The Southland Times. FRIDAY, JULY 12, 1867.

Southland Times, Issue 695, 12 July 1867, Page 2

The Southland Times. FRIDAY, JULY 12, 1867.

Ix a previous "article on "Agricultural i Expansion," we endeavored to show that ! the time 'had ± come when the ? r farming : community shbiild do •Something v more ithan sow and reap, tonensure (success and ; ultimate prosperity. .''."''.The views, .we then : advanced have been strengthened by : recent advices from Britain and. the < ; neighboring colonies. The :: subject of ( grain exportation to Eurdjteis now com- ' jmanding much attention in Victoria, and :the recent <news -from 7 home as to the 1 existing, state of -its : grain markets has given an impetus to the export movement of a most healthy character. In every, quarter evidence is being accumulated of 'the capability of the colonies opening up a most profitable produce trade with England. In fact, "it"' is now almost a doubt that the Australian 'colonies can calculate upon finding a \ profitable market for all they can 3upply i for many years io.come/' ; June, in an article upon this subject, alluding to the market repprts— and a leading "article highly, favorable to the | importation of colonial gram, , in, ;of the" 6 probable higE prices likely to be ; obtained for sound ~wheat for some time, . ; sa y S ._^.« An American correspondent of jthe same journal (Mark Lane Express,") 'writing from ; Kansas; supplies 'further 'information of an interesting character ; ibut it is necessary^to remember that "his iremarks vMer- only to a ' comparatively limited portion of the States; 'With; ;flour, (says this authority) 'at 16 dollars iper- barrel, and best wheat ranging over S3 dollars per bushel, the wheat prospects for the eniuiig season mv.st be a mattw

of interest to all parties here, and it may be with your readers also. As far, however, as Kansas is concerned, the crop of fall wheat for 1867 must be very small. A raid of grasshoppers or locusts arrived here in the autumn, just as seeding time was over, and destroyed the whole of the wheat in this State, and went East twenty or forty miles over the line, into Missouri. The destruction was total— not a blade left •in one hundred miles. "' However, a few patches were resown in early winter; but it is impossible to conjecture, with any semblance of truth, what it may come to. The whole face of the country is filled with their larvae or eggs ; therefore' if they duly mature, the whole .country hereabouts is doomed. After ten years' experience I have come to the conclusion that wheat-growing in Kansas is an uncertain business, notwithstanding new lands or cheap lands. The rust, freezing out, the fly, and storms of a semi-tropical character about harvest time, are some of the unfortunate peculiarities of climate. These negatives put the aggregate average below ten bushels per acre. The fact is, the whole of this western prairie "region is, in one word, unfriendly to the growth of wheat. The adamantine winters are too terrible for its existence without a covering of snow — that is, winter wheat. This important fact will soon be established.' This in-; telligence, coupled with private advices, had the effect of raising the price of wheat in Victoria, South Australia, and Tasmania, the demand for export, although late in the season, being sufficiently extensive to give stability to the market, and remove the" doubts that had risen as to the possibility of finding an outlet for the suvplus stoekthat it was ascertained had accumulated in' Australia, and many of the provinces of New Zealand.. It is evident that the low price that is now being given for farm -produce in Southland, is calculated: to deaden the energies of the agriculturists^ of the province,^ and probably contract .thief sowing operations of the season. It is.; to be ! hoped? fthafc such will hot be; the xase — there is no iegetimat§:iijaus"e'..\^or!.''cteßpondency. The ball is at our foot, but the ; difficulty is to keep it rolling.' The ' average crops of the Agricultural districts of this province are more than double those of the Australian colonies. It cannot be denied that "New Zealand I grain to be fit for exportation, requires greater care in preparation than that of Australia. The humidity of the climate is highly detrimental to preservation, and in order to place a good article on the Home Market, kiln-drying is almost indispensible; On this subject we cannot more forcibly express our views than by quoting from a writer in the " Canterbury Times," (Mr Mookhottse.) He sa yg : — "If we determine- to try the • EnglisK, market we ought to adopt every security that the export of what might eventually.- -be -a great 'export— be— not destroyed in its -infancy v by' injudicious handling., In-fact, "the 7 greatest possibl© care-should be taken to guard the credit of. the Province as a wheat exporting country. This is best to be done by establishing ' a company • > with :- ; "sufficient capital and "■ mercantile. rscredit to undertake the. 'entire responsibility of preparing, shipping, and stowing the wheat." 3?ew will question the results to the farmer of such an organisation. It is patent that farming in Southland will payj and pay better than in any other province of New Zealand, or the Australian Colonies ; provided that internal communication can be .secured, .-an^ commercial enterprise' enlisted, to facilitate the shipment. to a- distant market of farm ; produce. The above writer, in advocating ; the .formation of- a company-' to this end, ! urges strongly the necessity of a season;ing of all- wheat intended, forexportation. The article is ably written, and we understand that Mr. Moobhotjse has lett no stone unturned to obtain the -fullest information, possible on the question. "We again quote : — " Fifty or mor,e, plans are. in existence for drying- and cooling wheat in a very short time/and I am well assured that the expense pf putting the wheat through the process would' not be more than 3d-'per bushel. ■ Further, that one establishment/ costing, I am told, aboiit £10,000, wPP-ld^silyi, ae4 WW

very little labor, prepare 500,000 "bushels in the season of four months. Taking the very low average of twenty bushels the acre, this would dispose of 25,000 acres of crop. The export of 500,000 bushels or 62,500 quarters, would not be felt as a very serious material increase to the supply of the -"London market ; but it would be a very great fact, for the Canterbury farmer." Taking this as a fair estimate ; by the I establishment of a Grain Exporting, Company with half the specified capital, ! the Southland farmer could calculate with almost a certainty upon obtaining for ; his" wheat" at least twenty-five per cent, more than he can now get. Taking a low average, sound grain will command a sale in London that will leave the grower at least five and sixpence per bushel, deducting all .costs of freight, commissions, and the three-pence .estimated as the cost ' of drying, while at the present time four shillings a bushel is about the highest price obtainable, - - It is as much on commercial enterprise as agricultural industry that the future of the Province depends. Let the two classes co-operate to make united industry an institution ; and thousands of immigrants from the home country would at once find profitable employment; the expenses of living would be largely diminished, while the producer would reap a deserved reward for his persevering labors. Is there not sufficient capital or enterprise in this Province to form an association of the class to which ; we have aMded? Is it not possible to form a grain exporting company, with say £5,000 capital in £5 shares ? We think it is. If the project was taken up with the spirit that is being evinced in Canterbury, by both the producing and trading , community, success must follow. The cooperative organisation should not be confined to" grain. ..' We , cannot more strongly -advocate.- the course mg believe should be/pursued inSouthlandthanby endorsingtheremarksofthe aboye-mentione.d writer, believing them to be applicable to the province. He says :— "^We are now growing', and' are for many" y%ai"3 likely to grow, more .than we caii : consume ; that we'^are, in fact; henceforth map^y;- dependent p;n [exportation// and .that if the whole Province, merchants,, bankers, squatters, farmers, shopkeepers, artizans, and laborers do not help to' Organise a plan for. the -safe launching Vof young exports, the growth of these exports will fail, and. stagnation and poverty. . follow as a matter of course. Can we; not see in every ship's manifest of cargo .from England, cheese, bacon, hams, and occasionally even butter, to, say nothing of malt liquors, and. . a dozen comJ modities we ought to r be producing for ourselves? Surely . it is impossible not to deduce from such facts the_^conclusion that it' m high 'tame " we bestirred ourselves. If we all contribute a little -toward s.sjo me; s(jheme_siiniLar Liuits. jcope^ and purposes to'^the one I have hurriedly sketched, each one' will -be coiisultirigi his : own benefit" .■:, .'■':. l J^l ; .':..-' •.'■_