FARMING TO AID WAR EFFORT

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 31, 31 October 1942, Page 4

FARMING TO AID WAR EFFORT

A considerable proportion of farmers are now growing crops of wheat and potatoes, in some eases special seed crops, and in others of feed barley, as a particular war effort, doing so in conjunction with their customary farming. But both to these and to all other farmers not so engaged with special cropping efforts is the call made to conduct their farming with a view to aiding the war effort. Every farmer can so conduct his operations, those operations which give his usual products. All such products are wanted today and appear likely to be needed for the duration-of the war and to assist in the peace-making thereafter. The maintenance of the fullest production of wool, meats, dairy produce and pigs is required from the farm land of the Dominion. To ensure this calls for hard work, particularly under the short staff conditions now generally applying. But more than that is required; there is a call, too, for hard thinking. Knowing intimately the farming community I would utter here a word of warning—do not work all the time and so hard as to endanger health. The risk is quite a real one in the case of many individuals, and it applies likewise to their wives. Itecollect the experience in Britain’s armament industries after Dunkirk. There the spirit of the nation so rose that tens of thousands of workers gave themselves to unremitting toil, which spurted production for a time but eventually brought reduced output. The call on the farming community for a maximum production is not for one season alone but for several yet to come. What is perhaps most .needful is to be conscious of your opportunity to assist the war effort in your ordinary farming operations. Such an awareness of mind will suggest individually scores of opportunities for doing so; largely in little ways but these in the aggregate make up to a great deal. Co-operate to the utmost possible extent with your district Primary Production Council, both, in the heeding of requests made and in the providing of information asked for. Answer to the best ability special calls such as this week's for the early drafting of fat lambs and the previous one for the greatest possible production of pigs carried on to baconer weights. Farms must be maintained in essentials, lest production fall in the coming season; but unless an early and considerable increase in production will accrue from improvement works carried out, these should be not proceeded with. Make do so far as possible, and as is sensibly practicable, with materials on hand. liepair rather than renew. Don’t let one sack lie out to rot. Salvage any useful wire about the farm. Save old posts and split these for battens. Put more wool into the bale if possible. Use road transport services as little as possible. Use forethought to avoid rush orders and give, the utmost notice to carriers so they cun work iu the fullest loadings, out and back. ... , „ Do maintain to the highest standing the quality of flocks and herds; do not let this slip, as quality spells efficient production. Such is by no means a full catalogue of all the measures that might' be adopted by any individual farmer who is just carrying on his ordinary production, whereby he may aid the Dominion s war effort. As aforesaid. there is a great need for an awareness that there is opportunity to help. I feel sure than the call-will not go unanswered.