FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVIII, Issue 81916, 10 January 1907, Page 3

FARM AND DAIRY.

CULTIVATION. [Jiy Agricola.] Coiisiili'viii-4 tin- ■.'!■(■«t. sti-iili'rt made during the past decade with tin- dairy I industry it is ii surprising fact (.hut

very little land cultivation id going mi I son I'm- this. Ivl, us try to put our tlminli on Hi.- causes. \V.- will take Southern T-.ir.niuki. because thllt is till' llllil 01' rowdolll. A dozen (»■ fif-eeu years ago the laud ill those paris was utilised mostly by in}? industrv had not started in rcai earnest, iln- liiml ut thiit tini.- was.

amongst Hit' finest pasturage luml in the word, was valued at from .ClO to X.2U per ni-r.'.. ami was slocked for the greater part with cattle that eveiitually was falteiu-d into beef to he expiated as frozen meat. At that tin,.- the land was not called upon to carry the heavy burden it now has to bear under the altered conditions brought about by dairying. Just the number of beefs the pastures could carry were kept on all the year round. \ cry little winter fodder was necessary as the grass was never allowed to be eaten olf bare nnd the cattle came through the harsh months! oi the year in good condition. Much ot the goodness that came out of! the land was returned in the form of immure from the cattle. Any practical farmers knows that cattle that are being fattened and do not produce milk will not take from the land a third of what is taken by milking cows. The latter have to produce milk and butter fat and the droppings from the milk cow have very little il any, manuring qualities.

As the industry advanced the attention of farmers and others was directed to it owing to the good prices obtaining with the consequence that the holdings were cut up and people tumbled over each other to take up land no matter what the cost, until now a-days dairying farms have advanced to a point far in excess of their true value. The consequence is that the holders of these farms have to try wid make both ends meet, and the land is called upon to carry about twice the number of beasts as was formerly the case.

Anyone acquainted with the pastures of ten years ago can see a vast change now In the summer months of a decade ago grass grew so prolifiely that cattle could scarcely be seen when lying down. The grass was not rank but sweet and succulent. What .1 change has come over the scene! On these self- same farms the land cannot possibly grow grass as in form■r seasons. The growing qualities :.ave been sapped from year to vear by the milch cows, until at the present time if the pasture is shut up for a

month or two the growth is puny and oftimes rank. The reason of course is that the dairy farmers arc for the greater part carrying such hugh financial burdens that they cannot possibly afford to cultivate anil manure their lands, hut struggle along manfully, and by sweating themselves and their families, try to convince themselves that they are in the midst of prosperous times. This is not as it should be and the sooner those engaged in the industry work on svsteniatic lines and descend to bedrock the better will it be for themselves uid the milking, which worked under proper conditions will produce good payable results. But the longer the l»'i"c>ple of "grab all and give none' ■* al owed to go on the sooner will the land m our lin us t dairying dis- "' «"''•• , out - «'"! those remaining m the laud., at present values, will ■ind themselves stranded under a burJen that they never can, even with produce at its present phenomenal price, emerge from, except through the umkruptcy court. °

Uannate Plains this year, and the Set 0t thC U ' b - "** ™ft Oats, barley, ,t P , !U - e <hin „ wol| t ,, js lealand some of (he h'c'hls are reallv ? P'eture. In pku-cs when the tori ■s heavy a very lmic]l ],;„, yMi , tl formerly obtained will be got this

A Waimatc Plsiins landowner, who "n* just purchased at .125 per "ere X."!''" r :' d , f°° "" ''argainlust „ad bought. The olfer las

A i,nl „t 501) cows seems a b,V one lo morning, but a W ;-";'' ««"■ Jlanaia, Ims bocu milkin- '» mimbcr tin's season. V S -"'« Place on the shares plan. K