The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 1914. THE OUT LOOK FOR THE FARMER

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2159, 27 May 1914, Page 4

The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 1914. THE OUT LOOK FOR THE FARMER

The fact th.it the prosperity <?f the Dominion as a, whrfe dfcpeads so largely on the suceess oi its k.pc! industries extends the interest im the periodical reviews ei the progress of agriculture far behead tfeo limits of the farming populatjaa, and the pronouncements of. Jst'ft, J. G. Wilson on this carry great weight with all classes of tte oommuitity. The survey of the pe&ifeKfli contained in Mr. Wilson's address at Wanganui yesterday, as president ef ' tb Wellington Prdviiidia! CottferCßco of the New Zealand Fanners* Union,, disclosed a very -satisfactory stale ofaffairs. Things have goae Well -tfith tho .farmers during the past year, in spite of the political tvcmMes in the United Kingdom a-ftd labour disturbances both in 3Sfc\v Zealand aftd iii the Old Country, whieh is th»j principal customer for <Sb.v prodwe. The future outlook, ieo, is decidedly hopeful. It is believed that tho ex--ports from the Dominion, for the. year ending Scnfecmber 3.0 nexfr will' have reached the ££;,OOQ,OOa limit, and \i this prediction proves comet it will certainly be, as Mr, remarks, "anntJisr triumph for Mie farmers of New Zcalgad.'' I%nv<tk

such a rocord is most ci'cclitahic for a young country like this, with .a l>opnlatlon of a little over a million, there is no reason why the i"tto of progress in the future should not Ijc evfiii gl'cate.r than in the past, foi' by the application of the latest scientific methods and the extension of systenißtic agricultural eduaation, the land undoubtedly d*:mid tja made far more productive than is nt present the caso. There seems to h« a geiv era! recognition of the fact thftt tko State and tins farmer must ceniWmi and co-oporata in ordet , to keep N*?w Zealand well alivcafefc ef its most progressive rivals in Use world's markets. Science and education ai-o essential factors in this rospect Me.. Witsos tells us that ont young neoplc i who mtea'd to go upon the land will require to be Epßti-.illy<edu-cated for than- walk in life, and ik his new position as chairman of fche Agricultural Board lie will be in aft exceptionally favourable, position to assist the Government with his atlr vice na to the best liijt'S on which to extend and improve thfl existing facilities for Sgrjctriftiral instruction, throughout the Dqn.liß.ioD,

TThe limit o'i New Zealand's agHcultursiil and dairying i ! fisoiM : ei>s lias not yet been nearly reached. They are capable of being greatly increased, both from the extensive and the intensive points of view. Land already utilised Can lie used to still greater advantage, aad areas at present producing little or Botlnng can be made available for profitable settlement: lit various parts of the Novth Island the dairy industry is branching out into new districts., and in the present issue; will be found some interesting infomatwir as to the jwowtti of toivylng- oa the 'West Coast of. the Sontii island. Until quite recently .few peqpk- tpalisecl tho possibiUtic? of ivte Wesf Coast.as a fanning and dairying district the prevailing impression was. that it, must rely almost entirely eti its .gold tmA ooal mirattg aed on its tWofti', and that in conse-quortee its pjo»pctits" were not as bviglit. as 4w,y might be. That this view was quite wrong has since hmn p»ved. Tjie West Coast possesses resources hardly touched wliieh give proiftise. of aa assarri and prosptiwtg future. Alr&ady dairy fannihg has betoine firraly <~ s -tab|iskd J and'sufficient has been dona to s.ltoav that this part or thfl Uwiinion can produeo trttttor and cheese (A the best (jualjty. Va:i industry will cerfaiftiy !# Largely extended in the future, and careful experiments arc at preseut boins utiulo ivitfa the ohjcot otascor.fcairting tho kst way of : ktoising tfeu va.vi.ous dassßs of available laiwl Msidts so far acinevflcj that there is"a pi'wnisißg field for the farmer, aad tfaat tiw prosperit.f &f the district wilj lie 110 lflregej «Htfrely dependent oti eo&l, timijer, and golil nuning industries^. Tli« Opening of this tow ■ji.vcnn.o of einplgymfiitt is no doubt in'gpie nwasurij vesponsihk Iqt- the liiorc hopeftit a&d cm.fidenfc feeling whieh now pievn-ils ofi tho Wm Coast. The s;aa.o sort of thing is going on in other pasts of both Isla.ii.da. MR. WILSQH points am hhAt there arc large areas <rf eoautry ia iho North Isknd ye* to fee put to use, whjeli will probably be tievo£«d more or loss to sheep,, keftuse. tlje' access to it is not g00d.,, and iiepause it Is not good enough for dairying. T)ho Stij,te Depar.t.n'i.Gnts eati isntfe good service by carrying ©itt.f scitfntifio esperi* Stents in order to discover tho best uses to which tj« wiscfrtled ian.ds of tte .IJominion eaa be put, and also by helping farmers to get tho very'best out ©I the kiftts at present in oPcu-patioi).. These- roatfei's will no doubt receive the attcn.tjfta of the newly-established Board of Agricttltarc, and tho <j-ovfli'nTtenfc lids premised to runtier evaty assistance in its po*'er in fhe way of prpviciiag Mads and edaeational faoilitfei Theoretical instetietion is, of course", esscnfeidl,- but t9.jn.ilke it-really-ef-fective, practied'l ''follow-up \?ms" is absolutely ne.e.essai'y. This is the opinion of Mi?.. IVittek, 'of tkq New York State Department of Ag*icvlturo, wko states. that teaching by lectures a'lofie is apt inerelv to show the fa.ritier ihb rttt he is in, bwfc not the way outs whereas 'the "felknpup work" on fhs farm gives >.tteal help in enabling affriculfcnral opefatiqnsto be. eaj.necl oat i% a, 'nj&re sßientific. and suocessiui way. Tha State is already doiflg'e gwd deal 111 New Zealand for, the Wefit of : the man on the laadj but msicli more ■ wiil have to be done if we arc to kefsp pace with the growth of cultural soietiiM? nn4 -the forward movements in other eoasiitfes..