Farming Column

Hokitika Guardian, 24 December 1932, Page 8

Farming Column

FARMING NOTES

LEGISLATION BY PARLIAMENT

There will be a mass meeting of the farming interests in Wellington on January 17 to offer helpful suggestions to the Government to tide over the economic storm raging throughout the Dominion. An endeavour is boing made to get the following speakers to address the meeting;—-Sir William. D.

Hunt and Messrs W. J; Poison, M.P.,

D. Jones, D. Fulton, J. Begg,, and W. M<achm. Tile farming • community is

by no. means satisfied with the results of the recent session of Parliament, and this mass meeting has been convened to consider the serious financial plight of our farmers and to offer- helpful suggestions from the farmers aspect of tho economic problem to the Government for incorporation in the legislation proposed bv tbs Government if found practicable.

Six years ago, Mr J. 6. Helyar, the Wellington manager of Messrs Walker and Hall, Sheffield, presented toe "Royal Agricultural Society of New Zealand with a magnificent challenge shield valued at 200 guineas for competition at the annual royal shows in New Zealand. The shield is.awarded each year •to • the exhibitor gaining-the highest aggregate of pointy for all breeds of pure bred; stock. Thi,g year the shield 'has b-en wen toy the Feilding Agricultural High .School with an aggregate of 81 points made up thus: —Red Polls 32 ; Ryclands 26 5. Southdowns 1; Berkshires 4; Tamworths “ and Large Whiter, 10.

A party of about 70 farmers from Bendigo, Victoria, will commence a tour 0 f N ew Zealand on January 17, and will vbsit the main agricultural centres in the North Island. It is a pity that the visitors cannot afford to spend more than one- day in the South Island, for in .Canterbury, Otago and. Southland they would see New Zealand farming at its best. ■ The members of the British party who were here nearly tV e yeans ago considered that the best farming in New Zealand was car, ried on in Southland. /The - New Zealand Tourist Department . will handle the arrangements for the trip, and the Farmers’ Union will help to entertain the visitors in th e centres visited. Thetour will end at Auckland.

Mr K. 7. Holyoake, M.P.-, ‘is a member of the Dominion Executive, and it is reported from Nelson that lie received a decisive “boost” from the Dorn.nion President. W-. Jv Poison M.l’., who paid a., visit to the Motueka electorate.

•At the last Dominion executive meeting n letter wa s read stating that a Japanese wool buyer had been instructed by ■ six firms > n Japan not to’ buy New Zealand wool on account of tire bales being ■ sewn - with twins instead of bqing fastened,with steel slips.. The Japanese, manufacturers complain, that small piece s of twin e are often left in the wool, and that the twine w.ll not take the .dye like wool. At the recent Dominion .executive meeting a resolution was carried advocating a more • economic method of loading Home steamers with. produce. It was pointed out by, delegates that far too many steamers called at the sam e port, to get some, loading, with the consequent result that many cargo 6 teamer s ■ spent about 40 days .011 the N-ew, Zealand coast. The New Zealanu producer had to pay these expenses in the form of freight charges, and n reduction, in these charges could be expected until a more economic method of loading could be evolved. It was resolved to approach both Control Boards and. the ship owners’ allotment committee on the matter.

The British National Union i s organising a tour of Soutli Africa by a party of BritSah farmers. The tour will commence in Capetown on February 27 and will embrace visits to all the historic places including Victoria Falls, and' will terminate • at Capetown on April 21st. The cost of the trip in South , Africa for the seven weeks will b. 3 £l4B 15s. When the cost of the, steamer fare to Capetown is added to this, , plus exchange, and plus passenger tax from New , Zealand, the actual travelling (expenses will fba between £2OO and £3OO, according to class on steamer.

FARM MORTGAGE RELIEF

SHEEPOWNEKS ENDORSE PLAN

The scheme for the relief of mortgagors holding farm lands, which was recently promoted by Mr. G. P. (Jhewings, a runholder in the Southland Lakes District, has been unanimously endorsed by a large meeting of sheepowners at Queenstown, and the action of the Southland Crown Tenants’ Association in accepting tlie itgreoment” a s a bads of adjustment was also endorsed. The scheme, in its amended form. has raised a great deal of interest, and has been disc us ■•■ eel in full by local bodie s and associations.

PROPERTIES TO .STAND ON MERIT.

The proposal, jn its final form, is as follows :

(1) All properties are to stand on their own merits. Tlmt is, where a man has outside his farm, the profits, if any, from the business are not to he placed to the credit of the property. (2) The farmers nrp to keep adequate books. (This is now compulsory for taxation). (3) Where the books iskruv that (lie properties have not been able'to pay rater., intermit. taxo.;. etc.. whereat

before the depression they were able to -do so, the arrears of rates, interest, etc., are ’to be. cancelled. (Private mortgagees a r e already doing this in s-ome cases.)

(4) \7nen making calculations, 'sufficient working expenses and living expense g are to be allowed, so that the farni will be kept up to its full production. The balance, if any, is t f be d vided pro jata between the interest bearing moneys, rates, taxes, etc., up to the amount owing. (5) Where interest has been collected by the banks on stock and chattel in J where th? mortgagee- has received no interest, the interest so received by the bank' i,s to bp placed to thp credit of the mortgagor in a special account to provide working capital. (6) The interest collected by stock and- station agents on stock and chattel securities :« to come unde r the provisions of Paragraph 5. (7) Interest charged on money for necessary’ goods supplied in the interests of production is to bo paid in .full. Also all n.*oney for goods supplied is to be paid in full. (This is in .distinction to Paragraph 9.) ,

(9) The above is to apply from the 1929-30 ‘season each year to be taken separately. (9) When prices stabilise a revaluation of all land, stock, etc., i fi to bo undertaken, and the mortgages are to be adjusted to the new valuations. Berts are a 1 so to be readjusted. (10) No improvements involving crp’tol expen-lturo are to be undertaken without -the consent of the mortgagee. The. mortgagor's guarantee, in .return, for the concessions contained in the agreement is r>s follows.; . “We on our- part agree to do our utmost to keep up production to the present ,standard, and to increase it if p"ssib]e; to keep our properties and stock in good order, and in no way

to jeopardise. >any of our mortgagees .securities.”. ' <

GREEN CROPS FOR SILAGE

WHEN TO CUT THE MATERIAL

Green crops to be preserved as silage should he cut .ivhile still succulent, and well supplied with live and active cells, and to- ensure a good “cure” the, cut material should he put into the silo or .stock whilst fresh and unwilted, states an Australian paper. The only exceptions to this cutting ,in an early stage, of maturity and rapid transference to the silo occur when dealing with excessively , succulent find watery .plants' such as rape, kale,, cabbages, .etc., which preserve much better if allowed to become more mature, and if some of thchjnoistureis allowed to dty out of them. Of the crops usually, .converted into, silage,.the- .cereals wheat, oats, barley and rye are in tho host stage for cutting from a week to a fortnight after the heads appear, and in this stage, no matter how luxuriant the growth, they usually contain die correct percentage of moisture to make good silage. The cereals can be converted into silage of good quality if cut before the heads appear, but more weight per acre is obtained by waiting, as the. cereals continue to increase in weight until. about three or four weeks after full blocm, although from then inwards a continuous loss takes place until maturity is reached. The leguminous crops—peas and beans—should be cut, wyhen the bottom leavfes are commencing: to go yellow, and when the seeds are about full size, but still soft. Lucerne, -clovers and similar plants should have passed the period of full bloom before being cut, as they are liable to be too succulent if cut sooner. Maize, sorghum and Sudan grass are usually allowed to stand until the bottom leaves begin drying before cutting for. silage; and in the case of maize, the grains should still he doughy, although their skins are glazed. Sunflowers should he showing colour in most of the flower lsoads her, fore cutting. Grasses should be well out in bead if the best silage is to be mode from them.

Immature growth of most crops tends to make silage which is soft and mushy, and it is usually necessat v to wilt it to some extent before carting, or to mix it with over-dry material of some kind. Over-mature crops aip usually much too dry to make gcod silage, and if to he used should be moistened with water whilst being put in the silo or stack, and more weight should be used than for material cut at lire right stage.