FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 166, 13 January 1914, Page 7

FARM AND DAIRY.

SIIKKL> FARMS. 11 Kill PIU OK OP I.AXD. EFFECT OF DAIRYING. An cxjiorKMicfil man. dealing with the above subject in the l'astovalists' Review, says:—-Many .sheep farms in the Canterbury province have changed hands at as high a price as £lO an acre for one-ewe capacity, and where the labor of turnip-growing is involved. Jt is a high price, based upon a ICO per cent, lambing, which is usual. After all expenses are provided for nothing much is visible by way of return to the owner. h (lie v.ooi and lam!b. fattened on cultivated feed, make, say, ;i3s. from which comes 10s interest on outlying capital, there is as a set oil' in this class of sheep-farming heavy expenses for cropping, labor and upkeep, which quickly disolves the Us. It seems as if theie is not much in this for the. capable type of man such farming lcquires, and ii leads one to think that the prices often pa ill for sheep farms in Xew Zealand are to a considerable extent inllmnccd by their prospective use for dairying purposes. Relatively .ClO an aire for one-ewe country is the equivalent if a full £'!'> an acre for two-ewe countrv. and this sounds more like ii i dairying price.

Speaking geiurailv .and taking the Dominion as a. whole, it may be. said that prices ruling for sheep country, win re the chief or sole reliance is placed upon pasture, and where an experienced man may hope to engage himself in a profitable occupation, are, except for one-sheep country, £.") or .(.'(> for onee.wc country, £S or £0 for one and a half-ewe country, and £11! to £U for two-ewe country, and in certain parts ,CIH Ills for two and u-halt-ewe countrv of fallen ibn-h laud not yet ploughtible, and 'where lambs are sold us stores for about 10s. with lambing of 101) per cent, and over. Where the countrv is really suitable such prices are paid by experienced men. The cheap farm that has a good proportion of cultivable land fetches considerably more, but then the mixed farming capabilities of such, and prospective use. for dairying enter into consideration, ami ii may lie said to be more, or less ,-]ji?culatively he'd as a slice]) farm, ultimatelc destined for dairying.

The foi'ojroinjr prices arc for sheep farms of a general average area of up to a thousand acres. The larger estate- of the better kinds of land are: fast disappearing in subdivision. It can hardlv lie said that there is much scope for increased product ion from slice]) in Xcw Zealand. With the do- ' Yolopment of ease communication 1 to the Lwk country it is much more likely that in such a well-watered country, with estate subdivision so active, dairying will lo ;>. considerable- extent displace she;p. The prevailing price of land supports this theory, for the return from sheep can barely warrant tlie figures given for many properties. To be sure there is room for improvement of sheep (locks which will result in additional wool and mutton output. This will come about gradually as the new type of farmer, evolved in the altered subdividing conditions of New Zealand sheep-fanning, gains greater experience in sheep management, but while it is coming about dah'ving will be oxtuiding its influence, and' instead of land values remaining at, wlwit may for sheep-fann-ing be regarded as a maximum, they will in inanr rises probably advance. Although slice)) country has gone lo n big ligure there is with most farms a the lam! by way of fencing, shelter provision and more skilful grazing arrangements. The paucity of well-shell crcd farms in N'cw Zealand is very marked, and as the country is comparatively a windy one. the effects of cold and licit winds obviously rob fee pustoralM of a I.rge percentage of growth right le.rougolii- the year. I!v more skilful lrothods ar.d improved labor conditions the Hocks of the Dominion should increase :> full 5(1 per cent., providing no eui roa;-innent of dairying oi'ciirred.

The crops in South <"\nitcrlun-y. :■.* Focn from the Timnni-Fiiirlie liT.in. :iiv in a very proini-in»- condition. Il.jrVKstim; ojiiTiil inns luivp iih-f«il\ united on the Levels I'l.iiiis. Die hinder h;'i])» Sim n busy (it work (her;; (lie oilier duy in ii dead-ripe, ciop. Tie esperiuienliil crop- v'i'rh Y.-'ere sown 1)V ilaslcrton is.riiicr* are turning mil. we'll -particularly (lie oat-, wheat, mul mnizs. All.hi' liflv e.xir-riiueaU are li"im- cninhutcd in the .Ma.-tertuH district. '

Mav»avinc v. I';ii(!«r ;., in iiw i; mi mil vr.r,orl le,- (lie Nciy" Suiiih Walps Dairy F.r,>rrt (llr. OTalla;.h,iui. n-ho inake,s thr following iii!'cve4in»' hiaieme+it: -"■[ have to-day exuiiiiifed some liieh-ehiss in;irj>anut'. which Ims lu'-eii imported from Knalaud. iiiel 1 must say (!i:it 1 would prefer to lire it rather ili'iii) pa! fume of (he stored Imllcr whirl! 1 ulso sampled this nioiniin;-. Do'.'K it no; fellow, (hen. us ;i matte* of r,r.!Vse. that (his sa.me hutter. which is now I vim,' in K.ulnev. will, when e\|m;v! -il to Kiislc.ad. compare very nnliivo'.Mfity v.-it*. I'l-esiily-niiid:- maniariiiF uf (ho bc.-t iiiuililT? Tt is. in many im;i;::]res. inferior to the inuri-arinp wken the hitter has ionnievriS from Kuc-Lud: so th ; ;t an.' additiomil »ix v, Is on to the ;:■;<• of tliii scrnndi|ii;ili(v butter will inciv.'.-p ;!■■ iiii'cnnritv lafore it is |,l:n'P(l on the market. lam not linpel'iil of niu.di iui|irovrineni until the i iassilicaiion of iTi'iini on correct lines i» carried out ii'.' Hill- fuller fiiiiorir..; vhJ 1 ,lo md expect thllt this hitter will he done until tWaisllltiOH CUMIK'IIIK:,' it ii:rs I.ecu pass--1(1."