AGRICULTURE.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 January 1921, Page 8

AGRICULTURE.

FUTURE OF THE INDUSTRY. DAIRYING SHOULD EXPAND. THE APPLICATION OF SCIENCE. A remarkably interesting address on agriculture was delivered by Sir James Wilson at the Science Congress at Palmerston North yesterday. Sir James said: In welcoming those present to the Agricultural Section of the Science Congress, I need not remind you that agriculture is the oldest occupation of man. so aptly described by the couplet, “When Adam dolve and Eve span, Who was then the gentleman?” It is said that the first growers of wheat were the women of the wandering Patriarchs, who, as they went along, plucked a few grains of wheat which grew on the more fertile places they passed, as the flocks and herds were driven to new pastures. These sown and tended by the mothers (when they stayed long enough) grew and ripened, were gathered and ground for the food of the children. It has now become one of the most important foods of the world. At no time —important as it has always been—has New Zealand been so dependent on the agriculturist and pastoralist as it is at present. A glance at the exports shows that a large proportion of our imports are paid for by the produce of the land. Our immediate future depends upon the quantity of produce (for the price is fixed in the markets of the world) the farmers can take from their land, at the same time not depleting its fertility. The area of arable , land in New Zealand is small when compared to the pastoral land; yet Zealand is particularly fortunate in the soil of the arable portion. Instead of being cropped for hundreds of years our lands were first turned over by the plough not more than 60 years ago, and many of its virgin qualities are all retained. When our lands were first ploughed, it was usual to sow a cro-p of turnips and we utilised the stored-up plant food. Very fair crops resulted. Soon, however, it became useless to sow any turnip or rape crops without phosphates. Grain crops could be grown with fair results without manure. The chemist was not long in telling us the reason. Although no proper soil survey has yet been undertaken, the analyses of these soil samples which have been taken show that, with few exceptions, the phosphate contents are low,, especially in an available form. This is more marked in the North Island. Mr. .Aston has pointed out that phosphates in the South are in better supply, and on going North, roughly speaking, there is less and less in the soil. It is an interesting fact that the only payable deposit of nhosphate so far discovered is in Otago, though the usual deposits in other parts of the world are nearly all much nearer the Equator. Americans speak of phosphates as being “the key to agriculture,” and it is much the same in New Zealand. I do not think it is sufficiently realised what benefits will accrue to agriculture by having an assured supply of phosphates from Nauru. We are not likely to get it at us cheap a rate as fore the war for Government control is always expensive; but we have in sight at least phosphates for our use for a Sindred years, for it must be assumed ‘ hold it. There is some discusS ion going on “> thf relive merits of the different forms in which phosphates can be supplied to the land, viz.: i Acid phosYiate (superphosphate). 9 Acid phosphate reverted by the addition of lime called basic super. 3. Ground phosphate rock. 4. Basic slag.

There is no wav so convincing to find out which is the best form suited to the soil and the climate as experiment and field trials. Generalising, all that can be said is that in acid soils it would be better to use an alkaline form; and in the ease of both basic slag and finely-ground phosphate this form requires a good autumn and winter rainfall to give the best returns. If phosphates are necessary to grow fodder crops in the lighter lands of the North Island, they are equally necessary for dairying. There is a constant upon the plant food in dairying, through the milk being all .sold,* that in most cases, after a few years, a top-dressing of the grass lands is necesary to gain the best results. There is, apparently, sufficient nitrogen jii most parts of New Zealand soils, although probably this will not long be the case and it is satisfactory to know that we have the water-power at hand and the necessary limestone to enable the free nitrogen of the air to be captured by one of the several processes now in vogue. Sir William Crookes pointed out that the world was in danger of starvation owing to the depletion of nitorgen, so necessary for wheat rawing in the older countries, unless iome chemist found a means of solidifying air nitrogen; and not long afterwards the means were found and two forms have been made commercially and used with success. We should not neglect however, Nature’s other means of; fixing the free nitrogen by the growth of leguminous plants. If these are ploughed in we have the double advantage of their action in restoring the nitrogen of the air to the soil and dying when ploughed in to increase the humus in the soil sc necessary but in a vague way to the growth of cereals. Potash we have in small quantities, though the process of extraction would be expensive; and now tka war is over kainit can be imported from our ally. France, as the deposits in Alsace have again fallen into their hands. Lime we have in quantity, and there is much to be done to ascertain the exact quantity needed in our different soils, and this Mr. Aston and Mr. Wlid have been doing to some extent. To the ordinary farmer the benefits of lime are so obscure that few who have used it to any extent have had any convincing results; but Mr. Brydon showed the benefits of liming many years ago. in t£e South, and large tracts of country benefited by its use. Mr. W. Perry, in the North U A consistent user irf lime nt the carbonate form, and has shown that, with him, the results are satisfactory. We are «o accustomed as farmers to see that when we expend money to manure bur crops we expect to #ee immediate results, such as we see when we manure fdr foddier crops, when, if we Wve a control * plot, can quickly see tte difference, frt the historical Cockle Park experiments it was found that with lime did not whored ia the caw basic

slag the result was remunerative'; yet at a subsequent, experiment, at Mid-Lock-arwards the basic slag failed to show a profit, yet when used in conjunction with potash it was profitable. So with lime; it does not at all follow that lime alone will effect any great benefit. There is, of course, the condition of the soil to be considered. It would be useless, for instance, to expect the lime to affect a sour, wet, water-logged soil. The question of liming soils is one which requires very careful study and • experiment, but it is one which should be undertaken and tests made in as many different soils as possible. The farmer who is otherwise fully occupied is not the one to carry out these experiments, but they should be conducted by men whose accuracy can be relied on. There can 'be no doubt that in general it will pay to lime our soils where the cost is reasonable. One of the benefits of basic slag is that it contains a certain quantity of free lime. One curious effect limestone soil and liming of land has (and one that shows not only the relation of the plant to the soil, but also of the animal to the plant) is that it has a tendency to make the wool coarser in fibre; yet that in itself may be a reason for its use, for everyone knows by experience that the starveling sheep grows finer wool (but with a break in it) than his well fed neighbor. We are told, and it is a fact which seems universally acknowledged, that otir safety lies in .increased production; yet while* this advice is given on all hands, it seems as if wc all thought that the .“other fellow” ought to do it. Nor are we ever shown how we can make that increase. The Government tells us to produce more and promptly increases taxation on the increase. The bankers din it into our ears, and with equal promptitude raise the bank rate of interest. Perhaps I am trenching on a political question so I will leave it at that. I am firmly convinced, however, that, while I acknowledge the necessity of the farmer having a practical knowledge of his work, science will continue to play a much more important part in the future than in the past; 'but there must be an intermediate. What science discovers must be demonstrated in some way to the farmer His motto is, “Seeing is believing”; and it is not to be wondered at, for he has often been deceived. So he wants ocular demonstration before he is likely to change his methods, except in very few cases. Not only must any line of action be demonstrated, but it must also be shown that it will pay to follow it. The farmer’s jncome—if he is an arable farmer—depends upon the success of his crops. If they do not pay him, he will turn his attention to something which does. The question of electrical benefits to be expected by the farmer will no doubt be dealt with in another section.

DISEASES OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS. The war has opened the eyes of many in innumerable directions. One, in the medical world, is the old saying “Prevention is better than cure”; and a school has arisen which takes this as its motto. Hitherto, we have not called in an advisor until we have fallen sick; but the St. Andrew’s school, under Sir James McKenzie is seeking to prevent that happening. This is the line which in the future the scientist connected with our agricultural and pastoral pursuits must take. We will advance only if we take for our motto what the Royal Society of Agriculture in England has adopted—- “ Practice with Science;” and I am not sure that it should not read—- “ Science with Practice.”

In many parts of New Zealand the humidity of the climate, combined with high temperature gives great assistance to fungoid growths, and the absence of hard frosts leaves our insect pests almost without an enemy In grain, rust is responsible for much loss; and finger-and-toe .in certain seasons sometimes destroys- whole paddocks of our important fodder crops. The dry rot in swedes, in the South, has caused serious trouble, and the potato disease is diminishing our crops of potatoes. I cannot help thinking, if as stringent measures had been taken to exclude fingpr-and-toe as we take to exclude smallpox, we might have been saved from it; but that, with the other fungoids, has got too good a start. Here we have now only to rely upon the plant-breeder to find us resistant varieties to help us to cope with our troubles. The fruit industry has many difficulties to encounter, and I look forward with expectation to the scientists of the Cawthron Institute of which our president, is the head, for great assistance to the industry. The pastoralists, too, have their troubles, for weeds are taking a great toll on our pastures. Fortunately, however, nature helps them to a large extent if they stock with cattle and sheep judiciously. The sheep are great weed-eaters, and keep most of them in eheck. An example of this is seen in this district, where, in the paddocks which are grazed entirely with dairv cows the daisies are increasing to a serious extent. There are, however, certain districts where weeds have got such a hold that it would be ruinous to try to eradicate them. The one consolation, however, we have in this matter is that in most cases either a natural enemy attacks them, or they seem . to exhaust the soil of some particular ingredient that has encouraged their growth, and they dwindle and gradually ■ come under controlThe pastoral interests of New Zealand are I believe, run on very sound lines, and it is not likely that any great increase of production can be looked for from it. The long experience of the soils and climate with which pastoralists have had to deal; the knowledge of the class of stock best suited to the locality; the expert knowledge and experience of the stud-masters and their success, is a credit to the class dealing with this branch of agriculture. It is, however, to dairying that we may look for any great advance. There must, of course, from its configuration, be a very large area of New Zealand which must depend upon sheep to graze it, and dairying can be carried out to a greater extent than at present. The high prices for dairy produce have indreed large properties to be subdivided, and where the land has been suitable for fattening the cattle, th? growth of wool has been discarded for butter or cheese. It Is this inere-i«e which is causing a decrease hi our flocks, shown by the last returns, together with the losses by severe snowstorms fn the South. There is every reason to expect increased yields of milk, owing to the greater attention given to 'the testing of the cows and extra food provided for winter feeding, and green food supplied in the height of summer when the has dried up. The increase, however, is ftjyph slower than it ought to be, and were drtify-farmers as keen to improve 1 their herds as they #F e to extract the last halfpenny out qi

which deal with their milk, we might expect a million sterling front this source. Here science has provided the means for improvement, and the farmer has neglected to take advantage of it. Science, too, has been very active in helping dairy factories to benefit from by-products. The milk for a few weeks after the cow calves is fed to the young stock; but in many cases, later, solids are precipitated and casein extracted. The residue, however, has not yet been dealt with, but may be in the future. In the case of cheese, the milk is skimmed and the butter-fat extracted, and the whey is often wasted. Chemists in this case might assist to find further commercial by-products to increase the returns. Machines, which have been the means of reducing labor, are not an unmixed blessing', for proper cleanliness is not always the result of their use- Inspection and a reduced price for bad milk is apparently necessary meanwhile. Dried milk has for the time being received a set-back, owing to the fall in price,, though it will yet be successful; but the market will require to be carefully fed and not overstocked. In some districts, where coal is fairly ctyeap and the factory alongside the rail, there is scope for an increase in this product. The pig industry has been somewhat neglected because of the increase of cheese, and therefore the decrease of skim milk; but, properly managed, there is room -for a great increase in the number, as they are the most profitable animals grown. A groat deal of our land requires drainage, but this is an expensive improvement, and where it can be done machinery must be used, if there is much to do. The Americans are before us in this respect, for drains are cut in the States by an engine driving a draincutter, and this is one of the things that the Government might help in by importing a plant for this purpose, to demonstrate how this can be done in the cheapest way. Horse machines have been used, but not many farms have a sufficient number of horses for draught purposes. Where the mole-plough has been used judiciously and with proper tiled outlets, the result has been profitable; but this style of draining is limited to land having a suitable subsoil. Motors have not yet proved generally successful in replacing horses on the arms. Fuel has been so high in price as to make their running too expensive for the work done. With olir soils and climate there are many of the minor ways of putting the land to profitable use which, as time goes on, may be more in vogue; but it will be some time before any great progress can be made in this

With regard to meat, the prospect -for fat lambs is good, and the prices are such as to stimulate the numbers bred and frozen. There can be considerable expansion in this branch of farming. Other fats are not likely to meet such a good market. Wool is at present the doubtful product, but signs are not wanting that European countries wilt be able to absorb some of the surplus wool m the hands of the Imperial Government. If the surplus is materially decreased, the future of the demand for our chief product is. fairly good. Meanwhile farmers can increase products, and they must be encouraged to do so; but this js somewhat dependent upon the cost of production, and the advice is sound ‘'to produce more and spend less.” J have no doubt that farmers will do their part. Let us remember that everyone who labors with the earth—in the* language of Scripture, “njaketh it bring forth and bud, ihat it may give seed to the sower and bread tq t|ie eater”—ls engaged in a form of national service, and one that assuredly will not lose its reward.