ODD MENTION

Shannon News, 13 January 1928, Page 4

ODD MENTION

Pars From Other Parts Bain Wanted, The Lower Waikato district is feeling the present drought conditions, the landscape is a colour-tone of Jbrowns and yellows, and the opinion of farmers is that the dairy herds will also be dry before long, that Is, unless rain (and heavy rain at that) does no£ come soon. The hay crops have been light. There are few root crops, and the outlook for winter feed is not bright. At the moment there is a distinctive prospect of farmers having a setback, one which may reflect on the unemployment probJem next winter. Breaking tho Bank. Hauraki Plains farmers literally "broke the bank" at Ngatea one day last week, writes a Ngatea correspondent. Following a favourable season's dairying the demand for cash withdrawals at the Ngatea branch of the Bank of New Zealand exceeded the supply of coin brought from Thames for the purpose. The bank was forced to declare its inability at the time to satisfy its clients owing to a temporary shortage of funds. Still More Wool. A total of 13,668 bales of Wairarapa wool has been railed from,the Masterton railway station to Wellington so far this season as compared with 12,S4B bales for the whole of lost season. This represents an increase of 684 bales and-it is expected that at least another 1,500 will be consigned before the New Zealand selling season is over.

On Tho Move. Large flocks of sheep are now on the roads leading from Poverty Bay. So far this season there have not been very large numbers on the move, but the southward trek has now started, while this week the first of the big lines are being sent northwards. Farmers are engaged in culling, dipping and weaning ready for delivery at the end of January or the beginning of February, so that shortly the roads should be carrying laTge mobs of sheep and a busy season for the drovers is expected. At the end of see Argentine butter on its first trial, erty Bay sheep on the road Southwards, one of wethers going to Taihape, while 2000 four-tooth were "bound for Hawke's Bay. A start to drive 12,000 breeding ewes to the Waikato was made at the week-end, this line to be divided into three lots for the convenience of droving and feeding on the way. Approximately 100,000 sheep went from Poverty Bay to Lyttelton last season, and it is stated that an outlet must be found somewhere for the sheep, the South Island will receive a fairly large share before tho season closes, although there will not be nearly so many sent as were shipped last season. Already several lots have been sold to Southern buyers. What Do You Say? "I don't see how we farmers can expect to make pig-raising pay us until we can reduce the production costs," was the rather startling statement of a Waikato farmer who is visiting Auckland. He went on to say that the production costs would have to be reduced to threepence halfpenny. Other farmers on hearing this sweeping assertion at once sat up and wanted more details. "Well," he said, "I have been looking a little more closely into the raising and marketing proposition, and in the course of my inquiries in many different places I got a good deal of information. For instance, how many exportable pigs are produced in this country' annually? You perhaps couldn't guess within 10,000 or so. Well, I find it is in the neighbourhood of 350.000. Go ahead and reckon up how much per pig that £30,000 the Government proposes to give us as a subsidy oh export will be. Why, it's ridiculously small; but we must accept it as a step to better things. But can we even make the business pay with this subsidy? I don't know." : 'II Still Suffeflnff. Some interesting observations concerning the farming industry in ngland were made to a representative of the Wangunui Chronicle by Mr N. Francis who has returned from a visit abroad. "I was disappointed with the appearance of many of the farms in England as seen from the train," he said. "There is much evidence of want of repairs to fences, ditches, buildings, and renewal of pastures. The farming industry has, and still is, suffering from post-war boom, as has been the case here. The granting of the freehold by largo landowners to their tenants has also

been in many instances disastrous to the owner. He now has to :pay interest on a mortgage in lieu of a rent, which was usually reduced in a bad year, and desirable improvements previously done by the landlord cannot be afforded by the new owner. The result is that much pasture land looks neglected, and does not carry sufficient live stock or grow enough hay to make it Profitable.

"Much is being done by country agricultural colleges and various research stations to show farmers how the position may be improved, with excellent results, but much more is necessary, and possibly parliamentary assistance before English agricultural life is again prosperous. Sugar Beet. "As a member of the Massey Agricultural College Council," continued Mr Francis, "I was naturally interested in the agricultural research work going on, and visited several institutions in England and Scotland, and also the latest up-to-date beet sugar factory at Carlow, in I Ireland, where Colonel Gibbon, our Chief of Staff here during the war, is a director, and taking a -great '- interest in getting the Irlah farmer to grow, roots for this factory."