FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 August 1916, Page 3

FARM AND DAIRY.

HIGH PRICES OF LAND. KEED FOR MORE INT UN SIC FARMING. Taranaki is essentially a dairying province. In the baekbloeks the sheep and steer predominate, but as the wildemes; disappears, as the work of the pioneers progress, so alio will the daily industry expand. Land is becoming too valuable, or at least, prices asked for the freehold are so high, that it calls for skilful and scientific treatment to allow those taking up land on the settled portions of the province to obtain sufficient returns to meet what is, compared to prices charged in the early days of the industry, a very heavy fee. The_ question as to whether land for dairying purposes has, or has not, reached its highest value, is a debatable pqint. Itjdepends upon what side of the fence the questioner is situated. Ii he is i fortunate, freeholder he will show his niilk yields and returns from bacon and other farm produce tc show that there is money in land, even if it does soar to '£6o, £7O and £SO per acre. But the man going on the land does not find things so rosy, unless he is the fortunate possessor of a very long purse. Then, with money at call, be may not investigate too closely, but, Jnfortunately, those taking up land are often obliged to secure advances elsewhere to finance the deal, and this, added io the increased cost of stock, farm implements and other incidentals so necessary for the working of an area, constitute a hurdle that takes some clearing and cannot be cleared "like a bird." But the increased cost of laild has proved beneficial in other respects. It has made those going on the land pay more attention to details than hitherto, and, generally speaking, the man on the land is becoming more of a farmer and less a dairyman each season. Co-oper-ation has had a lot to do with the improved condition of Mr. Farmer, and another factor is that Taranaki has had several practical men engaged in the industry, who have supplemented their energies at soil-tillage and milking yields by always going in for the very' best. "Nothing but the best" is the maxim of a successful business man, and it seems to be the case with some or our farmers. But it is the man who is going on the, land, not the man who iias established himself, that feels the pinch of high prices, and it seems that many men who would make a success of fanning are deterred through lack of the needful cash to secure possession of the laud.

It is by the land returns that the main, if not sole, success of this province depends. It is pleasing to note that usually any movement initialed by the farmer in which be appeals to the bu>ine=s man is .generously supported by the latter. The townsman recognises that a prosperous farming community means better times for the whole community, as good prices with one class are generally shared with others. Whether the price of land will drop, remain stationary, or will soar like a balloon is hard to foretell, but, as mentioned previously, the man on the land is endeavoring to meet the increased prices in this direction by making the land earn more. A close study in the various fertilisers, paying particular attention to the milk yields of each cow, greater notice of root crops, the cleaning of dirty paddocks, all spell increased revenue. At Bell Block on Wednesday. Mr. Ctrnnctt was emphatic, in his remarks concerning the delivering of clean milk at the factory. Kegarding machine-milk-ing, he said the machines could bend clean milk to the factory, lint the machines must be washed thoroughly. T'here one has it—closer application to details. Mr. Connett related his' experiences, and probably it is similar to others, that cleanliness is a big essential in dairying. Kegarding feeding, turnips flavor the milk-in an objcctional manner, if persisted in too carelessly. Again, the Cow-testing Association came in for general approval, showing that those engaged in the industry are earnest in their desire to make the industry advance. One could mention the advantage of farmers securing the services of the agricultural instnetor (Mr. Sergei), the value of the lulling of A. and P. shows to farmers, but the wide-awake man recognises these adiantages, and makes himself acquainted with every movement likely to enhance the value of his holding. )\U-. t ■ ''" | The farmer has always something to do. He can always find a paddock that needs stumping or sowing, a bleak spot that needs shelter trees, a drain that requires attention, and if after a few years he wishes to sell out it is perhaps only human nature that he should endeavor to get the best possible figure, even, though he may know that his own experience would show that the land would require a lot of working up. Taking up land at a big figure requires a lot of pluck, and the in-goer will need to make sure that he can make the land show better returns than his predecessor obtained. If he cannot do this he is better "off if he gets amongst the manuka and rata and carves out a home in the wilderness for a few years. The main point of the dairyman art is to have smaller holdings and go in for intensive farming. Endeavor to make the land carrv ail cows where previously .Id was tiie total, l-'ertilise the laud, get bigger crops, more feed for cattle, etc. This calls for more manual labor, of course, but no man who is afraid of work should go on the land. The land calls for activity, not somnolence.