THE DAIRYING INDUSTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 August 1918, Page 6

THE DAIRYING INDUSTRY.

BETTER BREEDS WANTED. SIR JAMES WILSON'S VIEWS. Stated the President of the Farmers' Union at the annual conference in Wellington on Tuesday:Dairy people can do even more than the wool-grower, for they have not advanced in the same way, by culling. We cannot expect them to have cows such as Mr. Donald's, which gave near, ly 1000 pounds of butter-fat in the season, but the more general use of testing could raise the average weight of products considerably. The different breed societies and semi-official tests are pointing the way, but the general run of fanners are glow to practice the system. It should not be difficult. With the same feed the cows at present have to increase the export by a million sterling. Better cows and closer observation mean that farmers will provide increased winter and summer feed in the one case to keep up the condition of the cow so as to come into milk in good order, and the other so that the dry summer grass can be supplemented by some more succulent food. If this practice were carried jout properly, and the fullest advantage taken of utilisation of the by-products, it is conceiveable that the industry) might easily add another million sterling to their exports. The only way we can increase our meat exports is to speed up the plough. At the present moment, this is impossible for it must be remembered that every idle team probably means a hundred acres less in wheat or its equivalent in fodder crops. It is not the same here as at Home as far as the tractor is concerned. Tractors, so fir as I have been able to glean, can only do satisfactory work on the flat, and the price of fuel restricts their use, so that it remains for our useful friend, or as calls him, "our colleague," the horse to still prepare most of the land in crop, and possibly we must wait for electrical power to displace him from our farms, if we can ever do so.

There is, however, something more required than the tractors, viz., the man to direct it. The ploughman at the present moment is perhaps the m&t necessary man in the Dominion.

SHIPPING. At no period of the war has the outlook for shipping been eo unpromising. A few days ago a Wellington paper published Some figures which are very significant, and which I copy:— Produce held Quantities Value £ Greasy wool bales 475,760 11,418,400 Freezing Co.'s slipe,

bales 83,400 2,502,000 Meat, 601b carcases 5,200,000 7,020,000 Cheese, crates 335,000 2,345,000 Butter, boxes 180,000 Tallow, casks 45,000 000,000 Rabbit crates, 80,000 73,000 ,Hemp, bales 20,000 100,000

£24,178,400 We are now at the end of July. Our dairy season begins this month. Our killing of mutton perhaps in November, and lambs in Decembcjr. Last year when things looked bad we were saved by our neighbor's misfortune. Vessels Were sent out to take meat and other produce from Australia, but our neighbors had none, and the vessels were sent over here and loaded up. Strange, camouflaged steamers visited our waters and came to our rescue. In the ordinary course of events no doubt, some of our produce will be shipped, how much is in the womb of the future. There is little likelihood of there being sufficient space to take more than half and a probability of considerably less. It is fairly certain that our storage capacity will not be able to take our whole output of fats. There are only two ways of meeting this position, for meet it we must, and with vigor. (1) To provide more storage; (2) to provide more winter feed for the lambs which will have to be carried over the winter, in addition to those which are always wintered. As far as the increased storage is concerned, we as farmers, unless we are shareholders of freezing works (which we ought to be), have no voice. The additional space if it is provided must be a matter between the authorities and the freezing companies, and even then any increase is governed by the surplus power they have.

The fat lamb question, however, will fall upon the agricultural' farmer who breeds from bought ewes and fattens both ewes and lambs. It may be pos-1 sible to m the ewes ttnd not occupy j [space. The lambs are really the difficulty. There are, however, not likely fo be so many black faces among them, and these, if possible, should be killed. It is however, quite likely that a number of white-faced lambs will have to !be carried over, and for these the only way is to grow winter feed. It is for this leason that I say the ploughman is the most essential man in the Dominion at the present moment. Not only do we require to get as much wheat in, but we must, as farmers, prepare for the worst and hope for the best, but as prudent men we must make every endeavor to grow as much winter feed as we possibly can. | We all want to win the war, and the steamers which usually carry our produce are rushing backwards and forwards over the Atlantic, carrying men, and food for the soldiers that the Unitsd States are sending over to help us beat the Hun. Vessels containing refrigerating machinery are scarce, for a number of our usual traders have been sunk, yet although we have many difficulties ahead, possibly some losses, even financial stringency, we have made up our minds that whatever happens we arc going to win through, and the farmers are determined to do what they can to help. We have troublous times before us, and much sorrow I am afraid, before we can bring the Prussians to their senses, but we may have a troublous time after the war before we can settle down again after finding out our position and footing the bill. It will be no time for industrial differences. In a fine address by Sir Walter Raleigh, before the Colonial Institute, on the "Gains of the War," he said, "One of the clear gains of the war is to be found in the increased activity and alertness jof our own people. The motto of today is 'Let those now Work who never [worked Before. And those who alnn woriwd now work tie more,' I

think New Zealanders come under the latter heading, for there have been few idle people in the Dominion, although sometimes the work lias not been well directed. t If, however, we live up to that motto, wc shall win through, beat the Hun, and pay our debta.