WELLINGTON FARMERS' UNION

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2159, 27 May 1914, Page 8

WELLINGTON FARMERS' UNION

: ANNUAL CONFERENCE. KB VIEW Bl" THE PKESIDENT. (By Telegraph.—Special Correspondent.) Wanganui, May 2G. The annual conference of tho Wcliington Provincial Farmers' Union' opened hero to-day. Mr. T. Moss (Eketahuna), vice-president, was in the chair, and delegates, were present from all over tho province. President's Address. The president (Mr. J. G. Wilson) addressed, the conference at some , length on the agricultural and commercial outlook. It was most pleasing, ho said, to see that wool which a few years back scarcely paid to grow in ths back wintry, was now, fetching high prices. The rates at the recent sales Tiad surprised him, especially in view of the disastrous strikes that had occurred all over the world, causing great disturbance of trade. But it now seemed that there was another reason for the increase—the demand had overtaken the supply. There was not much unsettled country*in the world suitable for the production of wool, but there were, no doubt, largo areas of land at present growing wool which could bo made to grow niore—South Africa, for instance. Farming , methods had been bad in South Africa in tho past, but they were being rapidly improved, and an expansion of wool-growing there was certain to take place. / Some Sheep Figures.

"What can bo done here?" said Mr. Wilfon. "We have in the n,int year reached within 80 of the highest tally our sheep statistics have shown. We have 124 millions' of breeding ewes (t'ney have increased by threo millions in eleven years) which probably means that we have nine to ten million lambs per annum. Taking tho year from April 1 to March 31, of these wo exported no less than 3,860,313 carcasses, our highest "tally." We had 24,191,810 sheep in the Dominion, according to the returns, an increase of nearly holf a million sheep over., the. previous -year; yet we exported during the same 'period more than a fourth of this number, viz., C,37(i,G15 carcasses, of mutton-and 'lamb. This shows that ■ despite the. -fact that we are year by year exporting more- carcasses, we are still increasing the number of our sheep. Part of this increase is m doubt due lo the fact that - more new coilntrv is coming Lnto use, but much of our old country is being yearly, changed from sheep-growing to dairying. Cattle increased.; from 1908-9. to 1911 by 21G,845, and this increase has been going* on'-since, largely owing. to the extension of dairying, for it is obvious that the number of calves reared on their mothers is decreasing year by year.

To Grow More Sheep. "Some authorities seem to think wo have reached high-water mark in the number of sheep we are able to grow. Ido not share this. view. First-of all, there is a vast area of country.in the centre of this island -which, I am sure, will yet raise sheep in large numbers. When the proper system of working our poor and light pumice land is found, the area of which is so large, it must increase our numbers. Kven if it only grew heather, which it has been shown it grows successfully, it would carry, as the Highland glens do, sheep very 'well. Such land can never bo isuituljle for dairying and must remain under shesp tor all time. Probably the merino will be found to bo the best sheep for such a country,-if the rainfall is not too 1 great;and restore to some extent the diminishing numbers of this excellent breed— the origin of most of our flocks.i i Then, again, there is a large area of ■ secondclass country yet to come in, which will probably be dovoteil more or less to shsep, because of want of good, access, and the land not being good enough for dairying. If wool keeps its present value and lamb continues profitable, there is no'.reason, to my mind, why by an, improved, system of farming, the country which is at present carrying sheep should not carry more. ■ ■

Agriculture in tho Schools. "To increase our production'of wool tind mutton we shall, of course, havo to 'go in for more intensive cultivation, and this, -again, means that our youns people—for we. of the older generation are perhaps past -redemption—will require to be specially educated for tbcic walk in life. Vocational education, this is called now-a-days. The union has done much to assist this vocational education. : "Since our advent tho whole system has changed. We have now most schools with their school-gardens .adjoining, in which the scholars'take aii interest and fu'ide. They -are thus brought into conact with Naturo. and her ways. "Wo still lack, however, means, of going much further. The Wanganm Education Board are perhaps in, advance of any in this respect, and I take- the opportunity of thanking them, on behalf of the farmers of this district, for their progressive action. They have two, if not more, divisions, where actual practical work on the land is being done. They, have an agricultural instructor in the north' and another in the south, and still another to supervise the work at Marfan, where the High' School boys from several lea.l}ties colne once a- week to work on the plots. These students go. for visits to other farms, and have once a year a jeam'p where animals are -attended to and judged and shearing clas4s are conducted on farms. So that the pupils get a knowledge and ir liking of. country work and life. .There we stop, unless the lad can get taken on as a cadet on one of the Government farms.

The Higher Grades. "Without going deeply , ' into this imSortaut subject, I would iust. like to say iere is some misoonceiitiqn, 1 think, in connection with nn agricultural college. We have to prepare cadets for an agricultural college as much as we have to prepare youths for a University, or small children in the' kindergarten for the higher classes. At an agricultural col; logo it is a waste of .money to teach elementary work. This must bo done before the student goes there. Ho requires to have a good general education and a partially-trained mind. I look for\vard to agricultural :high schools to do this. Ihe pupil there would probably bo able to live at home, or, at any rate, in his own district. The very elementary work in agricultural science would bo done before he left the higher'standards in the primary school. If he is able to take up a little further science in a high school so much, the better. The agricultural high school would have some practical work on tho land itself, and enough would be taught at these schools of tho science of agriculture to enable the pupil to go.further with such work at an agricultural college, to 'top oft',' so to speak. there. Even if he did not go that length, his training at the agricultural high school would be of immense benefit to him if his life was to be passed in any capacity.on tho land. The students at the agricultural- college would probably be those who—when the opportunity arrives—would pass such time in practical work as i 3 required .to enable them to lake a Bachelor of Agriculture degree. In all .this great care must bo taken so that there is no overlapping. But unless some steps are. taken for preparatory our agricultural colleges will not give the results which ' are expecM of them," ' ■' ' ,''"

Our Dairying Operations,

"Our dairying operations *ecin to bo as flourishing as ever. ' When farmers were selling their butter to the stores for 4J(I. per lb., ami taking-..it out in goods, had any onts suggested that factories would be able to pay Is. and upwards for butler-fat he would have been considered mad, yet this has been going on for fome yrors now, and we are turning out more and more produce,- and with less gold and scarcely any grain export. It is predicted our exports for tho twelve months, calculated at September 30, will Imvc reached the .£23,000,000 limit. If this is so, it is another triumph for tho farmers of Xw . Zealand. Tliq whole population benefit? by this activity, but the farmer is specially benefited by tho awakening goini; on in the conduct of the'companies he is managing. Insurance, "Our Mutual Insurance Association, is another instance of irttat sail bo dontv

Working under difficulties, because of mortgagees and their ways, these miitnals liavo succeeded in lowering the rates ami .yet sotting apart reserve funds -of various iimounts. As time sees oi>, the rates tvili no doubt bo further reduced and further impetus be giren to the busings iiie trainms here, 100, has ten of great service to business methods, P«rnier«* frceziuß companies have also succeeded hi a similar -wiry.

Freezing Works. "The scarcity of trucks, mul H>c uncertainty of when the tats eaii be niki, has jsain led to much anxiety oil tho part of the owners. Loss of time, and, in the lambs especially, loss of weight' ami bloom. This has ten gom* oh year -after year, and farmers hq.ve ten'put off ivith promises. Tikis y*ar ?t was saki to bo want of haulage power, bat the farmers had to suffer delay and loss in consequence. This gnws an incentive to have local works, so that the lambs"-ctmM be slaughtered on the- spot and so gave the loss. On.the West Const there- have hc--a many suggestions; each district dosirift** works in its own immediate neSgM>ou£ hood. There may probably lie room i'cr one such works, but' more won let be courting failure. Besides, every additional company flouted for this ftuJjiose makes for danger, if it'ever -comes to a clash between the farmers and the Meat '.trust. Why should one of fihe tßtsWshcd companies not do as they have done in Can. tcrbtiry: put up the works a«d votlc them under the snnte ceaijKiny? There nre only two companies in Miirtberouffli, Canterbury, and Otajjo, thoufth there aro several works, and two in Southland, It would strengthen rather tjinfi weaken the position. AVhatever hflpfiens.. I hope that the farmers will supply the capital and not leave the companies to sot assistance from, gutside capitalists otherwise interested in the trad t. 'farmers ought to own most of tho freezing wwjes of the Dominion, and the tra.fte would be more easily controlled and tho pf««3uws better marketed."

Supply of Phosphate. "Mr. Wilson went oh to refer to the need of our soils for phosphates, and to tho fact that our supply is a limited 6ne. He realised that some steps should be taken to ensure a supply, hut lus view was that it would be much hetht. in r>rivate AVhy skotiM not tiia farmers take up the mutter theeisel'ves? They were most vitally iftterested.-, At prosent they wcro payisig too nnvch for their phosphates, owiu? so Hie original rest to the agents having Ijeoii tee hl-th. Phosphates were certain to rife si) γ-tke on account of the' limited <iwantHy of raw product available. Before it was too lafe the farmers should setMo a fcft-pply without delay. Even if it went t'fce Ifrisgth of a rato upon the land for this pnrpose, it would he a good tli.ins- "I would, however, much rather seo Hie iarnsors take the matter up themselves thasi to lean upon the Government fof assistance," said' Mr. 'Wilson. "It. would be bettor. Quicker, and moTe «tc«o.mieally doixs \v doing it ourselves. Mr. Aston is tiiakifi" fuller inriuiry into tlie cost of th« phosphate rock when passing; throagh Am»ri?n and in London." - '

THE REMITS. LARGELY . RAILWAY SUTTEES. Remits from fho various bYauefacs wefo then discussed, resolutions being 'iwied us follow :— That the Government provide freehold land for workers' homes in the back tryThat the question of damage t<l ptoAnte by obsolete methods and maeWnery on' wharves be referred'to the: JsMcutivo. I That country districts SluniUl have More representation on hartoiir beards. That tho shortage <s'f trucks be again brought under the notieft e! the .Railway Department and that tbd executive ascertain the approximate loss to farmers caused by this defect in fllws raiUvay system.:' That the Railway .DftpathiK-nt be wised to rmove the differential i'a;tc ort ported timber and raluee tli« freight wi fencing timber, and that, if certain of our industries require tft'ote'e'tten. it shriukl bo given through the Customs,'aid not'on railway freights as well. That hooks bo provided <m trticte for tho carriage of pigs to city markefe. That the Government bo asked to make' all dangerous railway .crossings safe for traffic. '....• A Wanganui remit prazosin's tkst the Government be urged te take sole charge of the construction and Biaiflteßanee of arterial roads was lost. . A proposal that the'seopc of tho ibcral Government Bill be saeh as to enable tho local' bodies to dtclaro a district over which to strike a rate for . -subsidjsing medical men working m onH'yrfi.g lions of such district was carried. A motion that <laifj- factories 'be allowed to borrow money nndor the rvrrat workers' homes scheme to weet dwelßngs for employees was lost The "Richmond" best nttswWs fte question as to which Oil Engine te purcimse. All tho good things wo can say. of it are. backed up by hundreds of users. It holds tho highest awards of any Oil Engine in the world. > Swely you are prompted to' call or Write, Sole Agent, Albert J. Parton, Plumber, Cartcrtoa.— Advt. j