NEW ZEALAND OATS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2209, 23 July 1914, Page 10

NEW ZEALAND OATS

GOOD FOOD FOR •■■' „ Oats / growing in New Zealand is in a transition stage, according to Mr. J. G. Wilson, presidontoif tho Now Zealand Farmers' TJnion. Addressing .the Dominion Conferenco of. tho union, Mr. .Wilson, said;—l'Th'efe is without doubt a great effect upon the consumption of oats in London caused ;by tho .almost" universal._"adoption"of mechanical traction; ; This aftects ns here 'because any t surplus' we might grow does not find a , payablo market there. This same causo (traction) is also affecting'the; market here. We grow 14 million bushels of oats last year. Ordinarily we would have had perhaps about,2.-million.bush-, els of these to, export; but. ; l muchdoubt ifour 'consumption-this year will .bo more-than 10 million bnshols. The oats;-market certainly has responded to V tho absence of demand arid prices are Mower than wo havo had,them-fo'jj some 'time. Oats can be grown perhaps cheaper than any grain we nave. ' Wliy should lambs not be fed on them, making -for firmer flesh and better quality? I : am, convinced, it would pay us .to feed ;Jambs on the ,oats at Is. 6d7, rather . than sell them. .-It" matters little wlie- ; thor .we.get'.cash for. our grain or. by 'feeding it :to stock, and thus getting a bettor price'in a-shorter time. At half-, a-pound of oats a day, lass than half a bushel per head would bo -required for | this purpose. In the same way we might largely, increase the number of our,pigs;":;- . j