The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, MAY 16,1882.

Temuka Leader, Issue 9416, 16 May 1882, Page 2

The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, MAY 16,1882.

Since we took possession of this paper we have never allowed an opportunity of pointing out to readers the advantages of starting local industries in this district to pass, We have shown that the district is the richest and the best in New Zealand ; that we are blessed with a magnificent climate; that we have the convenience of a railway and excellent roads, and that we want nothing but enterprise to make it a manufacturing centre. It gives us much pleasure, therefore, to find that steps are being taken to start a very desirable industry in our midst—that is a Butter, Cheese and Bacon-curing Factory—hut we "must express our disappointment at the apathy which the class it would benefit most have shown to it, Topsy, in Uncle Tom’s Cabin, used to say the reason she used to do wrong was because she was wicked, and that she could do no good unless she was whipped. The farmers of this district appear to us to be much like Topsy. They take no interest in what would do themselves good because they are care-

less, and they will take no action in any movement set on foot unless they driven to it. We know this is not very complimentary to them, but it is a good, wholesome, plain statement of facts, and may have the effect of stirring them to action. We la ow they would like to see industries started, they would like to have a market for their goods, but they will do nothing towards starting them. There is not a farmer with whom we have conversed who does not express d'sappointment at the failure of the Paper Mill—they say it was a great shame to let it die—but we venture to say that farmers did not take such interest in the matter as they ought, for if they did it would have existence in their midst now. Pavmers ought to learn the lesson taught in the fable about the lark that built her nest in-a field of corn, that if people do not do their own work it will be left undone. That is how the Paper Mill failed. Farmers who could easily take up 100, 200, or 300 shares, contented themseHrs Kvith 10, 20, and 3C shares, believing probably that merchants, lawyers, etc., in other cities would take them, and set it going for them, but they did not, and so the thing went to : the wall. We ask farmers how can they expect merchants and lawyers to have faith in a movement when they see the class which it would directly benefit who live in the district where it is proposed to establish it ,exhibiting so much apathy. It is simply preposterous to expect it, and farmers may aS well understand that unless they take more interest in these matters they will have to do without them. ' Let them, therefore, take a lesson from their experience ■ of the Paper Mill, and lend their, assistance in starting the newly proposed enterprise —the Butter, Cheese and Bacon-curing Factory. Let them examine it, and see for themselves whether ic is worthy of support, and if it is enter into it, not in a half-hearted apathetic way, but enthusiastically. We do not profess to be an expert in farming, but from the facts . which were laid by Mr Sando before the meeting held recently in this town we gather sufficient to lead us to belive that a Butter, Cheese and Bacon-curing Factory would be an excellent thing for this district. After making a minute inquiry iuio the matter, Mr Sando came to the conclusion that three pence per gallon would be the 1 minimum price the factory would pay for milk, and that that price would pay the farmer handsomely. It would give the larmcr, he said, for ten cows £126 per year, and it is a fact worthy of note that his figures tally with the figures given by farmers in America who have long experience of the factory system. The cost of producing £126 worth of milk from 10 cows on 20 anres of land be estimated as follows : Rent of land, £2 per acre £4O ; half of one servant’s wages £ls; wear and tear of utensils £2. and depreciation in value of cows £2, making in all £s9,and leaving a balance of £67 for the farmer to put in his own pocket. , Sixty-seven pounds profit from a farm of • 20 acres we should say is very good, and this we are told'would be got- from selling milk at threepence per gallon, - At this rate a farm of. 500 acres[would yield £1675 a year, after paying £IOOO rent for it.‘ Now the question for a farmer is, can this be done ? Is Mr Sando right in his calculations. The greatest mistake in Mr Sando’s statement is, we think that 20 acres of land would not feed 10 cows, but then we venture to say that the rent at £2 per acre is too high. Let us then suppose that 30‘acres is required .to feed 10 cows on. and that instead of charging £2 per acre we charge £1 per acre which is, nearer the mark, the position of the farmer is improved, and his pro r fits arc greater than Mr Sando put them down at. Exact as Mr Sando seems, to have gone into figures we think he; lost sight of a very important item—that is the value of the young of the cows, and the improvement their manure would effect in the land. If these matters are taken into consideration we are convinced that dairy farming is more profitable even than Mr Sando pictured it. The question that selling milk at threepence per gallon would pay the farmer is in our ■ opinion settled, Mr Connolly at the meeting said he would supply 60 gallons per day to the factory. At threepence per gallon this would give him £5 5s per week, for it must not be forgotten that ccws will give milk on Sunday. Would it not be very handy for a farmer to get a cheque for £5 5s every week ? We ask fanners to consider this. Now (he next question is; Can sufficient milk be got in the district to

keep a factory supplied ? Four hundred gallons per day is all that is required, or the milk of about 184 cows. Surely that much milk can easily be got. Is it not very stupid of those who tell us that sufficient milk could not be produced in this district? And now comes the question , t as. to , whether, the factory itself would pay ? After showing that there would be no difficulty in sending butter and .Cheese home to England, Mr Sando sot down the cost of nroducing it as follows; cheese at eightpence per pound would give £BO per ton in London, but it would cost £lO, of one penny per pound to place it in the London market. Therefore the net price of cheese would be sevenpence per pound, from which the price of milk threepence per gallon must be taken, and as every gallon of milk produces more, than one pound of cheese the net profit on each manufactured pound of cheese would be more than fourpence. Supposing ;a farmer was a, shareholder, and got as interest on his investment this fourpence profit' made on each gallon of milk he sold to the factory, and added to the threepence per gallon, at which he sold the milk, he would in reality have received altogether sevenpence per gallon. The working of the factory would be paid for by feeding pigs with the whey, at any rate experienced men have said so. Now we ask farmers, to reflect; on those matters. Are the figures given by Mr Sando correct ? could ten cows yield £67 per year by selling their milk at threepence per gallon, and if so ; how much would they yield by adding to it fourpence per gallon derived from shares in the factory Farmers had better to throw aside the apathy which has hitherto characterised? them, and look carefully into the matter. It they let this opportunity slip through their fingers it will be long again until any effort is made to start anything in this district.

At the butter and cheese factory meeting recently, Mr Hayhurst threw out a few hints wiih regard to the cultivation [of linseed. ' He stated that a man from Christchurch contemplated starting a factory in.this district if he got sufficient encouragement. 'With'a desire to make this piiper as useful to farmers as possible we have made inquiries into this industry, and the result is that we believe it is well worthy of attention. We find that average land will yield about one ton and a half of linseed straw per acre, and about 12501bs of seed. The straw would sell at £3 per ton and the seed at threepence per pound which would give the farmer £2O 2s 6d per acre for his land. Now compare this with the cultivation of wheat,, Land must be, better than average to yield 30 bushels of wheat per acre and prices must be better than usual to bring 5s per bushel, therefore under more than advantageous circumstances only £7 10s per acre can be made out of wheat. This shows that the cultivation of linseed, or Irish flax as it is sometimes called, is about three times more profitable than wheat. How is it farmers never consider these matters fl To .show that the prices set on linseed are below the average, we may state that the manager of the Farmers’ Co-operative Society, is ready to guarantee to get fourpenco per pound for it ib the English market. We are told, that linseed would not entail much more trouble and expense, and that the land after two years cropping would be the most suitable. The land should be ploughed shallow in autumn, reploughed deep and allowed to remain so during winter, ploughed very lightly .and, rolled into a very fine surface in 'spring, when the seed might be sown: Now as regards the cost of starting a flax mill in this district we believe that £2OOO would set it going handsomely *, as to whether it would be a success -we cun only quote the fob. lowing figures. Every ton of straw would yield 280 lbs of fibre, which when converted into two ply twine would sell at 8d per lb, giving the gross price of the toil £9 ,6s Bd, or after having paid £6 for the straw £6 6s Bd. net. The twine would be far superior to the American, and would run 100 yards more to the pound. Besides the £6 6s Bd, the tow which would come off the straw would be so very valuable that it would very probably pay for the labor. But this is not all. There are other industries which would run in harness with it, such as the manufacture of linseed oil, the making of coarse canvass, webbing, shop twine, etc. We understand that there is a man in the same business in Christchurch very anxious to start in this district. He has some capital, and he would be willing to invest it provided he got sufficient encouragement from the farmers. If farmers consulted their own interests they would give their attention to this matter at once.

Defbbbed Payment Land. The deferred payment settlers of Otago, who have purchased their land by auction at high prices, and have much difficulty in paying up instalments, are agitating to have their grievances placrd before Parliament this session. A public meeting is to be held in Dunedin on the 27th instant, in connection with the matter.