A FARMER AND THE WHEAT QUESTION

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2957, 21 December 1916, Page 6

A FARMER AND THE WHEAT QUESTION

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —May I place before you my views as a farmer on tho wheat question? Last autumn year our Government very lucidly pointed out to farmors that it was' their duty to grow wheat. AVe did so, with the result the country was 'full of wheat. AVe read in > our newspapers of large stocks in New Zealand; that the Canadian wheat bought by our Government cost more when landed in New Zealand than that we grew ourselves. AA r e also read of large supplies in Australia rotting on railway sidings for want of room to store it. The farmer came to the conclusion that wheat was in over-supply, so last autumn and winter naturally reduced his area sown, or did not sow any wheat at all. It was the Government's duty last autumn and winter to have again 'pointed out to the farmer' that be was still required to. sow as much wheat as he did the year before, and you may rest assured he_ would iiavedono so. Instead of this the farmer is led to suppose the country has plenty of wheat, and when he does not sow it he is railed at, and suggestions are made, that tho State takes this land 1o grow wheat in, which he would gladly have done himself if he had only been asked to. Also- I wish to point out that the Government did not encourage the wheat farmer, when last year 'an effort was made to fix tho price at ss. 3d. per bushel. On tho other baud, no effort was spared to get a good price for tho meat farmer from the Imperial Government So when the. two products are reviewed side by side, taking into consideration the labour, risk, and what a crop of wheat takes out of the land, the comparative ease, sureness of result, besides doing good to the land in growing moat, is it to bo wondered at it the farmer turned from wheat to meat, and a poor fa>' mer lle would havo been if he did not do so.—l am, etc., E. CARLETON HOLMES. Farmer. Masterton.