WHEAT GROWING.

Marlborough Express, Volume LI, Issue 84, 11 April 1917, Page 7

WHEAT GROWING.

THE MINISTERIAL CAMPAIGN

HON. W. D. S. MacDONALD

OPTIMISTIC

In the course of an interview with a. Lvtte 11.011 limes reporter last week, the "Hoir. W. D. S. MaeDonald, Minister fur Agriculture, had something -to say regarding his recent tour of the South Island to impress upon farmers the necessity for ' putting in wheat crops. "I have held over twenty meetings of farmers from Christchurch to Invereargill," said the Minister, "and I intend lielding four more meetings in this district before returning to "Wellington on Saturday evening. On t\w. whole, the meetings have been very satisfactory. At practically '.every meeting a resolution has been carried affirming that the farmers prjsent should use their best endeavors to put in an increased area ,ofwheat. The Waikari and adjoining county farmers have agreed to put in at least an additional 20 per cent.,, of grain this season. Farmers generally seem to recognise their responsibility a 1 their duty to the country, a ad* if t .u-n reasonable weather conditions J sufficient labor they will not fail to respond to the Government's rcqu. t. '-'There appears to be a considerable quantity of wheat in the hands ofjrmillers at present and some farmers abo appear to be holding largo quantities, and as the threshing has liot vet been completed it will be impossible to say what shortage, if any, will exi-fc in the Dominion. I in- j tend having a close inspection made | of all grain in hand, crops unthreshed, «nd arens being ploughed up for wheat emving. "In regard to seed wheat, a slight difficulty" appears to have arisen in connect -an with the price and the method of procuring it, many millers having 'ought largely both milling .and scffl wheat. I am having the matter investigated also, with a viov; to placing it on a more satisfactory basis, sc that those intending to sow ■wheat v/ill be able to procxire the necessary seed. _ ■ "Owinp; to tho continued dry weather in North Canterbury, the outlook for putting in an increased area of cereals is not very promising. Farmers are up against a hard proposition, more" especially as the .two precedinc;; crops have been very light and unpayable from the commercial standpoint. «I hope the work of the Emc-icn^y Board, in co-operation with iho ■ Agricultural Department and the

Government, will prove satisfactory. Many fn.rnors are of the opinion that if they could get a crop -own there would* be no great difficulty v in # connection ■■ with the harvest. It is recognised, of course, that it is esscvtial that wherever possible the head man or the man on the farm who understands horses and^ agricultural machinery should be retained where a considerable area of crop is to be grown. On the whole, I feel quite satisfied that with the proposed organisation by the Efficiency Board and the Government, sufficient labor will be 'available,- and the only doubtful factor in the problem of securing sufficient wheat for the Dominion's requirements Avill now. be the climatic conditions."