SOUTHERN JOTTINGS

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 62, 4 June 1927, Page 22 (Supplement)

SOUTHERN JOTTINGS

MORE PRODUCTION WANTED (From Our Oven Correspondent.) The past week has not been all sunshine, in fact there has been sufficient rain to satisfy any hunger in that direction. In Hawke’s Bay a terrific storm swept the province and the heavy rain that fell will do a vast amount of good. There was also plenty of rain along the west coast and several frosts have combined to make conditions quite wintry. All good farmers, solicitous for the welfare of their stock, have rugged their cows, and with the good feed obtaining no loss of condition has been reported in respect to any of the dairy herds.

Weather conditions, however, are not causing so much anxiety among producers, particularly those in a small way, as the economic position, and those who are conversant with the state of affairs fully agree with Mr. W. Perry, president of the Royal Agricultural Society, when reviewing the past year’s farm operations at Wellington. He said that the urgent financial problem seemed to be to help worthy farmers just on the balance between failure and carrying on, but who have little or no security. For every farmer helped either by the Rural Advances Department or by the Bank of New Zealand, there will be a great many hard-working small farmers unable to raise sixpence. ROOT GROWING This,year the boys and girls’ agricultural clubs inaugurated a senior division for competitors who have left school, and the results have just been announced. In most cases the preparation of the ground and general attention to the crop were good, but the general averages were greatly handicapped by a few badly-cultivated crops and it was noticeable that the work done by those lads, who had for several years taken an active interest in these junior competitions before leaving school, was much superior to that shown by boys with no previous experience of agricultural club work. In mangolds W. Dakers was first, with R. Harding second and L. Symes third. In carrots, R. Wallis was first with 153 points, R. Corbett second with 137£, and B. Taylor 1283, third. MAMAWATU HERD-TESTING The Horowhenua and Ivairanga Herd-testing Associations are doing excellent work and operations are providing owners of herds with much food for thought. An analysis of the fat production statistics are interesting, and the profit-earning cows have put up some good averages, without any sensational records. The robber cows have been revealed and a good deal of culling is going on in consequence. In Horowhenua (Group 1), 3.4 per cent, of the cows gave 50 to 1001 b. of butterfat, 11.1 per cent. 100 to 1501 b., 20.2 150 to 2001 b., 27.7 per cent. 200 to 2501 b., 15.2 per cent. 250 to 3001 b., 11.4 per cent. 300 to 3501 b., 4.1 per cent. 350 to 4001 b., .8 per cent. 400 to 4501 b., .07 per cent. 450 to 5001 b., 0.7 per cent. 5001 b. In Group 2, 7 per cent. 50 to 1001 b., 14 per cent. 100 to 1501 b., 14 percent. 150 to 2001 b., 20 per cent. 200 to 2501 b., 20 per cent. 250 to 3001 b., 19 per cent. 300 to 3501 b., 5 per cent. 350 to 4001 b.. 1 per cent. 400 to 4501 b. In Kairanga 2.2 per cent, of the cows gave 50 to 1001 b. butterfat, 8.3 per cent. 100 to 1501 b., 16.5 per cent. 150 to 2001 b., 24.3 per cent. 200 to 2501 b., 20.1 per cent. 250 to 3001 b., 16.4 per cent. 300 to 3501 b., 6.1 per cent. 350 to 4001 b., 5.5 per cent. 400 to 4501 b, .3 per cent. 450 to 5001 b., .3 per cent. 5001 b. DAIRY PRODUCE VALUES

In most dairy districts there has been a desire for information on the part of dairy factories as to the values of butter and cheese for balance sheet, purposes, and to satisfy secretaries and boards of directors the Dairy Produce Board has provided a statement which will be of interest to all concerned. «,

Creamery Butter. —For gradings to October 31, 1926, final payments have now been made. Gildings from November 1, 1926, to April 30, 1927, can be taken at Is 3d a lb. f.o.b. With regard to gradings from May 1 to .October 31, 1927, it is difficult to give an estimate for this period, but the board considers it safe to take the balance of this season’s gradings (i.e., after April 30) in at Is 4d a lb. f.o.b. Cheese. —Gradings for the season can be valued at approximately 7-id a lb. f.o.b. on ordinary trade- terms, less the usual shrinkage. Whey Butter. —The value of first grade, Is 2d a lb., f.0.b., with second grade Id a lb. low r er. The board expects that it will be realised that the above are estimated values, but it considers they are fairly conservative. MEN LEAVING FARMS POSITION IN AMERICA A serious decline in the farm population of the United States took place in 1926, which recorded the greatest falling-off since 1920. The net movement away from farms during last year was 649,000. All geographical districts showed decreases. The number of persons living on farms in the United States at January 1, 1927, was 27,892,000, compared with 28,541,000 at the beginning of 1926. It is estimated that 2.155.000 persons moved from farms to cities, towns and villages, and that 1,135,000 moved to farms, making a net movement of 1,020,000 away from farms. Births on farms were estimated at 658,000, and deaths 287,000, leaving a net natural increase of 371,000, which reduced the loss due to cityward movement to 649.000. The net loss, distributed geographically through the United States, was: North-eastern, 20,000; Midland Atlantic, 44,000; East North Central, 155,000; West North Central, 145,000: South Atlantic, 221,000; East South Central, 165,000; West South Central, 208.000; Mountain, 35,000; Pacific. 17,000. CHEESE CONSUMPTION Denmark heads the list for consumption of cheese with 121 b. per head of the poulation. The United Kingdom uomes next with 101 b. to 111 b. per head. In Denmark nearly all the cheese used is the produce of the home country, but the greater portion of that used in the United Kingdom is imported from Canada, New Zealand. America, France and Belgium, hardly 3 per cent. I being made within the bounds of the United Kingdom. Only 9 per cent, of the milk produced in the country would bo needed to provide the quantity of cheese required for home consumption.