25 April, 1917.] Increasing Primary Production. 237 



The Keeping ok Acitkate Records and the Effk-iency Reward. 



The keeping of records and the payment for extra work done have 

 been found to be a necessary part of any etiiciency system. The records 

 needed embrace the cost and the time of ])prformancc of the farm opera- 

 tions, and enable one to jiroperly assess the value of the work performed. 



The most serious j)roblein that the fanner has to face to-day is the 

 labour one. Each year it becomes increasingly difficult to obtain 

 reliable men, and to retain them when found. It is idle to expect that 

 you will get your farm hand to be a model of punctuality and efficient 

 work, to expect him to eliminate every little slackness in the daily round, 

 unless yon reward him for his trouble. If you will pay him for the 

 extra work done, and can stimulate a spirit of friendly com])etition 

 among the wdi'kcrs in the field, you have done much towards increasing 

 your returns. 



Summing up. then, we see that this season there is a golden oppor- 

 tunity to help I lie Empire, and, at the same time, receive adequate return 

 for one's efforts. It, therefore, behoves the farmer to .seriously consider 

 all the ways and means of accelerating his production aud supplement 

 the good work that Australia has already done in this world-wide 

 strife. 



INCREASING PRIMARY PRODUCTION. 



An Address delivered by Mr. A. E. V. Richardson, Agricultural 

 Superintendent, at the Annual Conference of the Australian 

 Natives Association, Kerang, 25th March. 



At no time in history have the problems of food supply caused 

 European countries more grave concern than at present. The Central 

 Empires are on the verge of starvation, and the position in Allied and 

 neutral countries is far from encouraging. Food is scarce, prices high, 

 and the outlook is grave and uncertain. 



World Shortage of Eood. 



Several causes have contributed to bring about an abnormal shortage 

 in supplies. The season of 1916 was a disastrous one for the Northern 

 Hemisphere. Compared with 191.5, which was a good year, the falling 

 off in the six staple foodstuffs for man and beast — wheat, rye, oats, maize, 

 barley, and potatoes — amounted to no less than 2,100,000,000 bushels, 

 made up as follows :— Wheat, 832,000,000 bushels; maize, 596,000,000 

 bushels; oats, 404,000,000 bushels; potatoes, 224,000,000 bushels; and 

 rye, 50,000,000 bushels. 



Despite the attraction of high prices for foodstuffs, their production 

 in Europe has not increased. Every nation at war has drawn on its 

 able-bodied manhood to fill the fighting ranks, and every neutral country, 

 attracted by the glamour of high wages and big profits in munition 

 making, has rushed into the production of munitions. 



