A. P. CAMPBELL.]

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I have referred he will think twice before again embarking on the purchase of implements and teams and all other necessary equipment to enable him to effectively carry on his wheat-growing. If a farmer did not go wholly out of wheat his team and implements would still be employed, but not to their full capacity, with consequent loss, while if he went wholly out of wheat-growing his team could not be nearly so effectively employed, with a corresponding loss to labour. Bounties : lam opposed to the suggestion of bounties, for the reason that here again there is no certainty as to the bounty—there is no certainty as to a continuity of policy, the cost of administering the bounties is considerable, and the farmer would not know except from year to year, and then probably not until his crop was in or harvested, what he was going to get, and it would be unreasonable to expect him to gamble in this respect. It would destroy confidence in the rotation of crops. Then, again, the bounties would depend not upon the advantage or otherwise of the wheat crop to the community, but would merely depend upon political expediency, political considerations, and the condition of the exchequer for the time being, and the effect would, I think, strike a blow at the confidence of wheat-growers, without which it is utterly impossible for New Zealand to become a selfcontained country as to its wheat-supply. Pig-raising : With regard to the suggestion that the persons raising pigs cannot get the offals of wheat to enable them to properly feed their pigs, I think this is accounted for largely by the fact that they are not purchasing direct from the millers, but from merchants and storekeepers, and that the merchants and storekeepers are bleeding them. It is a well-known fact that Australia largely consumes her offals from wheat, particularly in drought times, and the price of pollard and bran in the North Island is very largely dictated by the prices in Australia, and not by the local price. Assuming that our wheat industry went, and we imported from Australia, they probably would not let us import wheat, but would send us flour, keeping their offals for themselves. I know this has been done in the past, and is a recognized fact, and the pig industry would be in a worse plight than ever if it had to depend upon outside supplies. Schedule of my costs :— £ s. d. Rent .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 2 17 9 Skim ploughing .. .. .. .. .. .. ..076 Cultivating .. .. .. .. .. .. ..060 Harrowing .. .. .. .. .. .. ..016 Deep ploughing .. .. .. . . .. .. .. 012 6 Harrowing .. .. .. .. .. .. ..016 Drilling .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..030 Harrowing .. .. .. .. .. .. ..-016 Seed (1J bushels) .. .. .. .. .. .. ..090 Manure (1 cwt.) .. .. .. .. .. .. ..060 Rolling .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..026 Harrowing (spring) .. .. .. .. .. ..016 Fence and ditches.. .. .. .. .. .. ..036 Residue from grass .. .. . . .. .. ..100 Reaping .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..050 Binder-twine .. .. .. .. .. .. ..040 Stooking .. .. .. .. .. .. ..040 Stacking . . .. .. . . .. .. .. 011 6 Threshing .. .. .. .. .. .. ..100 Carting grain .. .. .. .. .. .. ..050 Sacks and twine .. .. .. .. .. .. ..026 £9 5 9 Average per acre, 40 bushels. Cost per acre, £9 ss. 9d. -r- 40 —- 4s. 7|d. It will be noted in the above that I have made no provision for interest on working-costs, no charge for depreciation of plant or buildings ; nor have I made any charge for supervision or management, nor any charge for land-tax. Statement of Alan Gbant, Farmer, of Waimate. (No. 32.) I am a farmer residing at Waimate, where I own a farm containing 233 acres of rich agricultural land. Formerly I leased a property at Orari, South Canterbury, containing 268 acres, which I relinquished in 1924 and acquired my present holding. I engaged in mixed farming at Orari, including from 40 to 50 acres of wheat every year, and although I sold my wheat one year at 7s. 2d. a bushel I was forced to the conclusion that, taking one year with another, there was no profit in the industry, and I decided to turn my attention to something more profitable, if possible. I therefore acquired a stud-sheep farm, my present holding, but having certain paddocks in rotation for wheat I continued wheat-growing on my present property. After taking three crops and still making no profit even with fair prices for that cereal I formed the opinion that if the market happened to fall the position would be serious for me, and I decided to confine my activities to sheep-breeding. My family is young and any labour required I have to pay for, and my opinion is that in these circumstances it is next to impossible to make a profit from wheat-growing under these conditions. I realize that a farmer with his own family to do the work may make wheat-growing pay, but not as lam situated. The risks of growing wheat are too great for me to take, The farmer must take the risk of the yield, which

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