MANAWATU NOTES

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 66, 10 December 1921, Page 2

MANAWATU NOTES

FARMING PROSPECTS CEREALS, STOCK AND DAIRY PRODUCE From Our Own Correspondent. Palmerston North, December 9. The weather during the pc. t week has been unusually sultry, with intermittent .showers. This has been good for the growth of grass and cereal crops, and has been the means of causing good strikes of turnips and rape, but it has considerably interfered with shearing operations, and . has prevented hay-mak-ing, which, should now be in full swing, as tho crops are more than ready for cutting. Last year’s hay crop was a record ono tor the district, but from all appearances the present season will bo even better. Areas Under Wheat and Oats. Tho estimates of areas under wheat and oats issued by the Government Statistician. show a total of 363,000 acres under wheat, of which 9000 acres are in iht> North Island, and 406,000 acres in tire South Island. In oats there are 470,000 acres, of which the North Island contributes 64,000 acres and the South Island 460,000 acres. The corresponding figures for the preceding year were 222,843 acres of wheat and 574,729 acres of oats. This shows that the injunction of the Government to grow more wheat has been obeyed in a practical manner, as the increase in this cereal 'has amounted to about 140,000 acres, while the area untier oats has decreased by over 100,000 acres. So far as the Rangitikei and Marton districts, which are tho principal wheat-growing centres in the North Island, are concerned, the crops are in excellent condition, and it is certain that there will be an abnormal growth of straw, which should produce fine heads even though the present moist spell should be followed by a dry summer. The Lamb Crop. The official estimates of the lambing in the North Island have fully borne out expe-etdations of a considerable increase in numbers over the previous year. The percentage for tho present season is 89.65, as against 87.95 lor the previous year. For the present season there were 6,312,438 ewes, which produced 5,659,117 lambs, while in the previous season there were 5,838,704 ewes 5,135,524 lambs. With tho favourable season experienced there has been a much smaller loss of lambs than was the case last year, and the conditions have been conducive to early maturity. While naturally this is mftst satisfactory, from a producing point of view, tho extra increase is counter-balanced to a large extent by the low prices at present ruling, and with such a large quan. tity ready for the market and tho poor demand, the growers are not looking forward to the immediate future through optimistic eyes. Outlook for Fat Stock. Tho state of the fat stock market is anything but reassuring, and holders of both cattle and sheep are practically at their wits’ end to know what to do with the large quantities which, with the favourable season, are daily becoming lieavier. Tho prices offered by the various works for both beef and mutton arc such that growers eannot see any return for their stock, while if they freeze and consign on their own account, even at the reduced charges for freezing and freight, there is every prospect of the expenses eating up nearly the whole of the value of their stock. Until the glut of meat is got rid of on the Home market, and things become normal again, there is little chance of any improvement in prices locally, and it is evident that growers' are up against a very stiff proposition. Dairymen in Better Position. In spite of the weakening in the butter and cheese markets the dairymen are in a much better position than those who have all their interests in stock. Although prices are at present low in the Home market, those who are supposed to be in the know are confident that matters will right themselves in the course of a month or two. Tho demand for casein is Increasing in the Old Country, where many fresh cases are being found for this product, and as it is produced from practically a waste product in the factories, it should be a most useful adjunct to dairying in the near future. The opinion seems to bo general that cheese-making will be the best proposition, as tho prospects for it are much more favourable than for butter. However, as an authority who has recently returned from a visit to the dairying centres of Europe has pointed out tho main chance of success is to keep up, and, if possible, still further improve the quality of our product, which has to come into competition with the very cream of the industry from Denmark. To this end the quality of tho herds must bo of the very best, and the cows must be properly fed and looked after. It is only by doing this that we can hope to hold our own with our formidable rivals in the dairy world. Is the Price of Land Too High.

With the high prices ruling for dairying land in tho Dominion, the impressions of Mr. C. Dahl, who has just returned from a visit to Denmark, are worth noting. In that rich dairying country he found first-class land, selling nt from £5O to .£9O per acre, the latter being in cases of especially good farms. In New Zealand during the last boom farms had been changing hands at from anything between £1.50 to £2OO per acre, while in England he had seen magnificent farm properties changing hands at. from £4O to £5O per acre. From this it is evident that if those who arc dairying on high-priced lands here do not adopt, the most up-to-date methods they will find some difficulty in competing with the dairy products of Northern Europe. The Home Meat Markets. In a letter received by Messis. M. A. Eliott and Co. from Messrs. Gilbert, Anderson and Co., of London, dated October 25, it is stated that, on October 20 the. importers had decided on the following charges for Canterbury lamb delivered ai Smithfield: —361 b. and under, 9d.; 371 b. to 421 b., 8.1 d.; over 421 b., Sd.; and seconds SJd. This, it was stated, was done to stabilise the market, and it was hoped that nobody would sell under that price. Tho market had, however, been broken chiefly on account of the weakness of sellers. Had there been a little firmness a few weeks previously sales would have been quite as plentiful-as those at the moment at fully Id. to IJd. advance on current prices. It was quite understood that it. would be impossible to control tho price, and there were many obstacles to bo overcome if present limits were to bo maintained, as the trade could not absorb the available supplies, and sellers were far from anxious to hold stocks for the New Year, the result being that sales were being made at pence per pound (for quantities) under the above quotations. Already, in spile of tho fact that promises had been made to hold up the figure. sales of Canterbury moat had been made under the prices stipulated, and no improvement could be loked for until (he Imperial Government stocks of niut-. ton wore out of the way. The unfortunate part of the whole position was the fact that the Government, in selling j their wethers, had sold several thousand which were ■not then out of tho vessel. These were recognised as being very fair weights, nnd wore offered to tho trade at 4)<l. per lb., ex store, giving tho original buyer sd. per lb. clear profit. Until those wethers were out of the way

it was difficult to see how a healthier tone could be established. They were afraid that the market had broken, and that it would bo a considerable time before it would recover even only a fraction in. price. The object of the large firms seemed to be to clear at any price, thus enabling the new season’s business to be a little more sound.