THE UNITY OF EMPIRE FARMING

Hokitika Guardian, 17 September 1928, Page 4

THE UNITY OF EMPIRE FARMING

LESSONS OF THE BRITISH ROYAL SHOW.

(By Gilbert B. Hunter)

'Jlie need for organising, the whole of the industries of the Empire as a singlo unit lias been often and rightly emphasised. Agriculture is the oldest and greatest industry of all, yet little attention has hitherto been paid to the need for organising Empire funning (is a single unit'. Some time ago, a prominent statesman, a man himself skilled in practical farming, made the remarkable prophecy that the future would see us regarding British farming not as an isolated went, but us part of the vast body of Empire farming as a whole. Would it Ibo too sanguine to regard this year’s visit to Britain of n group of farmers from, all parts of the Empire as a first tentative step towards a realisation of that mighty prophecy. Those Empire farmers saw much to interest them and not a little to instruct them during their visit. They saw farms, research stations, docks, factories and in fact everything directly or indirectly concerned with their industry. Perhaps their most remarkable experience, however, was the visit to the Koyal Agricultural Show—the premier Show in Britain and perhaps throughout the world. At the Show they wore the guests at a luncheon given by the great Imperial fertiliser organisation, Messrs Nitram, Ltd. Apart from this memorable reception their visit to the Show grounds afforded them the opportunity of seeing for themselves how British manufacturers cater for the farming industry in all its branches—in all climes.

The implement yard was particu- ' larly interesting as well as instructive, for it reflected the great skill and ingenuity of British engineers. Progress was apparent on all sides; here it was represented by improvements ou old types of machinery, there by entirely new inventions. One exhibit of special note was a ixiultry plucking machine. By means of this ingenious device a fowl con bo cleaned, plucked and the plumage gathered together in less than a minute. This labour saving marvel ought to find a place on all large scale poultry farms. Another notable invention was a pcrta’ole shed or “hail” which had been used for demonstrating the possibility of milking cows by machinery in the open fields. This shelter was fitted with many automatic laboursaving devices, one of which was for feeding concentrates to those cows giving n superior yield. It is claimed that by this method one man and a Jmy can quite easily manage a herd of seventy cows. The group of Empire farmers also saw powerful steam and petrol tractors together with their complementary array of ploughs, cultivators and snbsoilers destined to break in and put to the service of mankind those wide stretches of fertile lands at present practically uncultivated. Another storehouse of profitable lessons on the need for scientific methods in fanning was the stand of the | World’s lhiiry Congress. Here could bo seen machines and gadgets useful and profitable to all people occupied in the milk trade. A novelty was a papier macho tube for the retail distribution of milk. One end of it is dosed bv means of a metallic compress while the other is temporarily covered with waxed seals. Considering that at the present time the British Empire and the world as a. whole [ is concentrating on solving the problem of producing great quantities of pure milk at low cost, the Dairy Pavilion was probably one of the most attractive exhibits. No less instructive than the machinery display was the show of seeds, feeding stuffs and fertilisers. British botanists and chemists were equally as eager as the engineers to demonstrate to farmers how much the prosperity of the agricultural industry depended on a. free and full co-part-nership with science. The stands of the leading seed mer(lmnts and of feeding stuffs manufacturers equally recorded big scientific advances. The fertiliser stands were artistic and attractive. There were tableaux showing the new system of grass land management in progress and also models of the compared returns of fertilised and unfertilised crops.

Reverting now to the luncheon given by Nitram Ltd. to the Empire fanners, we find Lord Melchett (formerly Sir Alfred Mond) laying speoiat emphasis on this question of fertilisers in his speech. He is, of course, head of Imperial Chemical Industries, tho great chemical combine of which Nitram Ltd. is a subsidiary, and lie said:— ‘'The future of Empire agriculture is a problem to which my companies and myself have paid a great deal of attention and thought and I should like to indicate what we are doing and what we proposed to do to further its development. “Imperial Chemical Industries Limited is engaged in developing large scale manufacture of fertilisers and at Billingham is promoting a great new national industry of the utmost Imperial significance. The plant itself is a great triumph of British engineering and expansion on a large scale is taking place progressively. “We are also engaged in devising forms of fertilisers to suit the varying requirements of soils and transport conditions occurring throughout the Empire. Our aspiration is to coj operate with the farmers of the Empire, who supply such a. large and increasing proportion of the food and raw material requirements of Britain, h,v providing them with fertilisers which will make their crop yields larger and more remunerative. “The success of the production on a largo scale of fertilisers depends upon

the agricultural prosperity of tho Em pire, just as the agricultural prosper ity of the Empire depends upon tin application of fertilisers. In order t< achieve this dual object, Imperia Chemical Industries, Ltd., have os tablished a Research Station am: gathered together a staff of research worker, under the direction of Sii Frederick Keeble, F. 8.5., an eminent authority on agricultural questions. The results of the work of this station and staff are at the disposal of the farming communities of the British Isles and the British Empire. “As a link and liaison between the farmers of tho Empire and the headquarters research staff, the services of Lord Bledisloe, who has such an intimate knowledge of the agricultural problems of Britain ami the Empire, are available. Lord Bledisloe is a late Secretary for Agriculture and is himself a practical and experienced agriculturist. We recognise, of course, that the building up of an agricultural organisation in all parts of the Empire must of necessity lie a slow and laborious process. Our aim is to study and provide for the needs of all. The research staff must therefore be representative of the Empire, because for advice in agricultural matters to he of economic value, it must he specific and not general “Wo contemplate the creation of a great edifice which should he both serviceable and enduring, It is natural there fora that we shall start mir

structure in the British Isles, but throughout wo shall have before our eyes Hie needs of the Empire. One of our first steps will be to establish a British agricultural association in onler to apply the new principles of grass land management and of applying fertilisers in relation to crop rotations in this country. That association will gradually be extended to other parts of the Empire. “I have perhaps under-estimated the Empire significance and services of our organisation. Already in Australia, wo have a productive capacity and at the present moment a speciafl mission studying the agricultural problems and production in that counSouth Africa too wo have an associated company which produces fertilisers arranges their sales and distribution, and is in close touch with the ever incrcasiig range of agricultural problems of that great Continent. In try.

“Very fruitful results have already been obtained in this country. I hope that our guests will visit the demonstrations of the now syslem of grassland management which are being given in different parts of the country. They will thus have the opportunity of judging for themselves on the results which have already been achieved. Modern commerce applied to the most ancient and the largest of all industries will restore prosperity to agriculture and plenty to the peoples of the Empire."