The Temuka Leader SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1884. GRAIN GROWING.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1265, 15 November 1884, Page 2

The Temuka Leader SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1884. GRAIN GROWING.

Mr Tripp’s letter and the extract which he was kind enough to forward to up, which we published in our last issue, hold out very poor prospects for farmers. Growing grain will not pay at present prices. Th*t seems to be the. unanimous opinion of the best informed on the subject, and the question then arises: What will pay? The land here was bought too dear for pastoral pursuits ; it would hardly pay to devote it entirely to sheep and cattle, and, besides, it would be found necessary to break it and cultivate it occasionally so as to keep it in condition. These facts intensify the interest which people in this district must naturally feel in the price of grain. We are very much dependent upon it -owing to the fact that this is essentially a giain-growing district, raid consequently it is a matter for serious consideration. Our opinion is that these matters will right themselves in the course of time. If it does not pay to grow grain in a district like this, where the average yield is equal to any almost in the world, it certainly cannot pay in less productive countries. The average yield cf grain in the Geraldine County is 25.66 bushels per acre, which is within a fraction of being equal to England, nearly twice as much as New South Wales, and two and a-half limes as much as any of the other colonies or America. Il stands to reason, therefore, that if wo can grow nearly two bushels to the one grown in the same area of land elsewhere we can compete with other countries in grain growing, and that they must cease to grow it sooner than we, This argues that if the present prices do not pay in this district they cannot pay elsewhere, and that consequently people all over the world must grow less grain than they have been doing during the past few years. This we think is the commonsense way of looking at it, and from tins we come to the conclusion that DU overproduction must soon cease, and that as a consequence prices will go up again. Prices have been as low as they are now, before, but they have gone up again. They were brought down before by similar causes and landholders found the production of grain unprofitable. Naturally enough they restricted their operations, and did not grow so much of it as they had been accustomed lo do, with the result that the supply became limited and the price increased. We do not profess to possess the power of prophecy, but at the same time we do not hesitate to hazard an opinion that in 1886 the prices will be much better than they are at present. There is very little hope of good prices next year, and as a consequence fanners will not put in much grain the following year. The result of this will be diminished supply and increased demand with good prices. Better prices must be got or else the cultivation of wheat will cease. As regards the Indian wheat supply crushing out all others, we do not think the matter is so formidable as people imagine. Labor is certainly cheap there, the land is productive enough, and Us extent is enormous, but at the same time though it may effect prices to some extent it cannot supply the market altogether. Besides, India has been sending wheat to England for many years, aud it has not increased its supply so enormously lately. Me have not the statistics at hand just now, but we remember that the increase in the Indian wheat supply is nothing to be alarmed at. We therefore do not fear but that prices will improve. In fact they must improve or wheat will not be grown at all, and as our soil is extremely productive grain growing will yet be profitable here. There is one thing necessary and that is cheap labor. We have frequently pointed out how this could bo got. Wo have shown that if a farm laborer is given a lease of a house and five or six acres of land at a binall rental lie will he able to work cheaper than he can when he has to pay a high rent for a house in town. We shall hold over this matter lor a future occasion.