CHEAPER FERTILISERS

Hokitika Guardian, 19 October 1931, Page 2

CHEAPER FERTILISERS

MATTER OF NATIONAL MOMENT. VIEWS OF DR 11. E. ANNI3TT. “The reduction in the pr ce of superphosphate is a matter of national moment,” stated Dr H. E. An-nett, agriculturist scientist. Superphosphate, he added, was the mainstay of the New Zealand farmer to-day. Our soils could not do without it. No matter what the virtues of other fertilisers, superphosphate came first in the Dom nion s needs. Dr Annett thinks (it particularly important that the Government shourd have recognised this. There was evidence in the pastures this year of the falling off in the use ol fertilisers, and it was a pity the reduction had not come earlier, because the present had been one of the most backward springs on record. The reduction brought the price in New Zealand lower than phosphates were sold for in Britain. The reduction would also have an important effect in lessening the use of slag and mineral phosphates. The price of super was now at such a stage that the farmer would not be tempted to use the lesseffective mineral phosphates and slag. It was also important ill that the lesser use of these latter two fertilisers would mean the expenditure of additional capital within the Empire, as the mineral phosphates and slag came from North African countries, which gave nothing to New Zealand in return for the money spent with them. The Dominion annually took something like 80,000 or 90,000 tons of these fofe’gn products. Had the farmers of this country spent this money on super, it was highly probable that with the increased turnover the manufacturers would have been able to reduce the cost of super before now. 'Super was quite the best phosphatic manure for New Zealand soils, because apart from the Government experiments, which showed this to be the case, it was also soluble in water and effected growth quicker than ■either slag «r inineral phosphate. This also had been shown quite definitely. Lime, said Dr Annett, was also coming .down in price and there was every prospect in the near future of a fall in the price of nitrogenous fertilisers. The fall in super had also brought down the cost of ammoniated super, which should go still lower. It was gratifying to know that Britain’s departure from the gold standard had resulted in the cancellation of heavy, orders of fertilisers from foreign countries and would mean instead keeping the money in the Empire.