THE PROSPECTS OF FARMING.

Evening Star, Issue 4154, 20 June 1876, Page 3

THE PROSPECTS OF FARMING.

Some words of wisdom fell from the President of tho Western Farmers' Club (Mr M'lntosh, M.P.C.) at the dinner which followed the Club's annual grain show at Riverton last week. Speaking of the present position and future prospects of agriculture in the Colony,' he is reported by the • Southland News ' to have said : "The prospect just no* was dull, but they should not be discouraged at the low price of pro duce.. In Victoria, in 1847, wheat was not worth anything; in 1848, it was worth 8s 4d a bushel, and other grain in proportion, and a similar thing might shortly happen here. The cause of the depression was that the farmers of the Colony were growing some kinds of.produce in excess of the demand. This fact was beginning to be recognised, and he; thought its effect would be to direct attention towards the cultivation of other crops that would be found to be more profitable. In the Timaru and Oamaru districts, large landholders had, with the aid of paid labor, been growing great quantities of wheat and oats. At present prices that did not,pay. He questioned if grain-growing in New Zealand would ever pay any but those who themselves held the plough—did their own labor. But in their part of New Zealand, they might,.to a great extent, be independent of grain-growing. He was convinced that the worst land in Southland was admirablyadaptedtothegrowth of root crops and not only adapted, but that it could be made fertile by this means. In Victoria, the great difficulty with the farmers was that they had to rely exclusively on grain—it was not possible to follow any rotation, the so ; l being totally unfit for roots. They could only oul tivate the land till it was nearly exhausted and then lay it down to grass. Here, as he had. already said, they not only had the power to fnaintain, but to increase fertility by the growth of root crops; Owing to tbe certainty of a sufficiency of moisture, all roots, particularly the turnip, grew most freely. Ho was satisfied of the wisdom of the farmers turning their attention to root culture, and felt certain that were the Homo market to fail thorn forthe disposal of their beef and mutton, it would pay better to fatten beasts on roots.for taHow, than to grow oats at Is 8d per buflheL A few years ago, New Zealand exported ctoly 39,W hales oi wot>l } a 1875,

she exported 100, OOOmore than that quantity, and in a few years the production could be doubled—nay trebled—by good farming. Thus merely from an agricultural point of view, the future of New Zealand promised to be bright. Aa an evidence of their enterprise and intelligence, he might say that they Had in use implements superior to any to be found in a similar-sized district in Scotland. (Hear, hear). In spite of bad roads, inclement weather, and bad harvests, many who started with but the purchasemoney of their land had steadily plodded on, and had now not only got their farms well stocked, but had also a little money in the bank. This was the result of care and perseverance."