Rangitikei Advocate. MONDAY, MAY 31, 1909. EDITORIAL NOTES.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9459, 31 May 1909, Page 4

Rangitikei Advocate. MONDAY, MAY 31, 1909. EDITORIAL NOTES.

THERE is a general opinion In New Zealand in favonr of close settlement and small holdings, bnfc the question is very rarely discussed whether small or large holdings are the more profitable. If it should be ■that large holdings produce the better return for the capital and labour employed it is clear that the attempt to produce a class of small landowners must, in the long run, prove a failure because opposed to the economic conditions. Small holdings are generally defended in this country because by their means the laud is made to carry a larger population, but it by no means follows that large holdings properly cultivated would not require just as many workers on the land and also produce better results from the point of view of production. rate the question cannot be settled off hand, and is a fair-subject for discussion, though it may be that the data in New Zealand are .not accurately enough known to enable a decision to be arrived, at. -An English writer on the subject says “We want to know more definitely whether science, as it advances, will be more favourable to the large or the small farmer. It has been almost an axiom of the scientific school in the past'that improvements in machinery are all on the side of the larger scale. Supposing a chance of a clean slate were given, their advice would be : Level your hedges, use steam or motor tackle, reduce labour, deal wholesale, and make a certainty of heavy - crops by using artificial manure on analysed soils. Considerable success has been made in Hertfordshire and Gloucestershire by growing wheat year after year on the same ground without the use of animal manure on farms on which everything was laid out for this harvest. In Hungary farms exist of such size that they support their own sngar-making factories, even their own railways; and the central organisation has made an equal success of the economic working of the farm and the wholesale marketing of its produce. Professor Wilson, who speaks for a wide circle, argues that the ideal policy in the country is a succession of big farms so highly farmed that ample wages may be paid; and’.unquestionably, it the labourers were well housed and had sufficient gardens a happy and healthy community would be established ont hese lines. Even as things are in England the villaga communities may compare in prosperity with the people on any soil—with the Danish or French peasant proprietors.” This is the oase for the large farm; but the profits made by large farmers in I England are not such as to give very much support to the theory that the holders of large areas are ranch to be envied. The enormous importations of food stuffs into - Britain show that there is plenty of scope for increased production and the fact that.countries like Belgium and Denmark oarry far more live stock per acre than England show that the high farming of the English farmer oannot produce results as is done by the small holder of other countries. Another evidence in favour oL really intensive onltnxe is that in Britain, where it is not always easy to obtain a small’area of lend, the number of market gardens has increased very rapidly in the last few years. In 1875 88,957 acres were given np to market gardening. In 1894 this area had increased to 88,310, and the rate of increase has been continued to the present. The poultry industry grows yet more rapidly, and by next Michaelmas some 50,000 additional acres will be under small holdings; and they will .affect the supply of stock more than the supply of grain and vegetables. Thus it wonld seem that in" Britain small cultivators are beginning to make headway, and the authorities who have held that large farms are the - most economical are proving wrong, probably becanae they have not taken she'personal element in farming into account to a sufficient extent. It does not} follow that conclusions which apply to Britain will hold good in New Zealand, especially as|in many parts of the oonntry farming in the true sense is not practised. As time goes on, however, the plough will have to be used more largely and it would be well if those who have to deal with lands for settlement had some accurate idea as to what area of land is most suitable for a farm under the conditions that exist from time to time. We believe that as knowledge of scientific tillage of the laud becomes more widespread it will be found th?t a good living can be made off areas which would now be'considered far too small.

APPARENTLY Sir Joseph Ward has discovered that there will ha no opposition to his visiting England

for the proposed Conference on Defence, bat he is silent as to what will be done doling his absence. This is the point of real interest, and it can only be decided when "we know how many of Sir Joseph’s followers believe that it is impossible to carry on the business of the country during his absence. The Opposition naturally do not regard Sir Joseph Ward’s presence as indispauaible, but aa Opposition memners are in the minoxityrthe question will have to be decided by the party in power. The discussion on this point will be, interesting, but it is- doubtful whether the public will hear anything of it but the final result.