WHEAT CULTURE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 150, 14 March 1918, Page 10

WHEAT CULTURE

FREE TRADE OR PROTECTION CITY LIEN'S VIEWS ON THE GOVERNMENT POLICY, A very interesting discussion on wheat culture occurred at a meeting of the Wellington Central Chamber of Commerco last night. Mr. C. M. Luke presided. Mr. W. J. Gaudiu opened the discussion with a paper on the development of the production of cereals. Ho admitted at once that he had no practical knowledge of agriculture, and ho offered his viows as those of a member of tho community. He affirmed that in the general development of a country the first essential was ail abundant arid suitable food supply, and ho affirmed also that it was very neoessary for a nation who wished to endure that it should produco its own essential foods. This, ho said, had been proved by tho experience of England in this war. In New Zealand we should , provide all our own wheat, whereas the wheat crop was lessening year by year. Tho reason was that wheat crowing was not so profitable as other Branches of farming. It was easy to grow wheat in this country, however. Tho average crop was 30 bushels to the acre, and he believed that with scientific treatment of soils it should bo possible to increase this avorage considerably. Despite the need for special knowledge in farming, there was no branch of industry in which more was left to chance. Artisans and professional raon were carefully trained, but the farmer scarcely at all. A man had to have a certificate before he was allowed to fit a water' tap, .but ft farmer might be allowed to use a piece of land in such a way as to ruin it. There should be more instructional /arms, preferably so near the ceutres of population that town boys might attend them for instruction. There should also be some measure of regulation.. At present there was no such thing, and the nwrket price of ono year tended to fix the anionnt of crop to be enwn next year. This element of gambling or unceri« foodstuffs should not be tolerated. There should be some rule by which every man owning a piece of suitable land should be required to sow every year a certain proportion of it in wheat. In'return he must be protected against fluctuation of price. •The only really effective way of doing this would be to prohibit importation altogether unless in times of shortage. A protective tariff at least would be necessary, but he did not think this would entail higher prices for breadstuffs, because he boheved that if production were stimulated the methods would be improved so much that prices need not be raised. ' . Mr. T. Moss, member of the Efficiency Board, was asked by the chairman to speak. Ho said that he was a farmer, but not a wheat-grower. But, he said, this question of wheat production was one of great difficulty. This jiea-r, ff the season had been good, we should have had a surplus of wheat for export, but the season had not been satisfactory. It was not correct to suppose that farmers as a' class did not know their business. It was very well to say that we should grow our own wheat, but just now when there were tons of -wheat wasting in Australia, it might he wise to import our wheat from there. It was not true that it was as cheap to grow wheat here as in Australia; me experience of past years proved the contrary. . There were areas of land in New Zealand on which it would not pay to grow wheat at 12s. 6d. a bushel I Ho mentioned those points to show how difficult it was to control farming operations by regulation. Mr. L. Ashcroft Edwards gave it as his opinion that this country should give its' attention to the production of what it could produce' to best advantage. If New Zealand could noE produce wheat, Mt could produce something with which to pay for wheat'to be imported. If we could grow wheat , here to advantage, then we needed no protcctivo tarilF. If we could not' grow wheat without protection, then it was very questionable whether we should attempt to grow it at all. The imposition of a protective tariff might react on the whole economic structure of the country. , , • Mr. Cotton, Lower Hutt,'said that he was a baker, and ho claimed to have some knowledge of how to use flour. Hβ declared that we could not grow wheat in this country. .It was not possible -to grow wheat from which good bread could he baked, without an admixture of Australian flour. Hβ was a free-trader, and he believed that the Government should now allow the Australian wheat to come in here. In any event he was- sure that iu a few years wheat-growing would stop in New Zealand, and we could then give attention to something suited to our land. He 'believed that moro caro should be taken by the Government to see that our farmers were educated to make the best use of. our farming landfu Mr. A. L'eifih Hunt said that ho admitted that it was sound policy .generally for a country to grow what was suited to it, but he was prepared to consider wheat-growing as a special case. We should not give up wheatgrowing without a struggle. He hoped that with tho development of hydroelectric " power farming jj operations would be aided by making possible cite inore extended use ot machinery on farms. Another need in New Zealand was that of cheap manures in plenty. Mr. F. J. W. l'ear said'that it acenicd to him that no amount of goud farming could ever regulate tho climate, and all parts ot this country hud not a climate suitablo for wheat culture. Wo should grow what suited our lands, and get our wheat from Australia, and promote exchange which would do us all.good. We should ruin the country if we gave our 'energies to unsuitable effort. Mr. T. Moss said that it" was a mistake to suppose that we could not grow wheat iu New Zealand. There wore- areas in New Zealand in which wheat would always bo grown. What was required to promote wheat-grow-ing was assistance in the provision of labour. ~'l'o this end tho fanners were asking the Government to assist in providing homes in which married men might live with their families. v Mr. Gaudin, replying, said that he was prepared to admit that we could 'import better wheat cheaply from Australia," . but he still affirmed that it should be our national policy to grow wheat. Wo should not forget the possibility of being unable to get wheat from Australia. Our aim must be to evolve varieties of wheat which would bo suitablo for our climate, and which could be grown with profit.