Farming Column

Hokitika Guardian, 17 June 1933, Page 8

Farming Column

FARM WORK IN WINTER REPAIRS ANP MAINTENANCE Conditions of farming in New Zealand hardly provide for a regular distribution of work throughout the ytaiy There is a decided pressure at certafn seasons depending on’t'e more or less specialised nature of the activity pursued, but in all classes of farming there are periods when the demands on the farmer’s time are less urgent—when casual jobs which cannot be attended to during the stress and bustle of the profit season can he dealt with according to their particular urgency and the occupier’s o»vn convenience. The winter, more than any other period of the year, provides the most common opportunity in this respect. Of tlie essentially winter jobs, hedging, ditching, making and repairing farm roads, fencing and other matters must receive definite attention if holdings are to he maintained in a state: of complete efficiency. It has been suggested that the attention given to such work is usually a reflection of the economic position of farming and of the individual farmer. Certain it is that years of depression tend to an accumulation of what may conveniently he termed dilapidations. The effect of these on the productivity'o‘f J ’the land may bj small at first, but sooner or later a time, of reckoning' '' wiiV come when the work must be done at much greater cost of the productivity of the laii(l will be permanently lowered. It is a matter of common knowledge that many of the hedges on farm country are in poor condition. It is a frequent experience to see some which are quite worn out and others‘which are deteriorating rapidly. It is not an econo try to neglect the hedges and find after a time that gaps have to hi made up with all sorts ,of makeshift materials which year out in their turn, rll the long run the maintenance of the hedge may be the most economical policy. 4 badly-neglected ledge is not only unsightly and a liability, but also it is difficult and decidedly expensive to reclaim. (

' Many hedges are spoiled by lack ot care in the years after they have teen layered. The young shoots are readily nibbled by stock, and while one side is fadr.ly 1 protected by the ditch it is advisa!n,e to protect the other side for two or three years. Once a good, thick growth has been established the hedge will protect itself. A watch should be kept on the bodge,-so that immediate!steps can be taken against any threat?nedj ! sg}juy&- / , ation by foreign growths and weeds .which.‘often cause rapid deterioration of the more valuable hedge plants. Every endeavour should be made to .promote growth at the bottom of the., hedge, so that it should be wider at the bottom than at the top and have the shape of a capital A.

*■ Though neglect of hedges is bad and often involves increased outlay in the provision of fencing, neglect to ditches is very much worse, causing such deterioration of land that the, yield of arable crops is soon reduced and the quality of grass land is distinctly lowered. No operation is more essential to the improvement of many classes of land tnan draining. Without good drainage, either natural <>»* artificial, good farming is impossible. Where the land is water-logged, manures cannot have their full effect and the soil cannot he brought , into a good physical condition for the growth of crops. Aliy artificial system of drainage requires maintenance if it is to continue to function satisfactorily. Open .ditches, particularly those in fields where cattle are grazing, are very apt to deteriorate particularly whore they are .comparatively shallow, Teycl., or dry in summer. Constantly-flowing streams 'do not block so rapidly a* those that flow only in the winter anu are. almost or completely dry during part of the summer.

Ditches need cleaning out, annually, and where they are shallow and apt to be trodden in by cattle it may be well worth while to consider the erection of a light fence to. keep the cattle from staving in the sides. The sides should not he too straight. The exact anglo will depend on the nature of the j^oil; the stiffer the soil the steeper the sides may be. It is important to keep tlie ditch down to a depth below the outlet of any field pipes. Unless the outlet 0 f pipe drains is kept clear no effective results can be expected. But apart from the question of their suitability for the pipe",outlets the deep open ditch is far more effective than the shallow one. If designed with wisdom and foresight, and maintained in their original condition, such ditches will continue lu give long and efficient service. It is not only the ditches on arable land which should be thoroughly cleaned out each year. Tt is imperative that drains on pasture lard be treated similarly. Although the deterioration in the latter case may he less apparent, it nevertheless exists and if bad drainage is not corrected a chn«ce for the worse will take place in the nature of the herbage and will persist for some time after the drainage defect has been remedied.

o MEAT 'CONSUMPTION. Although figures -are. not available for many countries, there are some striking contrasts in the amount of meat consumed by the inhabitants of the. various countries. Australia and New Zealand consume nearly 2501 b. ol ine.it par fieatj each year, .mainly beef and mutton, and for the Un';te<] Kingdom, the United States and Canada, the quantity is rather h"s« than 1501 b. per head. of wlii.-li pork .accounts fop more than 801 b., and beef for 601 b. in Canada anJ the United States, but beef for 70i'.b., pork for little more than 401 b., and mutton for 30lb. in the United Ki.ng<> ;n - Gennifiy c<at 3 more pork than beef, France more beef ‘than pork, and neither any considerable quantity of mutton, the.ir aggregate consumption of all meats being approximate y 1101 b. and 901 b. per ..head.

FARMERS’ NEWS AND NOTES

World industry (state G a New Zealand Farmers*' Union ci-rcnl r), has now reached the position where our hold on the British, market is more precarious than it was. and although ,we have always enjoyed the sympathy of Ihe Conservative l’artv ni Brita n, which at tii '' moment holds the reins of p°\y.er, it is probably th t, we shall, nob enjoy much tariff goodwill from ibibMir " and manu.favtur'.ng into.est, 3 iii Britain, and they are likely o be ire.inforced by the demands of the British farmer, which are steadily growing more urgent and •articulate.* Apart from that it is only dommon.sense for us,.to -adopt a policy wl‘j b v.|'.lt gradually •distribute our labour and capital into those avenue.'* of -industry where they can be used to the best advantage. We do not favour quotas or' any form of restriction on the quantity of primary produce exported to Great Britain, and we feel certain that if Britain's export,- were made to pay for her imports there would be no further talk of trade restrictions, The following figures taken from the “Economist’’ of October, 1932, show b.ow imperative l it is for Now Zealand to retain the goodwil’ and custom of Groat Britain. A total of 87.7 ’ per •cTit of New'Ze land’s products go to j Great Britain j aksn 49.8 per cent of d fisti'aHit’s ; 43.4 per cent of South Africa’s'and 27.9 per cent of Indfahs. One'of the most important factors -n retaining'" this custom would be for New Zealand to reduce hoc tariffs on firitish ' manufactured goods with the ultimate objective of eliminating them • Altogether ' * x : The recent annual report of the South' Island Dairy .Association drew attention to the unsatisfactory position Irt'-gardirig the . Dominion output of cheese. !,| The North Island had raised iff. percentage of finest cheese .from 12 to 12.4, while the South Island had dropped back from 61£ to 49. •x * -x- * With her more congenial climate fo” forming operations, New Zealand concentrates on her mfl«s production ot dairy produce, mutton and lamb with thd consequent result that such New Zealand produce is put pn the British market at a price lower than that required by the British farmer, international trade, therefore, is inevitable bewcen Great Britain and Now Zealand, and, a e international commerce is only a form lof barte.', the exports of one 'country are used to pay for its imports. If we cut off the • market for imports, we necessarily, ip the longrun, 'cut inff the markets for some exports; in other words, by shutting out foreign goods we must shut .in home goods. ; ' i * * * * fnij-'fi An. English business mafi: recently commented that one of the disabilities under which New Zealand dairy produce was contending as against Danish produce was that of price. New Zealand butter, it was assorted, was being sold on the Home market at 9d per lb., while alongside it, the Danish product was being offered at Is 6d. Th' G disparity of prices was having a powerful psychologic 1 effect on the market and was, instrumental in the diversion of a heavy percentage of the Iloinp demands towards the foreign article.. * -x- * -xWith. her vast iron and ic-oal fields and with her counties*, fa-qtorios and looms. Great Britain extremely well equipped for fipeciqß’sation end mass production o(j many classes of ..manufactured goods, an4Utherefore, can manufacture more cheaply than any of the Dour nioiis. •- On the other hand, Great, Britain imports. 80 per cent of her-wheat and flour, 60 per cent of Tier me't., 89 per cent-of -her butter ■ and 77 per cent of ho.- cheese. ~

-» X- * * In view. •of tlio agitation in forming circles for the development or Eastern markets, the opinion of a Japanese represeiitativ? of an Osaka firm .is worth noting. The (visitor states that Ihe Japanese are opposed to high tariffs and is oh the opinion that, when the ■State of Manchnkao is finally pacified and industrial life resumed, the demand for wool will be m.u,c]i {rreatef. Th<> visitor also considered that a. regular demand could he built, up in J pan for : Xe\v 7ohland butler land cheese. He was also perfectly satisfied that il Japan could acquire a . taste for butter and cheese .so could Manchukuo and China.. The development of the Eastern market,, might more than off-set any red.ncfcl3fi« enforced upon New Zealand •by restrictive influences operating on the Homo market*