DAIRYING IN FIJI.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4600, 12 September 1923, Page 1

DAIRYING IN FIJI.

(To the Editor.! Sir, —To some minds an. unsound argument is like a red rag to a bull. It arouses a desire to tear the offend-’ ing object to shreds. “Septimus” in your issue of the 7th has this effect on me. May I demonstrate ? Septimus quotes "one of the leading residents of Fiji” as having vindicated him, bu,t admits that this leading resident “does not agree with me regarding the possibilities of dairying in Fiji.” In passing,, I may say I was under the impression that it was precisely in regard to these possibilities that Septimus differed from some other people, for nobody claims that Fiji is now an important dairying country; so that the vindication does not amount to much. However, taking it for what it is worth, let us examine further. Says Septimus : “Fiji is dying for new blood, but new blood doesn’t get a show.” The cry, says he, is “wait.” Again, “the ‘waiters’ are waiting and they don’t want any new ideas.” Now, “a leading resident” has clearly “got a show.” Therefore we may take it he is not new blood, but a “waiter.” And because this (if I may be permitted the expression) leading “waiter” says the time is not opportune for encouraging dairying settlement —which, rendered into Septimese,, is “wait” —Septimus claims vindication for his view that Fiji is no country for dairying! To quote him once more ; “Funny, isn’t it?” I happen to know something about dairying. May I put Septimus right on a small point he appears to have overlooked ? The quality of dairy produce depends upon the nature of the feed (which depends largely on soil, , climate, and cultivation) and upon methods of manufacture. The quantity is what we aim at when improving the breed of our herds. If the quality in Fiji is right (Septimus does not deny it on this occasion), but the output per cow smalll, there is a good prima facie case for improving the herds, even if cattle had to be imported from a country turning out an inferior quality of produce. Regarding prices of “dairying land, ’ there are t,wo possible meanings to that expression, which I may illustrate by asking, what does Septimus when he hears of, for instance, “good banana land” ? Does he picture a nice weedless plot of ground laid out by a bountiful Providence in neat rows of banana plants ? Quite so. Similarly we of the dairying fraternity, when we hear of good dairying land picture nice smooth paddocks of lovely grass land, all pre s pared by that same bountiful Providence, with a few acres here and there of maize for the hot weather and of turnips for the winter, and an automatic haystack that shoots up like a mushroom every Christmas — I don’t think. (I tender my grateful acknowledgment tp Septimus for the expressive phraseology.) In point of fact, “dairying land” in that sense is no more a product of nature than a banana plantation. Any land—almost—can be made into dairying land, of a kind, at a price. But the best of dairying land can be made into cow-an-acre land at a cost of a few pounds per acre, and consequently such land in the rough s worth within a few pounds per acre of — whatever cow-an-acre land is worth (I will not hazard an opinion on that point). But if (a big if) such land is obtainable in Fiji, within coo-ee of a market for butter-fat, at £5 per acre (which is what I, for one, take Mr Marks’ statement to mean), then I say, without fear of contradiction, that it is, to put it mildly, cheap. One more and I have done. Says Sentimus, speaking of making Fiji a great dairying country, “It never can be. - it wasn’t meant to be.” By whom ? Obviously Septimus. L. SHELFORD BIDWELL. Ngatea, September 10, 1923.