Untitled

Taranaki Daily News, 23 September 1915, Page 4

A GREAT LESSON. One of the great lessons that the war is impressing on the nations—neutral as well as belligerents—is the absolute necessity of conserving to the utmost their natural resources and utilising the productivity of the land to its full extent. Tn the earlier days of New Zealand's development, when the land was new to cultivation and its selling value was almost nominal there was not that necissity of intense cultivation that has since arisen, and to-day hw become a most important principle in successful ffli ming. It has always been held that the farming community, are noted for their conservatism, with the result that new scientific methods are looked at askance. The up-to-dato farmer naturally takes advantage of everything that will bring in larger and. more profitable results. He will, if engaged in dairying, have his cows thoroughly tested and culled, and adopt modern scientific methods of cropping that will make fifty acres more productive than a hundred undsr the old system, In these days there is no excuse for not knowing how to farm on the most profitable lines. Under the auspices of the Boards of Education technical instruction is available for all who will rcceivo it, and what i» more important, It is practically brought to the farmers' doors, fpr the technical instructors and even the departmental experts will, besides giving lectures, place their services fit the disposal of fanners to solve problems and overcome difficulties. It is therefore surprising that more use is not made of this great advantage, and that more general financial support is not given to further this very essential work. At the last annual meeting of the Moa Dairy Co. the Director of the Technical College under the Taranaki Education Board was prosent to ask for a contribution towards tue expense of the agricultural instructor, but an adverse reply was given. This may have been due to the fact that when the matter was considered a number of shareholders had left the meeting, but in any case tlio decision is one that must b.' a matter for regret, as it certainly was not in the best interests of the farmers. The possession of such knowledge as the technical instructors impart not oiily assists in doubling the producing power, but it prevents the farmers from being victims to deceptions that are often placed in their way. Take, for instance, the question of artificial fertilisers, on which ?o much dependence is placed in these days. How is a farmer to know whotkor he is getting full value for his money? A German product (fay basic slag) ia obtainable for .£5 7s Cd a ton, and another of the same kind, but of English make, is £5 12s Od. On the face of it, the farmer naturally inclines to the cheaper article, and if lie is told that owing to the war it cannot now be obtained he replies: "Very well, I'll wait till the war is over and then buy the German." Had he the necessary knowledge to understand the analysis of the article he would have found out that the German fertiliser contained only u' cent, of phosphoric anhydride, wmie me other contained eighteen per cent., so that although the low-grade aras nominally 5s per ton eheane,-. it ■nlitir f.liirt.r-tu-n cliilllnn sixpence dearer than the more costly one. This shows how important it is to know as much about the chemical constituents of fertilisers as about the price. Why should the farmers allow thomsekes to be exploited in this way—and in many others—when they have the means placed at tlieir disposal for protecting themselves from being victimised? So long, however, a? they refuse to profit by. the instruction available, so long will they suffer in pocket and reputation. fhe successful farmer of the future will be the man who is b'.st equipped with the useful knowledge that will yield good fruit and increase his wealth and that oi tl.i: nation.