LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

Te Ao Hou, Summer 1954, Page 41

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE Here in Connecticut, April is the first month of spring, and with the coming of spring, comes transformation—transformation which is particularly striking; in fact, almost miraculous to a New Zealander like myself. For, in a few short weeks, the drab, dull and uninteresting landscape of leafless trees, dormant and frost-browned pastures and grey granite boulders is changed into a scene of overwhelming activity on the part of nature. Trees which appeared stark and naked burst into blossom—particularly cherry trees—the oaks, elms and maples change from grey to green, and farmers talk of how soon it will be before the herd will be able to be turned out on to pasture. Even so, I find the spring air chilly enough to necessitate my wearing two shirts and a sweater while working about the farm. Spring here is very important to the farmer. All winter long he has to house his stock, feed them and care for them, and now he looks forward to the time when he can graze his cattle on pasture, cut down his grain feeding, which consumes such a large portion of his milk cheques, and spend extra time in attending to farm work about the farm, instead of grooming, feeding and cleaning out barns. This is the picture that has been presented to me during the past month. Everywhere I have been, and on all farms that I have stayed the situation is the same. No one mentions the win- ter that has just passed; the snow which has lain feet deep; the ice storms which play havoc with electric wires and break large limbs off the trees; the frost which has killed the clover in their pastures, or the 33 days of rain that we have had during the last 50 days. But all look forward to and talk of making hay and silage, planting corn or building a new barn to house

the heifers in next winter. This attitude of looking forward to the future with optimism, and making light of the more monotonous side of dairying—housing stock for six months of the year—is typical, I think, of dairy farmers in Connecticut.