THE WAIKATO FARMER

Waikato Times, Volume 119, Issue 19893, 23 May 1936, Page 29 (Supplement)

THE WAIKATO FARMER

MWJDITID .y o, I. cmmmmmm L 4 page devoted to assisting the W aikato farmer to make the fullest possible use of the great natural advantages of the Waikato and to thereby develop the most prosperous farming community in the world.

The M“ World. Until the evil of so-celled economic nationalism is killed and the nations of the world regain sanity and trade with one another there must continue the tragic position or the primary producers of the world producing abundant food smug and vast numbers of oonsumers unable to purchase them. Speaking recently in England 01’ this problem Mr W. Forgan Smith, Premier of Queensland. said that it the people of Europe used the sugar they need there would not only he no world surplus but in Europe alone there would he a shortage of 5,500,000 tons. In European countries that were largely exporting sugar the local retail price was as high as 7id, with the result that the consumption per head was as low as 3211) per hes-d. The same applied to other commodities. Holland the quotation for mutter the previous

day was 7d per pound. !.o.ib.. while the ‘price being charged to domestic cossumers was 25 6d :per pound. It was almost Incredible, said Mr Forgan Smith, that this form 0! economic insanity should continue to exist. ‘ C U U I Poverty-stricken Produce". With the markets of their neighbours barred and locked against them the peasant producers of many European countries are living in a slate of poverty, that is according to a recently issue work entitled “Peasant Europe," written by a man (a farmer) who personally investigated the position. He says that while 7 per cent. of the population of England are engaged in‘ agricutlure in Bulgaria there are 82 per: cent, Poland 75, Bumania. and Yugo—slavia 80, Hungary 60. and Czechoslovakia 40 per cent. Briefly, it is said, all these people are in such a state of

poverty that they are too poor to buy l [sufficient quantities of those three es- I ,sentlals of their village life: matches, lsalt and oil. Matches are definite Luxuries. When a box of fifty safeties has been purchased it is so precious that a peasant. before using them “splits each match into four, long—ways, so that a'quarter or the head is Ileit on each stick. Each box of ‘malChes becomes 200." Thus are the ‘ peasants fighting world depression. In ‘ Isome cases they have gone back to} mm and steel, but this in certain (113— I trlcts is illegal, as matches are taxed. As the peasants cannot sell their produce they consume most of it. They feed their grain to their stock, and eat the result. They make their own clothes from their own produce, use candles made from sheep's tallow. and boots or sheepskin. The author concludes: “ l! the day comes when the l

debt load is tightened and tho.eficctive cash income of every peasant home raised to 55 a week, Western Europe will discover that the potentialitlEs of the vast Chinese market are no greater than the appetite or this 'other Europe' which lies at our \"Cl‘y doors." ‘ O U C I A Visit to Denmark. 1 Some years ago a young Danish Itstudent came to New Zealand to ob—tain a. practical insight into our methlods of dairying. He had gained a ‘scholarship to enable him to study the other dairying countries of the world. His name was Th.. Rosenstand, lie Iwas a typical Dane. His investigation consisted in getting work on different dairy farms and as a herd testing offl—cer. He worked on ‘one farm, on a swamp. The owner was very sorry to part with him. Not only could he i‘dO the work of two men (the owner said he would gladly have given him ‘53 a week) but he made the evenings iintensely interesting. Rosenstand made lvery many friends in NeW'Zealand. They will be glad to hear that he is new principal of the Agricultural College at Korinth, Denmark. .\lr Leith Napier, New Zealand Director of Pacific Potash Limited. who is now on a visit to Europe to investigate the latest developments in fertiliser prob—llama, had the pleasure of meeting Mr

Bosen‘stand last month, Mr Rosen—stand asked to he very kindly remem—bered to “all the nice people he met {in New Zealand." \\‘riting of his visit [to Denmark Mr Napier says: “ This is la most delightful country to visit, and. .I should think, to live in. I have lnever met more friendly or more lkindly people anywhere." * m a- : IHart-owing: 5 Quite a number of people are deielaring that the use of a penetrating lharrow is unnecessary, even undesir~ éable. The true position is that harirowing with a penetrating harrow can be of great benefit to a pasture, but ’it must be with the right harrow. used at the right time and in the right way. For instance. the objection has been raised that the harrow tears out tufts of grass but does not tear out the weeds. Here it is probably a case of using the wrong type of barrow. The harrow should make a clean cut. Others say that opening up the soil encourages weeds. This should certainly not occur where the right harrow is used in the winter months. The important fact to remember is that the clean cutting penetrating harrow serates the soil, and this should serve a most valuable purpose. This aeration and drainage of the soil should encourage the nitrirylng process and make for a much longer period of active growth 01' pasture. Discussing this matter Dr. Annett suggests that the use of e. spiked roller, as is used for golf greens, etc.. might be well worth while. It would give aeration over a larger surface. A drag harrow could be used in front of the roller. - t I: 2r consolidation of Soil. An argument being used is that con—solidation of our light soils is even more important than harrowing. True, it is most desirable that light soils should be consolidated. for this means providing the right soil conditions for ryegrass and the better classes. Time and again this fact must have come to the observant farmer, for where there are tracks and around gateways the ryegrass seems to thrive under this system of natural punishment. Then there is the good effect or crowding big mobs of sheep on a small area and ‘the wonderful influence of pigs in rapidly developing a rye—grass award. It is stated by British research workers that the effect of the tread of sheep extends to even a greater depth than the effect of tho plough. And the same thing would probably apply to tho treading effect of pigs, It is here where the value of the small field and the use of'shcep asiollmvcrs—on is seen to be so important. " 9‘ 'l ! ‘Vttamtna. ‘ In a recent statement by Professor Dr. H. E. Woodman, or the School of Agriculture, Cambridge University, on vitamins emphasis is laid on the rash that a food that carries every vitamin and is therefore the most valuable of all foods to the farmer is green grass, and Dr. \Voodman, who is the originator of the dried grass idea. declares that dried grass, that is dried grass made from grass in the leaf stage, is also a source of all the vita—mins. The nutrition authorities of Britain are attaching great importance to the dried grass. At a recent discussion on it at Oxford University one speaker said that it might be selling for a high price now but soon all farmers would be making it and then it would not pay to make for sale. But another speaker pointed out that it was selling at a price that was double what it cost to make it so there was to long way to go before its making for sale would be unprofitable. ‘ in talking of vitamins Dr. \Voodman said there was a close connection between vitamin A (the prolonged absence of which from the diet retards growth in young animals and lowers resistance to disease in the mature animal) and carotene. the yellow pigment in all forms of vegetation. Though carotene is not identical with vitamin A it is able to undergo transformation lnto the vitamin in the sub mal’s body. In the final paragraph in his statement Dr. Woodman says: “The pas—ture in summer represents the high—est level oi.’ vitamin supply. and the adoption of my proposals for conserving young grass by artificial drying will enable this summer supply to be carried over into the winter, thus help—[ing to promote a higher degree of health and vigour in the live stock of the country." Though Dr. \Voodman does not mention it well—made cnsilas‘e made from grass in the leaf stage would be probably Just as good a sourm oi’ lvitamln supply as dried grasso a n- o Nitrogen for Winter Growth. The time is drawing to a close when it will be too late to apply nitrogen in order to ensure winter grass. Nitro—gen to pasture in which perennial rye is dominant is the next best thing to producing a. crop of Italian rye for winter feeding. Many progressive farmers are finding that it is a much better proposition to use nitrogen this month than to provide ensilage for lVViDter feeding. They say they must [have the ensilage without the bother to: making it and carting it out. June ;is too late to use nitrogen except in [very well shellcrcd fields. i One farmer who tops his field well !and then applies the liquid manure 31hr: has savml. says he gets; quite good iuinicr grass. And it is certainly lictltcr \vlion apply”: suri: nmnuro to use Til‘lc Imuv‘ll‘uiin: lmrrmv immediately llmi‘m‘o lliv .Im limitinn. lli' tin-so tiny; jun .‘ll'i‘ liil' il‘Httl twin: .l\ ri-uimmii‘nl 1.45 \\n rllirillll it" ’l'lit: jer'wiilv- \\llti hut! in iminhm t'i‘i‘t‘lil; lem’i- lHt‘ .li. rmr-i') wi' rrifl :.t" [V l'illl-l‘l\ I'uii’ni it"t‘:| .i l»'\‘ H 1" l‘l»i"'i|l"'i':l‘il.ll'i' i: \HilJ'iiili‘ it til imi-ii 'i’l ll lr‘ Hugh Him in i:"‘i .\nil therefore ,all those stmnie sols which leans their

muck heaps abroad and subject to‘ weather, show themselves to be but mean husbandmen and that they never tasted of any true naturall pllilosOphie. For the rain which iaiieth upon the dungue-hills, flowing downwards into the valleys. does also carry with it the salt of the dungue." 0n the great majority of terms the only green thing to be seen in the lilelds in winter are the vivid green {patches‘whleh have received some natural nitrogen during the preceding season. And yet the value or nitrogen for winter grass is hard to drive home. I i Q l Grouplnq Show cattle. At one show at least the idea of grouping all the cattle oi.’ one breeder together. instead of having all the cattle in each class by themselves. has been adopted. Very naturally the smaller breeder. have objected. In any case the idea is only favourable for the larger breeders who want to impress buyers visiting the show. in big oversea shows that last for about a week the concession'to exhibitors who have to attend to their cattle for such a period is instilled perhaps. but in the show lasting for a day or two the system makes it quite impossible for the visiting farmer to get any real educative value from the show. Every—one who pays for admittance should be afforded full opportunity to see the animals competing in each class fairly close together, for only then can any real lesson be learnt from the Judge's decision. With the placed animals probably at far removed parts of the building this is quite impossible. it may be convenient and profitable for the individual breeder to have all his stock together, but it destroys all in—terest in a show for the keen onlookcr.