PER-COW PROFIT

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 273, 13 July 1932, Page 2

PER-COW PROFIT

LORD BLEDISLOE CONTINUES TO CARRY CHEER TO FARMERS. WATCHING PRODUCTION. His Excelleney, the Governor-Gene-ral, has been doing his best to spread the cheer germ among the farmers of the Dominion recently. While in Te Aroha a short time ago he congratulated the farmers not only on the land ! with its unlimited potentialities but on their eourage. It gladdened his heart to hear words of eourage and determination which would inspire all farmers during these difficult times of stress and bad trade prices. He (Lord Bledisloe) had learrit as much from the farmers as the farmers could learn from him. An interchange of views was of enormous value in tim'es like the present. Whereas the average output of butter-fat per cow in New Zealand was only 1801b, in Te Aroha and right away to Hamilton and beyond farmers as a result of top-dress-ing were getting not 180|b per cow, but upwards of 3001b and even now were making a good living out of dairy farming. Reduced overhead charges and the application of science were 'enabling the farmers to win- a margin of profit for themselves. ( Nothing to Fear. He was surprised and delighted to find what the land in this country was caprible of and as long as kriowledge, experience and science were brought to bear there was nothing to fear. Not much profit was being made to-day, he was afraid, but he was full of optimism and if the farmers maintained their cbeerfulness and followed practices that have proved successful in the past, always loolring to the scientist as long as he could show the value of his theories in pounds, shilling'S and pence, the future was assured. He had heard a farmer say that he used as much fertiliser as he could but there was the law of diminishing returns. There was a point beyond Which increased returns Were obtained at too high a cost. Lord feledisloe referred to the danger of ari excessive use of nitrogenous fertiliser which gave results so good that the balance in soil treatment was apt to be lost. He emphasised the need of combining the use of nitrogen with superphosphate, potasli and lime.