WHEAT GROWING.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 29, 12 August 1871, Page 7

WHEAT GROWING.

(to THE EDITOR OP THE NEW ZEALAND MAIL.) Sir, — I enclose you an article extracted from the “ South Australian Register” bearing upon the production of wheat in that colony, which probably may not be without interest to many of your readers. After reading it, probably the inquiry will suggest itself how it happens that in South Australia, with average crops of twelve to fourteen bushels per acre, wheat can be grown at a cost upon the ground of 2s per bushel, while here, with double the average yield, it cannot be, or at any rate is not, grown for double the price ? Doubtless some of this difference is due to the fact that the dry climate of South Australia permits the use of a description of reaping machine not adapted to the climate of this province. But this reason will not altogether suffice, as the reaping machine of England, if not quite as economical, is in some respects superior to that of South Australia. Probably the true cause of the difference is that reaping machines are almost, if not entirely, unknown in this province. It follows, therefore, that if we would place ourselves on a level with South Australia (and I may add with Otago and Canterbury) reaping machines must be generally employed. In these days manual labor cannot compete with machinery.. Our farmers must either employ machiuery, 1 or be driven out of the market. If the farmers settled in various agricultural localities would only unite, with a view to introducing and employing reaping machines, this province would soon cease to import wheat, and would produce surplus stoi’es available for other markets —I am, &c, G-. M. Waterhouse.