MARKED PROGRESS

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIX, Issue 249, 19 September 1929, Page 6

MARKED PROGRESS

AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH

EFFECTIVE CO-ORDINATION,

(By Telegraph.—Special to Standard.) Hon. G. W. Forbes, Minister of Agriculture, in the annual the department, states thatMffieJ^k ed development in agricultural search and education noted offer gained further impetus, and the effectfvo co-ordination of the .practical and the scientific sides promises to be ot steadily increasing benefit to .oux pr mary producers. “The gfP wing JJPP elation of this aid by the producers themselves is a valuable contributing factor. With increasing competition, and an outlook on the world m;ark _ which has lately become rather less assuring on some points, it is essential to still further promote efficiency, lower working costs and higher quality in production. The Government realises the position and its requirements and is making liberal provision within the country’s resources for building up a good scientific foundation, combined with effective agencies for conveying the best knowledge to all sections of our men on the land. In this work the Department of Agriculture will continue to take a leading part in co-operation with the allied bodies.” , The department’s report reveals a very wide scope of operations arid a great volume of useful service. ‘lt is a pleasure to testify, from close contact and observation, that the varied work is in the hands of a good all round team well able to hold its own with similar departmental staffs m other parts of the world.’-’ GRASSLAND PRODUCTION. The Director-General states that last year, 1928-29, “has been our peak year for production from grassland. During the last five years the average annual value amounted to £39,520,000. The actual acreage topdressed during the past three years was 1,400,000, 1,850,000 and 2,250,000. These figures represent an increase of nearly a million acres within two years. Large as is the area now annually top-dressed, it represents only 13 per cent, of the sown grasslands of the Dominion, and it is safe to say that there are not less than-six million acres of grassland in New Zealand where payable increases, due to top-dressing, could be secured. At the rate of top-dressing progress of the past two years, this acreage would be reached within tk* next decade with the fertiliser tonnage reaching the million mark and an annual top-dressing bill of approximately £6,000,000 or more. Almost the whole of the 315,000 tons of top-dressing fertiliser used last year was of a phosphatic nature. Apart from the great expansion in the use of phosphates, the time is rapidly approaching when more consideration will have to be given to nitrogen, potash and lime in the top-dressing of grassland. This is particularly true of those farms on which the practice is being applied to almost the whole of the pastures and where saturation point of high profits from phosphates alone is being reached. DAIRY DIVISION. In the absence abroad of Mr W. M. Singleton, Mr W. E. Gwilliam reports that during the year under review 80,932 tons of butter and 84,627 tons of cheese were forwarded to. the various grading ports throughout the Dominion. These figures represent an increase of 7.58 per cent, in butter and 12.36 per cent, in cheese, and are the highest yet recorded. In terms of butterfat they represent an increase of 8359 tons or equivalent to 9.09 per cent. “The beneficial results from the use of fertilisers in the top-dressing of pastures and a general aefiire to increase the productive capacity of dairy herds, together with _ the favourable weather conditions which prevailed, have contributed largely towards this further record production. QUALITY OF BUTTER MAINTAINED. “The quality of the butter has been fully maintained during the season by most of the dairy companies and a, number have shown a marked improvement. It is a-pleasing feature of the year’s work that the quantity of ‘first’ creamery butter is 1.58 per cent, in excess of the total for the previous year, the figures being 69.91 and 58.33 per cent, respectively. The percentage of ‘first’ grade was 27.82 as compared with 28.71 for the previous year, and, under ‘first,’ 2.27 and 2.95 respectively. There is a tendency by some dairy companies to too heavily salt their butter, and if this is persisted in it is likely to prejudice the consumption. The reports from the division’s officers in London indicate that some of our saltless butter, after defrosting rapidly, deteriorates in quality. This matter is being investigated by the division’s dairy bacteriologist, and it is hoped that a means of overcoming the defect will soon be available. There was a falling off in the quality of cheese. HIGHER PRICES. “The prices for dairy' products for the year under review have been on a higher level than for the previous year. Including butter, cheese, dried milk, casein, condensed milk and milk sugar, as indicated by the customs statistics of values, a total of £20,862,700 was reached as compared with £18,590,866 for the previous year, an increase of £2,271,824.” TOBACCO CULTURE. Under the heading of tobacco culture the report of the Department of Agriculture has the following:—“ln view of» the fact that tobacco leaf of high quality, both for pipe and cigarette purposes, can be produced in the Dominion,' extensive inquiries have been received during the year for advice and information on the growing and manufacture of tobacco. Besides the Nelson district, considerable headway has been made in the North Auckland and Rotorua districts, the natives in these parts being particularly interested in the growing of tobacco as a meaps of livelihood. Practical instruction in all phases of tobacco culture, from the sowing of the seed to the curing of the mature leaf, has been given in the different localities by the department’s instructor in tobacco culture. It is estimated that there are now some 1000 acres devoted fo tobacco growing in Hie Dominion. Of this approximately 150 acres are in the Auckland district, 30 acres in Marlborough, and the balance in the Nelson and Motueka districts. The bulk of the crop at the. present time is grown under contract to tobacco manufacturers in New Zealand. The future of the industry in this country, however, depends very largely on a satisfactory overseas market 'being available for the surplus not needed for New Zealand requirements, and until this is definitely assured the planting •if tobacco on an extensive scale requires to be carefully considered.”