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export. Six years later, in 1928, the total number of sheep had risen to 27,133,810, and the number of breeding-ewes to 15,534,051, while the resultant lamb export had risen to 5,924,876 ; and the interim sheep returns which are just to hand show that our flocks have passed the twenty-nine million mark. This year the export of lamb has reached six million carcasses. The Argentine during the first five months of this year increased its export of lambs to London by half a million, with a consequent dropping of the price on the London market as compared with last year. Now, if the duties on wheat are reduced, it may mean an increase in the number of lambs produced from New Zealand. Let us assume that the average wheat land will fatten three lambs to the acre. As there are this year 260,000 acres in wheat, this would give an increase in the number of lambs for export of 780,000. Can we afford to do this, thus breaking the price, which would affect every lamb exported from New Zealand, North Island and South Island alike ? In the cable news from Australia on the 4th September reference was made to the increase of lamb-export from New Zealand, and the meat-market at Home has broken to some slight extent. If this happens under normal wheat-growing conditions, how much greater is the danger to the New Zealand exporter if we export, say, an additional threequarters of a million carcasses of lamb a year ? The interdependence of one system of farming upon other branches is shown by the above, and you cannot injure one branch without its having serious effects on other branches. Statement of Alexander F. Campbell, of Fairlie. (No. 30.) I am a member of the South Canterbury executive of the Farmers' Union, member of the Mackenzie County Council, and member of the Timaru Harbour Board. My farm at Fairlie consists of 816 acres, valued at £15 an acre. I consider wheat-growing in New Zealand, on lands that are suitable, most essential for the welfare of the country. It enables farmers with small holdings of good land to carry on more profitably than they could do with sheep, as they would be unable to carry a sufficient number of sheep in order to make a living, whereas with wheat, provided the season is reasonably good and the sellingrprice right, a bigger return could be obtained from wheat than from sheep. My estimate of a return from an acre of wheat would be, say, 30 bushels at 65., £9 ; cost of growing, as per estimate given later, £8 10s. ; leaving 10s. I append schedule of my costs. Of course, included in the cost of the wheat-growing would be the farmer's own work, which when considered would give him a better return. If wheat were not grown in New Zealand we would have to depend on outside sources for our supplies, which in some years might be very costly. We would also have to send out a huge sum of money to pay for these supplies, which would be most undesirable. It would also give the supplying country a good opportunity to exploit our helplessness. Look at the amount of employment wheat-growing gives—putting the crop in, harvesting, threshing, carting, railway carriage, storage, handling on wharves when being shipped, besides employment given to flour-millers and mill hands, also implement-manufacturers, horse-cover makers, tractor-makers, and a host of others, who, if it were not for the great amount of work entailed in growing wheat, would otherwise have to be idle. After all, a few pence difference in the price of a loaf of bread is nothing if a person can earn good wages through growing the bread. If a man is unable to get work, what matters it if he gets the loaf for next to nothing if he has no money through lack of employment to buy the loaf with ? Bread is the cheapest article of food on the table. Meat is the costly item. The North Island, it should be remembered, is a very large supplier of beef for the South Island; but our wheat crop, what effect is this going to have on the South Island's purchasing-power for North Island beef ? I think it is to be regretted that tractor cultivation, although very beneficial for rush periods, is fast supplanting the horse on the farm, and the essentials for running the tractor are not produced on the farm, necessitating sending money out of the country to keep the tractor going. Horse cultivation has the advantage that the supplies are produced on the farm, consequently the runningexpense is not felt to the same extent. If the sliding scale of duties is taken off and nothing put in its place to ensure farmers getting round about 6s. per bushel for growing wheat—well, the uncertainty would compel them to discontinue the wheat industry. Farmers have enough to gamble on with the weather without having to gamble on the price. What with the risk of north-westers, blights, wet harvests, grubs, take-all, &c., the game is too risky if the price is not guaranteed. The farmer will have to try and eke out an existence some other way. There is also another matter which in my opinion requires investigation —viz., the profits the flour-miller makes from flour made from a ton of wheat ; also the profit the baker makes from bread made from a ton of flour, as compared with the profit of the farmer from a ton of wheat, and the time he has to wait for his return compared with the others. I think if that were done it would not be hard to find who gets the lion's share. Cost of growing wheat (per acre) : — Putting in— £ s. d. Skim ploughing . . .. . • ■ ■ • • • ■ 0 10 0 Disking (later on), double stroke .. .. .. .. ..050 Harrowing (one stroke) .. .. .. . . . . ..013 Deep ploughing .. .. . • •. .. .. 012 0 Disking (twice) .. .. .. •• •• .. ..050 Harrowing (double stroke) .. .. .. .. .. ..026 Drilling .. .. .. .. ■■ .. ..030 Harrowing after drill (one stroke) .. .. .. .. ..013 Seed wheat, 2 bushels at 6s. 6d. per bushel .. . . . . .. 013 0 Fertilizer, 1J cwt. at 7s. per hundredweight .. .. . . ..089 Pickling wheat and, with fertilizer, carting to paddock .. .. ..010 Rolling in spring .. .. .. .. .. . . ..020 Also, perhaps, stroke of harrows .. .. .. .. ..013 Forward .. .. .. .. .. .. ..£360