SHEEP FARMING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 February 1940, Page 11

SHEEP FARMING

HILL COUNTRY PROBLEMS CHECKING DETERIORATION. DISTRICT SURVEY URGED. (By H. Morrison & R. F. R. Beetham, Masterton.) To assist us in the preparation of this report on hill country farming in the Wairarapa a meeting was held at which the following were present: Messrs Jas Andrew, R. W. KebbeU, E. Dalziell and I. Speedy. This report is the result of our discussions and deliberations at the meeting. Sheep farming is now the major industry of New Zealand. Hill country farming produces about 90 per cent of the wool as well as being the foundation of the fat lamb trade supplying the ewes for the lower country and also the mutton and lamb as well as being the breeding ground for all store cattle for the beef trade—both local and overseas. One of the major problems confronting the sheep industry in New Zealand today is how, with the hill country farming slipping back, are we going to supply the steadily increasing demand for breeding ewes from those farming the lowlands. Now coming to extra production for war purposes —hill farmers are very keen, but. unfortunately for us we can only work on a long term policy, because if we hasten production, it means overstocking and deterioration and if the war were prolonged it would mean less production instead of increasing it. There are, however, certain suggestions we hope to make and which would be of assistance over a moderately short, period. SHORT TERM POLICY In order not only to increase production but to maintain the present production and check deterioration it is recommended that the 4B scheme should be made more elastic. To this end we make the following suggestions: (1) The scheme should be extended to cover all second growth which is at present considered as maintenance work only and for which no subsidy is granted. (2) In the past when the 4B scheme was used to absorb unemployed men the scheme was satisfactory for that purpose but today when the scheme should be used in order to urgently increase production to help feed the Old Country, then we emphatically consider that any man, irrespective of being registered as unemployed or not, should be available under the scheme. This refers to what might be known as “professional scrub-cutters” but naturally does not refer to permanent farm hands.

(3) We recommend that a survey of waste ploughable areas should be made in the Wairarapa district with a view,

where the areas are suitable, to Public Works machinery being made available, to cultivate the land, or financial assistance be given to private contractors to enable them to undertake this class of work. The cost of cultivation either by the Public Works Department or private contractors could be repaid by the farmer, say, 25 per cent in the first year and the remainder over a period of years. Farm labour: Although we realise that if the army authorities require the farm labour, then they must go, we would point out that if they go as they are going at the present rate then the time will come when production must fall. LONG TERM POLICY This is an economic war and the financial effects will be felt over a decade or more. Therefore it is well for us to plan ahead —say for ten years at least. It is a fact that there is deterioration in the second and third class country in New Zealand, and it was recognised by the Government by the setting up of a Royal Commission which, owing to the war. has been postponed. Undoubtedly, this is a serious national problem which will have to be approached not only by the farmer himself. but also in a scientific way. Coming down briefly to a policy and looking at the mistakes of the past decade, we find that owing to low prices for beef there was a tendency to overstock sheep and not carry sufficient cattle. With the increase in the fat lamb trade over the past two decades it meant semi-mass production on the hill country forces for fat lamb raising on the lower country, and breeding on country that was originally called dry sheep country. This meant that part of the mineral content was being drained out of the land by wet ewes which led to country that was in rye grass and clover ultimately coming into danthonia. and despite additional sub-division and a certain amount of topdressing, near the homesteads generally, this land is not producing the numbers that it did, say, in the past one or two decades. With this brief explanation of the reasons for deterioration in hill country we now come to the very difficult problem which is facing the hill-coun-try farmer of New Zealand. For example, a policy that would suit the warm areas of the East Coast, near the sea, would not be adaptable to the wetter and colder country 'under the ranges. But as the bulk of the Wairarapa country is in an easterly position facing towards the East Coast it will be necessary to concentrate first on the largest portion of the country. NEED FOR RESEARCH We can honestly say that although there has been research in dairying, in the better grasses on the first class country, in fruit growing, even down to sugar beet, in the hill country farming which is one of the major in-

dustries of New Zealand, the research has been practically nil. Our opinion is, that this could be done quite economically without the purchase of new land by the Government, as. for example, the Okau section of the Matakana of 3,000 acres which is now being let out on tender for grazing purposes by the Government, would be quite suitable. This is third class country; produces good hogget and is merely pointed out as one block we know of. We recommend research in the following matters connected with hill country sheep farming: (1) Sub division: The cost of ordinary fences today is not economic, being about £250 per mile in the back blocks. Electric fences are only in their infancy but as these cut the costs down . enormously further research in this : direction could well be made for hill country. (2) Fertilisers: The question as to whether fertilisers could be economically used on back countries in con- ■ junction with subterranean clover, in view of heavy transport charges. ; (3) Sterility of ewes: No private in- ' dividual farmer can afford to research into the problem of overcoming the 1 sterility of ewes and this is a very urgent matter and is well worth further 1 investigation. (4) Grassing of scrub lands: Experi- 1 ments could be carried out on the grassing of scrub country after it has been burnt, to ascertain the most prolific grasses for this type of country, ( more esspecially in clovers. ; (5) Water supply: The question of ] water supply for dry areas could be j investigated so as to find the most eco- j nomic method and the most suitable , type of machinery. t (6) Rotational grazing on hill coun- £ try: This offers a wide field for investi- j gation and is one to which greater pub- . licity should be given. ' ( (7) Drainage: Economic drainage of , wet flat land; if possible by machinery. ( (8) Subterranean clover: In connec- t tion with the matter of subterranean . clover the results that are being ob- ( tained in the drier areas of Hawke's ( Bay are very satisfactory, and the pre- £ sent outlook is very promising for a j largo increase both of sheep and cattle on country that was purely danthonia. £ Research over a decade would add to t production enormously and might re- t volutionise the productive capacity of J this country. t In conclusion, in dealing with hill £ country it is impossible for one set of j men to bring out a solution of their troubles such as deterioration of land, j and this is only a very brief survey. The main thing is to tackle this prob- ( lem and over the experience of years f we have no doubt that many mistakes t might be made, but eventually with the favourable climatic conditions of New Zealand over a long period considerable progress could be made in checking the deterioration and increasing enormously what is now declining industry, and this would be for their benefit of the whole community.