INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 June 1916, Page 4

INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY.

The chairman of the Stratford Chamber of Commerce (Mr, J. B. Richards), in his annual report, has drawn attention to tlie increased productivity in the district covered by the Chamber's operations. The figures, quoted by him are evidence of the advent of better and more scientific methods of fanning, whereby alone can the most satisfactory results be obtained. These figures of themselves, however, do not serve as an accurate guide for estimating to what extent progress has been made in that direction. Taking the past four years' returns, Mr. Richards shows the increase in butter-fat received by the Stratford, Midhirst, Ngaere, Lowgarth, and Cardiff dairy factories to equal twenty-four and a half per cent, in that period, and he contends that this increase is "plainly due to improved farming, particularly to increasing cultivation of the soil and the judicious use of fertilisers." There is no reason to doubt that these factors have largely contributed to the gratifying result, but there are two other important influences that must be taken into account. No mention is made as to whether the number of cows has increased to any extent, nor is the', effect of cow-testing, and consequent herd culling, allowed for. It is quite possible that the question of an increase in the number of cows may have been embraced in that of improved farms ing, for it star.ds to reason that the carrying capacity of a farm is increased to an extent corresponding with the augmentation of the fodder supply that can be raised on the farm; still, Mr. Richard's statement would have been more complete had he been able to give the herd statistics for the period dealt with. The same remarks apply to-fow testing and herd culling, a' process which is recognised by all intelligent dairy farmers as the only system whereby the most satisfactory and remunerative results can be obtained. It is results, not numbers, that tell in the case of a dairy herd. It is not economy to purchase low-priced cows that are only fed and milked at a loss, whereas it is economy to have a smaller but highly cultivated farm that will carry a larger or even the same sized herd, each of which returns a good profit each season and produces far more valuable progeny, while the selling price of the land is being largely augmented each year. The whole question is covered by the ruling maxims applicable to capital and labor, and those who will profit most will be the intelligent, practical farmers who carry on their business in the same way as the captains of other industries, the only difference being that one used cows, and the other men and machinery, as a means of profit, and the man who knows the be3t way of obtaining the highest output will certainly come out on top.