Supplies Wheat.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 26 April 1915, Page 3

Supplies Wheat.

INCREASED SOWINGS HERE A short statement about the prospective supply of wheat lor New Zealand Jiext season was made to a Dominion reporter by t*ie Prime Minister (the Right Hon. AV. !•'. Massey.) "1 am of opinion that there will be a sufficient area of wheat grown in this country during tlio coining season to supply the requirements of the. Dominion," said Mr Massey. "There are numbers of farmers who have suitable land for the purpose, and who iwssess the necessary plant in the way of im- ; plements and machinery. Many of these will increase the area which they aro in the ha'bit of planting in wheat, and others who have for some years given up the growing of cereals will revert ' to tlicir former custom of using part ' of their land for the production of - wheat and oats. And they will do s<l I for two 'reasons. Because at a period - like' tin's it is a duty tliey owe to the l " Empire to assist in increasing the EmII pile's food supply, and also because I it appears now tliat the growing of rt cereal crops will be profitable for .some II years to come.

"It is quite certain that while tho war last* there will be a very serious falling off in the quantity of wheat produced in European countries, and it has to he remarked that "Europe under normal conditions produces more wheat than all the resf of the world. The American visible .supply is lower than it has been for years past. As against these facts a larger area than visual is being grown in America, and as they are having a good seed-time in Australia for autumn-sown wheat, and a« after the recent drought the land must he in particularly good order for cropping, our neighbours have reason to expect a satisfactory Harvest. But taking all the indications into cowsidera tion, the probability is "that while prices will be lower than they arc now there, in no branch of agriculture that will pay the farmer who has suitaT/le land better than wheat-growing for the next two or three yeans. • •