial deterioration.

AIDING THE FARMER

GOVERNMENTS PLANS. MR. MASSEY ON THE OUTLOOK. ■' ■;." A SURVEY. ■ The Prime Minister, whon. he was interviewed -. a few■ days': ago regarding the prospects in the immediate future of the producers and exporters of the Dominion, spoke in a very optimistic strain. "The season that has just come to an end," he remarked, "has been a very -good one, very encouraging to the producers, and very satisfactory to the people of the country as a whole. There have been good prices for almost everything produced by our farmers, and as a result, the exports have shown a record for. NewZealand. Turn confident that next season will again show a record, as the area under cultivation is gradually increasing, and more attention is being paid to dairying, fruit-growing, and up-to-date methods generally. A factor worth noticing is the proposed American tariff. If .it, passes into law it will make' a certain amount of difference to our sheepfarmers.'. Looking at the position from an all-round point of view, it is practically certain that tho prosperity of this country for some time to come is assured. "Settlers in some parts of New . Zea-: land," said tho Prime Minister, "have suffered to a certain extent from the stringency in the money market, which has resulted from the European war, and other causes outside of New Zealand,'but I think that the scarcity of money has had one good effect. It has shown that land value 9 have just obout reached the limit, and I believe that, as a result more attention will bo paid henceforth to farming in the proper sense of the term than to speculation in land, with the object of reselling it at a profit, instead of looking for profits from the products of tho soil.

"Something has been done by the Government in tlio past with the object of giving farmers and 6ettlers a lead in up-to-date and scientific methods," tho Primo Minister continued, "but I am quite satisfied that much more can be done and will have to. be.done in this direction in the future if we are to holdour own with other producing countries. I have already indicated that I propose to establish a Board of Agriculture, consisting of practical and "competent'farmers, which will act in an advisory capacity to the Minister for Agriculture, and in the not far distant future I hope to see established at least one agricultural college, where young men who intend to take up agriculture as a profession, will be able to acquire familiarity with tho latest developments in agricultural science and methods," The Prime Minister, in reply to further questions, said that it was too early yet to outline in detail the functions' of the' proposed Board of Agriculture. It would not be set up until after the conference of A. and P. societies in August next. These bodies, however, would probably be asked to nominate representatives on the board. Tho activities of the board would no doubt tend to eliminate bad and inefficient farming, aiid to enable agriculturists usefully to extend their activities, and capture fresh mai'kets abroad. A valuable model was supplied in the Irish Board of Agriculture. "There is no question," said Mr. Massey, I "that the operations of the Board of

fy> FEffJisci Mai N®(i4s, & Mils Qmg&i t©

Agriculture in Ireland have had a wonderful effect on agricultural methods in that country, especially in connection with the dairying industry, which has been completely revolutionised."

On the subject of land settlement" the Prime. Minister remarked that theie-vras-still an unsatisfied demand for land suitable for dairying purposes or for sheep country. "I am glad, however, to ■ .'bo able to say," he added, ".that owing to the subdivision that i 3 going on very satisfactorily, the opening lip of Crown and Native lands and the cutting'..up, of. estates which have been acquired' by ih'e, Government under the Lands tor Settle-' inent Act, many people who have been looking forward for years past;.'to. going upon the lend are having their desires' in this respect gratified. I think if is'safe to predict that in the present financial' year there will be a record both in the way of subdivision and of settlement." As showing the progress that New Zealand produce was making in the outside markets of the world, Mr. Massey mentioned that for the year 1911-12 New Zealand exported to Vancouver 52,000 boxes of butter, while the export to Vancouver for tho year 1912-13 totalled 117,419 boxes, showing an increase in the one year of <55,1G5 botes'. Vancouver also took 300 eases of New Zealand cheese last year. Tho total. export of dairy prouuee for the year 1912-13 amounted to no , less than worth as against

■£3,816,924 in tho previous year, an increase last year of £192,084. Auckland province alone, which has been making great strides in tho dairying industry, exported during 1912-13 .£1,002,85? ;worth of dairy produce, an increase for the one provincial district 'of approximately .£200,000. "Fruitgrowing, also, is doing very well," remarked the Primo Minister. "The total area of land used for fruitgrowing last year was 35,967 acres, of which 7506 acres have been planted during the last four years. In 1911-12 we exported between 16,000 and 17,000 cases of fruit, mostly to

Britain and to South Amerioa. Last year-1 we exported to' South America alone 30,000 cases'of friiit'and'there is;apparently a strong demand for more.," In Nelson, .the North.of. Auckland, .and, in; /Central Otago fruitgrowing is increasing steadily. Milking Machines. . .'There is..much.pn.couragement .for producers both in the. dairying arid fruitgrowingl industries in these figures," remarked the Prime-Minister, "and, plenty, of industry and .enterprise is, being disr played ;by ; both \' : cßsses of settlers;;--,'P,cr-; . ■haps?', he..added,:."it:was falling market at' '■ tlio end; of last.season that '■ there '-were' more', than the nurpber ,ii. complaints ■ with regard,'to"the quality, of our.-butter.. It, is only'right, hpweve'rV'.to'say ..that ,th6 ; cxports;pf thel . bepart'mehtare .of .opinion, that the quality \ of vou'r' Butter > is<-being."'. maintained, though' ;they'Jay .'.great, .stress on the importanco"'.bf'"fuft%f:;impro'ving the quality in order' to get' on a level with the Danish product. Experts outside the Department say that if there has been a falling off in quality it is owing to tho more general nso of milking machines. To.6ecure the best results from- the use of-the-machines there is'required what is not always available—a plentiful supply of boiling water for cleansing purposes. Where steam engines are used this is easily obtained, but it is not so: easy where oil engines, which arc coming-'moro : ii Ij iiiiJ .*\Ji

and more into use, are employed. If the trouble is in the machines I have no doubt that when tho dairy farmers become more accustomed to them there will bo no further complaints on thishead."

TUo settler may post hia mail matter at his own gate, instead of having to make a journey of probably several miles to the nearest Post Office. The rural delivery brings the farmer into closer touch with his market, thereby placing him at , an advantage in disposing of his produce. If a settler lives off a mail loutc; . he can have his rural box erected at a ' point on tlio route nearest to his home. AVhen calling for tenders for the conveyance of mails for .1913-15, special attention was given to tlio extension of i rural deliveries, and a number of services wero converted into such deliveries. In some districts as many as from 30 to 50 rural services are now in operation, ' and the Government,, recognising tho ■. value of theso deliveries to tho backblock ■ settlers, granted tho facilities, in many cases at the risk of a small financial loss. Many applications are being received for tho establishment of rural deliver-cs, and'.where practicable such services aro being installed. . . In tho more settled country districts where there are suitable roads, rural mail services aro performed by a Departmental officer mounted on a motor cycle Tho motor cyclo for this purposo is still in. tho experimental stage, and only cxperi- . oiico will provo whether expectations will bo realised. IN THE PIONEERING DAYS. —"7j' .EARLY NORTH ISLAND SETTLERS. Those areas in the'Wairarapa.and along I tho.''Vest Coast of tho-Wellington pro- . ~r —■" iV '■ Si! iHi

yincial district which were free from forest-growth were in tho earliest days occupied by pioneers—such men as have been tho advance-guard of our race in the inarch of colonisation the world over. These settlers acquired rights of grazing from the Native land-owners, and had to faco formidable difficulties in obtaining stock and placing them on tho runs. Tho Into Mr. Bidwill and Messrs. Clifford and Weld were amongst the first successfully to accomplish the task. The only means of access available was by following tho shores of Wellington Harbour and tho coast of l'alliser Bay. Tho western coast from Paekakariki northwards was moro easily reached, being accessible to sailing craft at all points, and also from Wauganui, the earliest settlement on that sidu of th© island. These first settlers soon established themselves in primitive homesteads over tho face of the country, and their names aro still household words to people of tho present generation. They opened, up the country, made its capabilities known, and prepared tho way for tho wave-of settlement which followed later, upon tie purchase from the Maoris of their' previously unoccupied lands, '.'.'he .extensive territory of open grazing lands in tho interior, south of Lake Taupo, and extending from Karioi on tho west to the lluahino Mountains, was taken up in tho earlier days, under leaso from tho Natives. Amongst' tho first Europeans to occupy this territory were the Messrs. Birch at Oruamatua, Morris and Russell at Huanui,. John Studholmo at liangipo-Waiu and Murimotu, and Mr. Donnelly at Mangaohano, l?ar removed from the seacoast and centres of population, served by no roads, and in the face of all the drawbacks and difficulties which occupiers of Maori lands experienced in those .early times, it may confidently bo said that ,such men as these deserve our admiration for their enterprise, determination, and the success which, on the whole, crowned their efforts." The story of their struggles and experiences should be placed on record. The "Cape Times" reports a sale early, in the -year of Wanganella grease wool, from the Caledon district. Eleven bales realised 13d,' per 1b.," arid 23 hales Hid. per lb. These prices are considerably in advance of any other locally-grown wool. Since tho opening of the premises .in Paris of the British Chamber of Commerce, in which Australia has exhibits, the Commonwealth High Coinmissionor's oflico in London has rcccvcd many inquiries from Franco concerning Australian nw\t and fruit,

COUNTRY POSTAL FACILITIES. WHAT IS BEING DONE. Perhaps of the many improvements introduced of late, years by tho Post and Telegraph Department, one of tho most highly valued by country settlers is what is known as the rural mail delivery service. Even going no further afield than a few miles from Wellington, there may bo seen bv travellers between Johnsonvillo and Tawa Flat mail boxes jutting out from tho sio> of the road, in which correspondence is placed by the. rural delivery carrier, and from which outward correspondence is taken by him.. Under this system postal correspondence is delivered bv tho mail contractor into a specially-designed box, generally erected on the line of route at the nearest point to the settler's home. By this provision the eottler in a remote district is frequently saved many milos of travelling to and from the nearest Post Office for his correspondence. . The specially-designed boxes used in rural mail deliveries are so contrived that letters can bo removed and deposited by tho mail contractor without alighting from his horse or vehicle. Tho box is orected at tho. aide of the road. Normally, it rest? at tho end of a long arm, and on letters being deposited in it, it is swung at right angles to the arm. When letters are ready to be cleared, the arrangement of tho* arm enables the box to bo drawii forward by tho contractor. After tho box is cleared, the arm automatically runs back and resumes its position parallel to the road. _ ' This box, which is of Canadian pattern, and costs with necessary fittings, exclusive of lock and' key, fifteen shillings,ean bo obtained from the Department. Locally made boxes of tho Canadian pattern, but without tho arm, are supplied by the Department at a cost of 55., Vs., or !1.«., acording to size. Tho name of the holder of the rural box is painted on it before tho box is erected. Tho■ system' has been largely avnilod of by 6ettlers, i ta whom it w valuable m a time-sayer.