FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 169, 16 January 1914, Page 6

FARM AND DAIRY.

; THROUGH THE EYES OF AX . EXPERT. A BROAD. VIEW. .Mr. Alex Storrie, liead of the local firm of Storrie and Co., implement manu-' .facturers, reiurned to Invercargiil last .week after an absence of nine months, (luring which time he toured in Great Britain and the United' States (says tho Otago Daily Times). In the course of' a chat with a reporter, Mr. Storrie stated a 1111111, her of very interesting impressions lie had gleaned (hiring bis travels, and his observations in connection with agricultural development'and trade prospects generally were of ,a nature caleu- [ lated to command interest. Mr. Storrie ! left the lilull' early in April lust, and ' transhipped at Melbourne to the Orient liner Orama. Nearly all tho members of the party from Southland, including .Mr. and .Mrs. McKcnzie;, of Mains-o-I Blair went leisurely over'the Continent, but .Mr. Storrie made Iris way direct to London, via Paris. "After 'spending a few weeks in and around London," said he, "wo visited the Windsor Show, and also the Royal Show at Bristol. The latter was a magnificent display both of stock and machinery, and there we met visitors from all parts of the world. We were also struck with the number of agriculturalists from all parts of Britain and Ireland who attended the show. The interest shown towards the British colonics was admirable. One .could not help admiring the 'energy and j display of the Commonwealth of Australia, Canada and other possessions. Jlun- . dreds were Hocking in and out of their ,huge tents, but we looked in vain for some indication of Xew Zealand. However, wherever we went, we found tlia'f 'New Zealand has a warm corner in the | hearts of the better classes. They rej gard us as the finest of the British coloI nies. The general muss- lias only a hazy idea of Xew Zealand, and to them it is a little country on the other aide of the world. Those who know anything of the country have, 'however, observed that the number of colonists who returned to re-visit the Homeland was a 'proof of the success of 'those who went out fanning. 111 Engbind we spent .some time visiting the West of Engiland," said Mr. Storrie. "We are both i of the opinion that the system of (arming at Home is of a 'high class, jiiul We saw some of the linest crops both 'in 1 grain and roots that we could wish to .see. We are satislied that we 'have still much to learn. Farming is becoming more intcn>e. and advantage is being •taken of more up-to-date methods, and should Mr. Lloyd George's land scheme ; become law it will give a great impetus 1 to the industry. From what we have seen we are satislied that the Old Country .still leads in fanning methods. A colonial, is apt to forget that an abundance of labor in tlie past met the needs of the English fanners. This condition is gradually passing away, and when necessity arises t'lie. British farmers will be just as wide awake as the.colonial!, "We saw vast changes in the moral and commercial of things after an absence of 'thirty-live years. Cities and towns familiar to us have outgrown their former limits to an enormous extent. We talk of our towns going ahead; wo are not in it, in ray judgment, although we have done much in Xew Zealand. The amount, of raoney invested in extensive buildings anil transport systems at Home is enormous, and still they go on and will go on. The conditions of the masses have improved to a great extent., but there remain vast improvements still to lie effected. One thing we, noticed was the enormous crowds bent 011 pleasure, night and day, and this 'has an import-, ant bearing 011 the moral welfare of the country. "Just as changes are coming over the agricultural industries of Britain, the .'.same thing is -happening in many of the large manufacturing concerns, and more up-to-date methods are being adopted. The Uritish manufacturer will listen to suggestions now, simply because lie is .forced to realise that Ihe is up against a strong proposition in the manufacturers of the United States. Now that the .States have practically thrown open ■their ports, they are making' a bold bid >for the world's trade. Their domestic trade is secured, and now their eyes are upon the islands of t'lie seas. We are on the eve pf a great, industrial war; •not that this will mean the cutting of prices, for labor conditions will not permit of it. American business is now reduced to a line science, and in the struggle it will he the fittest who sur.vive. When in the States we noticed .that America is about to launch out 011 <1 new scheme to get, hold of a better type of settler. They are not satisfied with the agents of the past, and all foreign agents are to lie replaced by ■bona, fide American citizens' conversant with the entire conditions of the States, flreat efforts will be made to secure an .increase of population of a desirable class from the various European eountries. Eastern Europe supplies the demand for laboring classes for the present, but America finds this class of labor every year increasingly difficult to .procure- She foresees trouble, and licnee the new scheme is foreshadowed. Australia and Xew Zealand should secure all the settlers they can during the next decade or two, otherwise I fail to see bow they are to be populated by white races. The improved conditions nt Home, which are sure to come, will, with certain sections, induce them to remain. We were told of instances at It'ome of luanv Who had g'one to Canada and the States but had returned to Britain, simply because expert labor .1 now brings a 52 per cent, increase 011 former salaries in England, and there is 110 advantage in going abroad. As to I the future of Xew Zealand's markets, I'Wc were satisfied'that the country can sell all that it can produce. From what I .we saw and heard in the United States and England we are satisfied that with,

Mrsl'-chu. ucnLs, < nr-.-ful management j • i.inning, Xew Zealand will :-.ii tan leading dairy country; „i I:: .n Hemisphere. It was "in- I' —to visit the National Dairy ..ii; lifa at, Chicago last Xo-vc-uhti*. U u just iiints years wince its .i.r j i.Kii, ;uid its progress lias been; •. Cattle dealers and breed- .; «* , vug present friH.i Canada,' South 'j uud'Cuiliiil America, France, Germany, r.hyiaii,,. ana .Japan. The allow i.uud t,,i ..lays, and over 101),(100 people a.jd ii losyh (In! stiles. There wer.e over ■ entries for cattle alone, ami many bleeds were new to us. We saw A) rshiur, Brown Swiss, Dutch Cuernseys, Hoimeiiis and Jerseys. Last year the Ayrshire and C,uern»cy ehampionsliips were .v.'on by Scotch and English gentlemen, livery facility is given to the public to see the kliow. In conversation with several manufacturers of dairy (machinery we learned that they ■ .regard Xew Zealand! as holding the pre-, mier place for modern dairying methods, and from what wo saw we feel safe in saying that Xew Zealand will always liiul a market in the United Stales fori her dairy produce.

WAIT AHA NOTES. (•From Our Own Correspondent). ! The Waitara road dairy factory put | up their record payment for milk dur- j ing the month of December, payments; to suppliers totalling, for. mill;', C3071J 5 Bs, and for the casein £122 8s 7d. Tbisj amount is higher by about £SOO than: any other payment made by the com- j pany. For the name period last year suppliers received; £2142 Is 3d, tho increase being £937 lis 7<l. A total of S-f-'/o! tons ol' butter was made from the ] 1,484,50-tlbs of milk and the. cream in] addition received. A comparison' with ten years ago is .interesting. For De- j wanber, 1-003, suppliers were paid ,€730 I ISs 3d, so that in. ten years tile payments have increased over fourfold, a very satisfactory state of affairs indeed. 111.addition to putting up a payment record, the Waitara Dairy Co. also put up a test record at the main factory. The average test for tho 4S suppliers is 4.1), tests ranging from 3.0 to 5.4. For the whole period only twelve .samples were below the 4 mark, and the folio-wing dozen statements of suppliers make good reading for those interested in the matter'of testing and quantity:—Milk RUpplied. 15,7411b5, test 4.0; 41,,004 and 4.5; 20,730 and 4.0: 34,533 and.4.B; 51.1185 aiul 4.1!; 28,028 and 4-0; 22.057 and 4.7; 48,102 and 4.5; 20,048 and 4.4; 14,803 and 4.0; 7051 anil 4.5; 14,350 and 1.8; 5080 and 5.2. So that the average of the above was -I.o—truly a good record. It will be seen that the largest supplier was on the actual average for the whole factory 4.3. For tile month of December the Xorlh Taranaki Dairy Co. also put up their record payment to suppliers, I lie amount to be distributed for milk being £3409, ami for casein £O2 10s. The amount of milk received was 1,379,3001bs and cream 75,1131b5, from which 42% tons of butter was manufactured. Xo doubt the top has been reached now and the following months will show a decline. iray-making .in North Taranaki is now about completed and farmers are very well satislicd with the crops. In most eases their best anticipations have been more than realised, and there Should be no shortage of dry feed for .winter. The turnip crops are very varied, and in most eases perhaps not quite equal to last season, great numbers of farmets" iiaivhtj» : ' had to sow a second .time. Maize generally is showing up exceedingly well, although' perhaps a bit late, pats, wheat and barley are all .promising crops, and generally farming folk are "on a good wicket."

The North Taranaki Dairy Co.'s lirst returns from Home show that the lonic's shipment of butter realised net f.o.b. Is per lb. Their product is 011 open consignment this season through Jos. Nathan and Co. A IIUCE CITEESE SHIPMENT. The Shaw, Savill and Albion Co.'s steamer Arawa took an exceptionally large shipment of dairy , produce from the Dominion on Saturday last. The shipment included 20,731 boxes of butter and 18,310 cases of cheese. Of these latter no fewer than 15.254 eases were from Patea. the following being the exact figures from the various portal-

Butter Cheese Wellington 14,994 1012 Wanganui 2,300 541) Patea 302 15,254 Lyttelton 2,000 53-1 Tiinaru 07ti (57 Dunedin 300 Totals 20.731 18.310 grain-growing: Grain-growing is evidently a declining industry in Southland (says the Southland News). In 1009 the number of sacks carried over the. railways was 344 1 short of 1,000,000 —a record for the proyince—but annually since then the returns have revealed a decrease, last season's figures being 301,854, which is less than lialf of the previous year's total of 820,383. This condition of affairs is not attributable to the quality of the land, which is as rich and fertile as in any other part of the Dominion, but to the increased attention given to sheepbreeding and dairying, the latter of which, in view of the remunerative returns, is rapidly developing' into one of the iiio-d, extensive and important of Southland's industries. Hundreds of acres that in years past were sown down in crops are now being utilised for pasturing dairy cows and sheep, and the luxurious growth of grass that is evervwhere in evidence at the present time all over the province is proof of the productivity of the soil. On the other hand, grain-growing requires a good ileal of labor, and farmers have experienced a good deal, of trouble during the past two or three years on account of the acute scarcity that lias characterised the labor market. This, together with exceptionally unfavorable weather during the last two seasons, has also been a, contributing cause to the decrease in the grain traffic, but 'there is 110 gainsavmg the fact that the profits' reaped bv dairv fanners and sheep-breeders has turned the attention of those who previously went in extensively for grain-<>rowing, to more profitable avenues of the fanniii'j; industry. The area 'Under crop this year is y-till less than was Hie' ease last season, and it is therefore only reasonable to assume, in view of the fact, that the yield is expected to lie under the average, that the returns at the end of the forthcoming season will dhow l( further decrease.