ADVICE TO FARMERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 May 1920, Page 5

ADVICE TO FARMERS.

ECONOMY, HARD WORK AND OPTIMISM. In moving the adoption of the report and balance-sheet at the annual meeting of the Wairarapa branch of the Fanners' Union, the president (Mr. Hugh Morrison) had something to Bay on the manure shortage and the future as it affected the farmer. He urged greater economy, harder work, and an unflagging spirit of optimism. Regarding the manure shortage, Mr. Morrison said that they were constantly being asked to produce more, but this was impossible without fertilises. Jn a district, such as this, where the virgin bush had disappeared, the land was producing as much as it would'ever do,'and fertilising and top dressing were absolutely necessary. The Prime Minister had obtained 2300 tons of superphosphate .from Australia, but that would not. toucn the fringe of the problem. Last year the Auckland branch of one firm alone had handled 2000 tons. The dairy cows took a very great quantity of nutriment from the soil—nutriment which it was essential to replace. Without manure even £IOO per acre dairy land woulc have to be top-dressed unless sheep were put on it. The fat lamlb would be tin proposition of the future, and it was <i good tilling lor the country, as it made for closer settlement, but even thi: branch of farming was threatened by the manure, shortage. The same thing applied to cattle fattening. The area usee for cattle-fattening had been restricte. owing to the high prices rub'ng for dairy produce. Fattening paddocks had beer used for milk production, and the surplus cattle had to be fattened on seecmi class laud, which was ■ only useful tor that purpose, after tlyj application o basic slag. Mr. Massed was doing his best to get Nauru inland phosphate. However, there were no crushing plants other than one or two 'in the Auckland district. A boon to the .producer would be the Ntew Tfcnland Farmers' Fertilising Company, which would soon be in operation, but it was essential to establish similar plants throughout the Dominion. Speaking of farming prospects,- Mr. Morrison said he was not egotistical enough to make prophecy. There were certain facts which must be noticed. The immediate future of the dairying industry was bright, as supplies were short. In his opinion, however, the danger mark had been reached on the west coast, where land was selling at from £l5O to £IBO per acre. There was a glut of mutton on the Home markets, already the price of meat had been reduced to (id per lb, and as it was absolutely nece?savy to dispose of the surplus somehow it might, be necessary to reduce the price still further. There would be four or five million carcases in New Zealand stores at the commencement of next season. One of the country's best men should be sent Home to act under the High Commissioner in watching the disposal of their meat. Eventually they would have to find new markets. Thi demand for crossbred wool was not so great ii« anticipated, the reason being that England and America preferred the higher-priced fine quality wool. In the future there must be a levelling-up somewhere, even if they nad to trade with the Central Powers. Crossbred wool must recover its market. Someone had suggested that they should change their breed of s-heep for one growing fine wools, but that would be foolish, for no sooner would the change be made than crossbred wool would be again in demand. In a country so blest as this things must brighten in the long run. Here they did not have to house the cattle during the winter months as in England, to sutler droughts as in Australia, to fight diseases as in South America, or to corn-feed as in the United States. Though this eountry had its ups and downs,'""its future prosperity was assured by its great natural resources.