The Fertiliser Problem

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 16 December 1915, Page 3

The Fertiliser Problem

Reprint from the "Auckland Weekly. News," November 25th, 1915.

1 NEW ZEALAND'S POSITION.

INCREASED DEMANDS.

EFFECT ON PRODUCTION,

Thkre can be little doubt that one of the most important factors in the future development of New Zealand agriculture is an abr.nd.'Mit supply of cheap fertilisers. VVith the great increase in the price of land, the steady advance in the value of farm products, the old methods of farming could -not be continued successfully, ft was quite reasonable to depend- •entirely »P'i:> grass for d^iryin^ when good irrass lfi'irl w.-is only £10 an aero. When" the

>"!:-.!<■. land i' !; se to £20 an acre the financial potion was ;.H.,-c^t!) ( .r dirforcut:-; It was i'-Vira.L^ly pi'..iit:>!)],. to .legend upon native g".".;5.-;L-;i i(..r sheep when wool was the only salable product of 0,,r flu.-ks, but when I'ein^erntion ni.ide the carcase of a sheep «'(• lam!) more valuable than the (hece TOl)tl '[ r'"r* a;-'I i'(.':<-l'Ji- crops became a necessity. ~i The financial mktcss o f farming, as of eve-y of her biisinc:-s. do pom Is upon the proportion of n.-lurn.s in relitmn to the amount of capital in r lS e, and it may to accepted as a fact tha£ fertilisers, in "conjiiiictiun with -ood seeds and cultivation, iy the p)'cdon>::iat!ii« feature, in lifting returns on tin- i-apil.il] invested in land. We have so much accumulated evidence of th- vci'v lar.;'! profit.-; derived fr<, m top drc.--.--.ili- pastures and from manuring all forms of crops that then; is no longer any need to supply arguments in favour of these pnri-diiivs. The main need nowadays for .New Z•• >. 1;:i>(I is io innki' sure of seeur-

ing tor it.io'.f an ever-increasing .supply of fertilisers at a reasonable cost, and to utihso wherever j;o.-.sil.ili; the natural fertiliser ro-ourccs of the country. At the present time tin: hv-products from our fivexm^ works form the gf«atest source <>i our -ionic fertiliser supplies, and the hulk of material i:sed by farmers have to be imperial. That Now Zealanders should depend to airli a largo, extent upon imported fertilisers could only be excused if there was no other way of .securing regular supplier, hut the average high cost of these importations, the disorganisation of the fertiliser markets due to the war, and the iminon.se increase in prices just at a time when the use of fertilisers was ho necessary, shosv* that it is fully time that we should make some change in this class of business and organise it to our own advantage. If it will pay British and Continental manufacturers to take raw material from Pacific islands, carry it across the sr.-as for treatment and bring it back to us over 12.CC0 miles of ocean, it should pay us to Ving it from the islands to our own short 3 and work it up with our own labour.

not only can very large and profitable industries be built up, but that all the various branches of agriculture can be made to benefit. At the present time New Zealand imports nearly-half a million pounds' worth of fertilisers each year, nnd this in itself could keep several fertiliser industries going,, but the use of fertilisers in this country is only just beginning. Not only have we had the use of great areas of virgin land which possessed the accumulated fertility of thousands of years, but up to the present time we. have been following a very simple form of farming, which made but little drain upon the fertility of the soil. Unfortunately the virgin lands of New Zealand have been largely depleted of their natur.il fertility. The Government inquiry into the condition of the pas'ioral runs in Canterbury..and Otago shows that a Jar,'9 proportion "of this naturally-grassed country has been so injured by o\.ci>lucki:ig and injudicious burning that.it has become practically a useless desert, and can only be made productive again by the use of fertilisers and by resowing with hardv grasses. It is also a recognised fact that the millions of acres of forest country in the North Island which during the \>\<t twenty years has been cleared, burnt, and grassed by industrious retllers, does not continue, as some people suppose, to form permanent pasture, but i.'l-adua.lly and surely goes oif in (iu-il:ty ti'ik'ss refertilised. It is estimated that cvc.i ii.-.-t----class bush country pasture hn-es fr >rn 15 to 20 per cent, of its stork-carry:-!.' capacity in from twelve to fifieen yi :r<, av.d aft&r that time, ii not top -'In :>■'d v ■ i'.h suitftole fertilisers, deteriorate- rapidly.

In these two cases alone there i

doubted proof that the i>se 'if fertiliser* in New Zealand must very largely increase in the near future. I'uL the topdressing of South Inland .sheep ruiis and North Island bush farms is by no means the only factor in the in, r>\t.--ed i:se of fertilisers. There are still large area.- of second and third-class arable country in New Zealand which can only l-e brought into use by cultivation and inaiiurinu. In the North Island the gum lands and th<: pumice country arc typical examples.' On both classes of soils excellent results have been won by modern methods, and there are four or five niiliinn acres in the Auckland Province alone which have yet to be brought into use, and tins class of land alone will require enormous amounts of fertilisers yearly.

It can lie readily seen, if one studies the position even casually. Hint where hundredweights of fertilisers have been used in the past there will in' a demand in the future for the same number of tons. New Zealand, instead of importing .L500.C00 worth of fertilisers annually, will require, probably two or three million pounds* worth, so that the importance of making suitable provision for this demand is apparent. To those who have no experience of farming the expenditure of luue sums on fertilisers may seem to be a;i enormous, and crushing tax upon the country. Such., however, is not the case. By judicious methods oi agriculture every pound spent, upon fertilisers can be made to yield two, or more extra in produce. K.xpericsieu has shown that money speni upon manure returns a better interest, than almost anyother form of investment.

r l here- are undoubtedly in this country natural resources of fertilisers in the shape of pho.sphatic rocks. Some deposits of this material aro already worked in Otagn. ' eevcral ;ire known to exi^t j n JSiorlh Auckland and other parts of New Zealand, and there are probably many valuable deposits which have not yet been discovered. Sources of mineral potash have not yet been discovered, but it is by no means impossible that they exist, and .we have certainly potash-bearing inaterials which can be utilised when the fertiliser industry js properly organised. Our nitroger. resources are comparatively large, but remain almost unused for lack of the necessary plant, and we have unusually great deposits of sulphur, which, besides being a fertiliser in itself, is largely used in the manufacture of fertilisers. If New Zealand can utilise iU own native fertilisers and manufacture fertilisers from the raw material known Lo exist in adjacent countries, there is every reason to believe th;il.

Line thing is absolutely certain, and i.iat is, New Zealand ni the (uUire must use an enormously increased amount of manure.' Another tliinir is eoually certain, and thai, is, the increa.-ed use of manures will increase the production of crops and slock out of all proportion to the cojt. This being the case, if, is obvious that fortheir own benefit. New Zealanders fvrti bound l-o secure [c.y She us selves ',!,« necessary supplies <~.f !eiiili:;ers. and the mori thoroughly and completely they organise j ins- this purpose the better will it be for I Pi! COlHTHied. l flpV".rrrT!*TT*7I?-r","""'"rT^T:'"';T* ~r"rT'"*"*>tt'-»'(''TV-" piyj T—n-tT-.r*""'* -^"•wi»' '>t'*bi :i!l.';i!a.7fei^i^i:i,k^^>.vi...^Vt.-.^.^Sra/ji^^^maJ^EM^^

Full Prospectus, New Zealand Farmers' Fertiliser Co., Ltd., will be posted on application to office of Company, 41 Brunswick Buildings, Queen Street, Auckland. '