THE CEREAL OUTLOOK.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3164, 15 April 1909, Page 7

THE CEREAL OUTLOOK.

The latest returns from the Aigicultural DeiJartment as to the grain crops, shows that the wheat of the Dominion averaged 33 bushels per acre, giving a total yield of 8,328,903 bushels. This is the highest for the last four years. In 1904-5 it was about 800,000 bushels more, and we have to go back to 1898-9 for a larger yield, when we then had 399,000 acres in wheat, which yielded 13,000,000 bushels. How much do we i-equire of this year's wheat for home consumption? Probably 5,500,000 bushels, and another 500,000 bushels for seed, making in all 6,000,000 bushels. We will, therefore, have a considerable quantity for export. Some years ago in the Wellington Province the wheat growers around Marton, rinding that they had more wheat than the local market would absorb, and knowing that as long as this was th'e case wheat would remain at low rates, met and decided that thoss who held any quantity should ship half of it. This was done, and it realised 2s 9d to 3s per pushel nett. We notice, says the "Farmers" Union Advocate," the Cheviot branch are suggesting some such course should be followed this year, and we think the executive of the Canterbury province would do well to take the matter up, and make inquiries as to the cost of shipping and selling wheat in the London market. At present it is quoted in Canterbury at 3s 8d and 3s 9d, and at Home the latest quotation is 40s to 40s 6d, which would mean 5s a bushel (wheat is sold by the quarter at Mark Lane, and the lOOlbs at Liverpool), and with reasonable freight it should net as much as at present in Canterbury and Otago. Elesewhere there is probably r,ot more than can locally consumed, aa ia shown by the following table £2 Province. , Acres in Wheat. Auckland 2,594 Hawke's Bay 668 Taranaki 756 Wellington 6,000 Marlborough 1,978 Nelson 1,071 Canterbury 183,015 Otago 56,390

If the executive of Canterbury and Otago took the lead and arranged freight with the shipping companies, and the branches of the various wheat-growing districts ascertained who would ship portion of their wheat, the matter could be dealt with in a month or two. But shipping companies deal better with a combined body naturally, for it meant that they can get some idea of tha number of bushels which their arrangements accordingly. , No time should be lost in taking the preliminary steps, and no body are better qualified than the Canterbury executive to make a start.

With oats it is more difficult to deal. The latest estimates of yields is that there will be a total of over 17,000.000 bushels grown in the Dominion. At the most we could not deal with much rmre than 12,000,000 locally, unless they were stored against next year, which seldom pays. Prices at Home are not so encouraging as in the case of wheat. Although no New Zealand oats are quoted, it is not likely that they would fetch 'in London more than 20s a quarter, with about Is to Is 3d cost (according to freight) from the port. The Australian market is likely to be well supplied by home-grown oats, for they have had a bumper crop. There is then little choice—for the surplus must be got r'd of—and this lies between shipping, and feeding to stock. We believe a few oats fed to ewes would pay well, for although fats are at a much lower level than usual, wool keeps up, and it would be almost certain to increase the weight of the fleece by one or one and a-half pounds. A bushel of oats, at the rate of half a pound per diem, would last for 80 days, arrd bring the ewes out of the winter in good condition, and this would ensure a healthy crop of lambs. There is another source of stock-feeding, viz., cows and pigs. No doubt crushed oats will form the principal grain food for pigs this winter, and it would be well worth a dairyman's consideration whether it would not pay him to feed crushed oats to his cows in milk. The outlook for oats is not satisfactory, but it will have to be settled somehow. In barley the yield is about 500,000 bushels more than the average for ! the last ten years and just about the same as it was in the two years 1899 and 1900. But the demand does not seem to have overtaken the supply though for ordinary samples, not suitable for malt, the price has fallen considerably, in sympathy with oats.