FARMING PROSPECTS BRIGHTER

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 208, 28 May 1921, Page 10

FARMING PROSPECTS BRIGHTER

IN THE MANAWATU

GROWING OF LUCERNE

From Our Own Correspondent

for it either for butter or cheese-making. The news that the bulk of the wool offered at the Wellington sales on Thursday changed hands, even although the prices were net high, has given growers hopes of a brighter future, while in spite of tho fact that most of the freezing companies have ceased to operate for the season there is a much better demand for fat stock, and with the Improved feed prospects good forward store cattle and sheep are meeting a better demand. There is a strong inquiry for all wellbred cows coming into profit next season, but weedy and ill-bred young cattle are neglected. The pig market generally shows a slight improvement. A run through the Manawatu district shows but little improvement on tho Woodville side of the Gorge, while feed is scarce on ihe heavy clay lands around Bunnythorpe. Throughout the Kairanga and Kauwhata districts, however, feed is fairly plentiful. An improvement is noticeable on the lighter lands towards Foxton, and matters improving in the Mangawhata, Ilangitou, and Bainesse districts, where there is now .a fair amount of rough feed. From Longburn to Levin, as far as can be seen from the train, feed is none too plentiful, but from Manakau down to J’nraparaumu some really good pastures

are to bo seen, and the stock is in excellent condition, while there are somo very good strikes of oats. A meeting of the Chamber of Commerce at Palmerston North tho question of starting a lucerne campaign on

the lines of tho on«> which is now operating in Canterbury was brought up. It was pointed out that the average annual yield of butter-fat per cow was IfiOlb., but an instance was quoted where a cow had actually yielded 9801 b., and this Tosult had been attained by the introduction of more scientific methods of feeding in which lucerne played a part. One member expressed the opin-

ion that the soil of Canterbury was more favourable for growing this feed than was the land in the Manawatu. A visit, however, to the farm of Mt. A. Montgomerie at Kauwhata, where lucerne has been established for over five years, and tho crops are quite as prolific as anything grown in the South Island, would seem to furnish evidence to. the contrary. It was eventually decided

that the matter was more one for the Farmers’ Union and the A.’ and P. associations, and to them it was referred. The Manawatu Sub-Provincial Executive of tho Farmers’ Union Is already moving in the matter, and it is expected that very shortly a series of lectures on

lucerne-growing will be delivered in Palmerston North by one of the Government biologists. Although the quality of the soil has a good deal to do with (ho success of growing lucerne, the fact remains that the preparation of the soil

and the constant working of it is a most essential feature of its success. The following items of interest to farmers in this district are culled from reports compiled by the Agricultural Department:—During the year ended March 31 last iherc were 66 cream separators in the Kniranga County. 228 in Oroua, 372 in the Manawafu, and 267 in TTorowlienua. In the same period there were 199 reapers and binders in the Rawritikei Connlv, 117 in Kairangn. 56 in Oroua. and 47 in Manawafn. The number of milking machines in use last vear was 112 in Ran’itikoi Coun<v, 60 in Kiwitea. 25 in Pohanvina, 135 in Kniranga. 52 in Orona, 229 in Manaxvnfn, 210 in TTorowhenua, nnd 113 in Pahiafna.

Palmerston North, May 27. T here has been a distinct change for tho better in farming prospects during the past week, and farmers are speaking in a much more cheerful tone than they have done for some time past. Some fairly heavy showers nave fallen, mostly at night, and these have been followed by humid days. Unless heavy frosts are experienced during the next few weeks there need be no anxiety about the supply of feed. With the bad autumn experienced a number of fanners found it difficult (o carry even their ordinary amount of stock, and ihe consequence was that the pastures were eaten too short at a critical time, and naturally these will take some little time to recover. In some of these cases the dairymen have dri“d off their cows early in order io give the fields the necessary chance to recuperate, and doubtless they will recover before next spring. The fact that the hay crop was a particularly good one, and that many dairymen had provided for extra feed for the winter in the shape of roots, maize, and lucerne kept the supply of milk up fairly well, and quite a number will be able to milk right through the winter. Doubtless winter milking will be much more in vogue in this district in the future, more especially as Wellington city is prepared to take nil tho milk it can get during *the winter months at prices which could not be obtained