THE FARMING OUTLOOK.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9079, 1 May 1908, Page 5

THE FARMING OUTLOOK.

RETROSPECT AND PROSPECT. MR W. C. BUCHANAN'S VIEWS.

Some interesting remarks were made by Mr W. C. Buchanan at the annual meeting of the Carterton P. and A. Society, in reference to the position of breeders, and particularly those interested in freezing, both as regarded the past season and the immediate future. / Mr Buchanan said that at one time farmers were alwayo in the greatest need of information regarding freezing. Happily that was not the case now, and in the' papers were never seen now discussions as to whether the farmers were getting fair prices f for their meat or not. Farmers now knew their business so well that such J discussions were superfluous, they were able to command the highest market price. The feature ol the past year bad been the nearest approach to an Australian drought which had ever been experienced. From Carterton to the hilJs the country had baen in a very bad state for,; want of rain, the result being that the number of lambs exported was not so great as had been the case lor a number of years past, while the quality of the exports suffered in a degree. The price of wool had also suffered an unprecedented fall, and he was afraid some wool exported from this district would only realise half of the highest price reached for the past two years. Still he hoped the cloud had a silver lining, and the price would not long keep at the present' level. The reason for the decline in prices was the large number of unemployed on the Continent of Europe and America, and the consequent lessened market demand. This fall in wool had, perhaps, been chiefly responsible for the lowering of the price of sheep. Then there was the pelt market which now stood at about half what it did a year or two ago, being about Is 6d for best qualities, as against some 3s of the better times. Mutton, fortunately, kept on at fairly strong basis, prices being steady and remu-' nerative. It was greatly desirable that the wool market should recover its normal price, which no doubt, it soon would do. There was one thing farmers could congratulate themselves on, and that was the few weeks of wonderful weather which had superceded the drought. Personally, he had never seen such a phenomenal season for grass, and though things looked very gloomy towards the end of March, and especially for dairy farmers, they had now greatly improved prospects, and things all round were assuming a more promising aspect. (Applause.)