WHEAT PRODUCTION

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2783, 30 May 1916, Page 8

WHEAT PRODUCTION

"PATRIOTIC., fiUT-Y- OF FARMERS: -Tp a gatUeriug -of fanners, Mr. D. B. :,Ct>peland, M.A.;> of • Canterbury College, gave a very -iuterestirig and instructive : lecture on the' subject of wheat-growing, iltv David Jones presided. "•"■Mr. Gopoland Baid that the persistent decline in wheat-production had occasioned, much apprehension, and it was feared : that our homo supply, would not satisfy tho ' demands of local ■ consumers. The 'New Zealand Official "Year Book", for the past' tea. years"Jiad estimated .the con. etiuiption of' ypor"head of the;population, at G. 4 bushels..-Store recent statistics showed-- that.-therei: had, been a.rise iff.' the' consumption''since ' this estimate Was made, and it was practically certain th&t our annual requirements of wheat 6'fiuld not be less tKan 6,500,000 bushels. In-1902 only.-; 4,000,000 bushols irero produced,', while in 1907-S,. and again in fJIS-li, tho-amount fell- short of what gas required for. consumption by - over £00,000 bushels. It was'obvious that on £Ee occurence of, a number of "lean" , years, in succession . ' importations would «' necessary... -'burning to-a study! of the forces which have operated of late, years and- which Jiaye diverted farmers' attention from Jgieat to tho pastoral .industries, the speaker said that when Canterbury was ; a province ,in 1853 it was'soon re- • that this would soon .bo the pleading agricultural centre, but at first puvsuits'flourished. As the population : increased rapidly tho export of foodstuffs dwindled, whilo prices of farm ' products rose considerably, consequent on the increased demand. The price of ; wheat rose steadily, and colonists began to give more attention to agriculture. ; With tho improvement, of communications and access to other markets wheats growing ..received an impetus,. and the production proceeded apace, ,while tho . prices maintained a satisfactory level, being an average of 4s. 7d. for the decado 1871-80. But the decade . 1881-90 was probably the gloomiest-ill the history' of iS'ew Zea- : land.; The average price of wheat for tho '.'decade was. 3s. Bd., while in 1885 it had fallen to 2s. lid. About this time tho production began to decline slightly, and the experiment of freezing meat for. export to England having been proved successful, farmers 'were again attracted to. wards pastoral pursuits. From this year to the end of the century farm Eroducts rose in price, and the rise ad continued almost, without inter-* >nissiou; until tho' present time. With . the advent of better and more scientific farming, from 1895 the yield per acre, .which, owing to 1 the exhaustion of-the soil had shown a falling tendency for. some .years, began to rise again, and-has risen persistently until recent year's. , "The , system of mixed farming—where the niain products are wool, frozen mutton, and wheat, was no . doubt tho most profitf able., system of farming .'for- Canterbury. The effect of sheep farming on - wheat | growing lias -undoubtedly' operated to iii-, '/crease the yield of wheat, whilo'the culti- > vation of the soil for wheat has produced - the excellent pastures on which "Prime" Canterbury is fattened. i

What must-be our attitude to wheat ["- i - growing- in New Zealand? This .will be, j . i '• influenced largely, firstly by the immediI: - 6te'prospect in. the wheat market, and, secondly, 'the degree to which the produptiou .of our supply would be a .national r. ■■■:.' ucosgmio gain to New Zealand, and an It : assistance to . the Empire. . Evidence, is accumulating ..to show- that .in compari- ' ' ,;.BQrii.with . 1915vth'ere. was a considerable i Uhrinkage;in average; <and the yield would p; iiotJie equal to'that 1915. : It v is more j :..- , -.profitable -to .raise- frozen-.mutton in • con-. .. .-lnnction with wheat growing■' than' fol- • . blowing the pastoral pursuits exclusively.. ,- . .The prospects this' year .were, certainly I'.-vindicative of good wheat yields, for the -soil was. in splendid condition, for seed- - ing.. : Moreover, prices would probably h_-■ '-not be lower than at present, and there was 'historical: evidenceto. show that '. '• wheat, prices did ; not precede for some I 'years, and.circumstances wdre favourable E • -to-.-that- conclusion 'at the present time. J Diice more the call came to the farmers to maintain as ; their usual ' ' wheat crops. ; . - i