WHEATGROWING IN THE MANAWATU.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 24, 24 December 1932, Page 6

WHEATGROWING IN THE MANAWATU.

Further evidence of the fertility of the Manawatu and adjacent lands is given in the statement by a cereal research authority which the “Standard” published on Thursday. Comment was made which shows that the wheat crops in this district are showing very promising growth, and as a much larger area than usual has been sown this season, and as there is room for a much higher acreage and yield in New Zealand, the enterprise and labour of fanners here is likely to meet its just reward, especially with a protected market and in view of the fact that the Government has found it necessary in the past year to arrange for shipments of wheat from Australia. Wheatgrowing is not new to many Manawatu farmers. Time was when the land stretching from Feilding and Sandon towards the Wanganui district was termed the granary of the North Island. With the rapid development of the pastoral industry farmers turned their attention to grazing, albeit their wheat and other grain were among the most profitable in the Dominion. In recent years, however, those who continued to grow, wheat have been reaping remarkably large yields, and in this respect they have been aided by the research carried out under the aegis of the Department of Agriculture, which has, in one particular instance, evolved a strain of wheat admirably suited to the district. Reference to this strain which is doing so well, the Jumbuck variety, was- made in the article already quoted. It may be recalled that some years ago, when the growing- of this variety became fairly well established, farmers on the northern border of the Manawatu and in the Sandon area were reaping crops giving a yield per acre of not less than seventy bushels —a remarkable figure when it is realised that the Dominion average is in the vicinity of only thirty bushels. There is no Reason to doubt that such high figures will not be approached with the higher acreage, but even should it not there is still much in the wheat market to compensate farmers. The growing of grain is an industry which confers many benefits. The labour involved by far exceeds that required for pastoral farming, not only in the actual growing of the grain but in the auxiliary industries fqr which grain growing creates work. That the Manawatu crops should be doing so well is evidence of sound farming on good land, and is a cheerful sign especially at a time when the landsman’s labours generally are not bringing much fruit. The Manawatu wheatgrowers are to be commended for their industry.