Farmers In South America Troubled By Dry Summer

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 968, 10 May 1930, Page 31

Farmers In South America Troubled By Dry Summer

PASTURE SCARCE AND STOCK THIN AND POORLY Continued dry weather, with the resultant shortage of pasture feed, is causing more than a little concern to >astoralists in South America, according to advice received from the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board’* representative in that country, dated at the end of last year. The prospects for beef production then were not too bright, and it was estimated that the percentage of top quality cattle slaughtered would be less than usual. The continued dry burning weather, it is stated, has brought about a scarcity of pasture practically al! over the country, and has caused a large offering of half-finished cattle and sheep to be sent to the local market for disposal at the best price obtainable, to lighten the camps. The news that reaches the capital from the lighter sandy zones of this country 7 is, to say the least, alarming, and" all live stock has had to be moved to other parts of the country where some feed is obtainable. Farmers in different parts of the country are unanimous in recognising the serious situation and the gloomy prospects for the coming winter Relatively little alfalfa hay or silage has been secured, owing to the shortness of the pasture and the little yield owing to the drought. It has to be recognised that in recent years the actu.y water level on many properties of this country is very much lower than formerly. Whereas it was at one period possible to get several crops a year, the alfalfa on many lands has dried up for lack 'of the necessary moisture which has readied a lower level than the plant can reach. The continued cropping and loss <- f tlie original fertility of the rich soil ialso being felt in many of the richest districts and may direct attention to the necessity of a system of rotation of cropping and resting the land in order to maintain its fertility, which has so far received little or no attention in this country. Farmers here crop the land as long as it will yield a payable crop and then it is left to rest for some years and in many cases they nevex even trouble to sow grass seed. Tiiei; short leases and insecurity of tenure do not encourage them to make any improvements. They just take what they can and when no more yield is forthcoming abandon them for some time. Land values are also considerably lower in many parts of the country which have been affected by the drought. The loose sand has done much damage oil many properties which formerly yielded excellent crops of alfalfa, and has covered sown crops to a considerable depth. The crop prospects are not nearly as good as was originally thought, though prices are slightly improving. Owing to the adverse conditions in the camp, best quality fat cattle are difficult to get and values ara fairly well sustained, though the large offering of half-fat cattle lias caused values to decline considerably for freezer and continental grades of beef. Good quality store ancl breeding cattle continue to realise fair prices, but plain quality and thin animals have dropped to very low prices. Many have held on to their cattle on bad ‘camps till they had got so thin that they were scarcely able to walk or be loaded to better districts and when absolutely forced to sell the owners had to take whatever price they could get for thin cattle. There have also been large entries of sheep in the local market and though values have fluctuated according to entries lightweight wethers and wellfinished lambs for export continue to realise satisfactory prices. Though South America’s Christmas beef realised good prices on the Smithfield market, for the reasons stated, it is highly probable that a smaller percentage of top quality cattle will be slaughtered tliif summer than has been the caw icn Tfany years. “USE MORE WOOL” SOME SYDNEY SUGGESTIONS The l committee of tlie Use-More-Wooi Campaign and the Golden Fleece Exhibition has been wrapping its collective head in damp cloths, states the Sydney “Sun,” trying to think up some bright suggestions for making the product of the sheep’s back more popular than the strands woven by cocoon or machine. All manner of sober ideas have been considered, but some notions from a woman which helped to brighten the day are: — (1) Strict prohibition of all silks, cottons and linens from entering or being produced in this country. (2) The widespread production in this country of artificial silks, cottons and linens, same to be manufactured entirely from wool. (3) The refrigeration of houses during winter to promote more cold. (4) The coal strike to be indefinitely prolonged, and a timber strike to be encouraged iu order to withdraw from the people such entirely artificial means of warming themselves. (5) A medical campaign to reinstate such old superstitions as “wool next the skin” and “red woollen petticoats” for rheumatism. (6) A research chair to be endowed at Sydney University to look into the matter of preparing a special hardening skin lotion to enable the people to wear more wool with the minimum amount of discomfort. TAMWORTH PIGS POPULAR IN VICTORIA The recent decision arrived at by members of the Victorian Royal Agricultural Society, the Department of Agriculture, the Fat Stock Salesmen’s Assocaition, and the metropolitan butchers and curers that the most suitable and economical pig to produce under local conditions is the progeny from the Tamworth-Berkshire cross sow mated to the Berkshire boar, is likely to have interesting results. The Tamworth has long been a popular breed in that State, and is likely to be even more so. All the aforementioned bodies consider that this cross will invariably provide a pig which can be well and profitably sold at the porker stage, while in the case of pigs which do not go off the property then the cross is an ideal one to carry on to the bacon stage.