AGRICULTURE IN NEW ZEALAND.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue 77, 27 May 1881, Page 3

AGRICULTURE I N NEW ZEALAND.

i Mr Dow, of the Melbourne Leader, made the following remarks on agri,<rt»Wwf4tt New-Zealand at a lecture delivered at the Agricultural and Pastoral Association, Christchurch, tWJently: t" Coming tip New iiea-

up vu mo uimng my more t.iau two months' tour ijMhexsyl,qn.y A ia of the most^ favourable character. I am suEpiisoti/atUhe productiveness of the soil, the high yield* of grain, and the luxuriance of 'th> artificinl grasees and rooi crops. Your average of corn is double that of some parts of Australia and three times that of other parts. This olone would be an immense ad vantau«, but thevaluo of Uio root crops and artificial grasses is of even more importance. The system of farmiqg adopted, like that of all new countries, is no doubt defective from a scientific point of view, but it is on the whole, better amd less exhaustive than that of Australia, the.*l4mate,,admjttwg ; of a better rotation and moire frequent resting in pasture. W© hay« seen how South Australia is benefitted by having its agricultural lands near the sea board. This is a point in regard to which New Zealand is fortunately situated. There is such, an extensive coastline that no part of the land is more than 100 mile 9 from the sea. This, when farm produce is - concerned, is an almost incalculable benefit. The wheat lands of America are from 1000 to 1500 miles inland.J which more than , counterbalances the shortcomings of the voyage across, the Atlantic. With a greatly higher yield than America, and almost double the average yield, the colony should not fear American competition, while in comparison with England, New Zealand has ail the productiveness without tbe drawbacks of involving the loss of harvest and necessitating the expenditure of housing and attending to stock. No country ia the world has so many natural advantages as New Zealand for becoming an exporter of farm produce, and farming must in future be carried on with a few to an export trade. Action will be necessary, however, to take advantage of these favorable circumstances. The State must run the railways in a manner to develop agriculture. If a high rate of freight is charged on form produce, it will not be grown, and the railways will not pay ; but if the products nf the soil are carried at a cheap rate, the farmers will have money to spend in employing the railways. If the lowest Australian or New Zealand rates were charged in America, it would cost from 3s Cd to 5s per bushel to carry wheat from vJhidago to HeW Fork ; but the lines are worked upon business principles, and wheaj, is carried over the 1100 miles, from Chicago to New York for 3d per bushel Our railways must carry farm produce at whatever rate the farmer can afford to give, and the sooner the Government or the colonies learn this lesson, the better for all concerned. The mei chants of midclimen have a duty to perform a! so, they must be content with moderate commissions, and they should find the best markets for our produce^ Adelaide farmers have been getting l , ffam 2d to ,3d per 'bushel more for their wheat this year than Welbournefarmerß,owing,l believe. to the fact that a longer experience in Ihe exporting business has given superior knowledge to the South Australian shippers. Snch is the importance of the duties'wkick the mercantile class has to perform in regard to agriculture. The duties of the farmers themselves are too numerous to mention, but I may refer to the dairying industry* It is necessary in order to establish an export trade in dairy produce* that large quantities of butter and cheese of an even or equal sample should be available, and in order to meet this demand cheese and butter factories should be established. In

thex working of factories there is a great saying of labor, and what is of greater importance, an even sample ia-pjoduced. The climate of New Zealand-is eminently suited for dairy* ing,. a f nd ( being at the antipodes, our produce could be landed in England in the. dear season. The freezing process will, no donbt, be a great benefit, through relieving the meat market, but if we establish factories ana" send fresh butter to England, it may in this way be a source of even greater-wealth to the Colonies. With rich soil, a genial climate, and other natural advantages, it only requires intelligent enterprise on the part of the people to make New Zealand a great and p^osporcHis country.