AGRICULTURE.

Auckland Chronicle and New Zealand Colonist, Volume 2, Issue 58, 12 September 1844, Page 4

AGRICULTURE.

(From the Wellington Spectator,) The expenses attending clearing land in New Zealand have been so variously stated, that the following account by a practical farmer, occupied in clearing land in the valley of the Hutt, will be allowed to be useful and may be relied upon. This statement refers to land the most heavily timbered of any with which we are acquainted in this colony. We find that a settler, cultivating near Auckland, named Patou,has stated in evidence before a Committee of the Legislas tive Council, that the average yield of land, per acre, in that district, is 18 bushels ; and that the farmer will need at first ten shillings per bushel for his wheat, and never less than five shillings. We suspect that Mr. Paton will find that he has considerably under stated the yield of the land, and over stated the expenses of cultivation, or agriculture will not be a very profitable pursuit in the north of this island:— Expenses of Clearing and Cultivating Timber Land per Acre.

The straw of the second and third year is not put down ao proooodo, ao on Well managed farms it will be used as manure tor future crops. Rich alluvial land, such as the Hutt, will bear three crops of wheat without manure, and it may bear more, but that fact has not been ascertained. It has been proved by experience that three good wheat crops can be taken off without detriment to the land. In the third year grass seeds might with advantage be sown with the wheat at a very small expense, and would give a fine crop of hay the next season ; or after the third crop of wheat—barley, oats, or oaten hay, might be sown with advantage. At first the land is too luxuriant to yield such crops well. After the second year, a team of four bullocks would pull up a great quantity of the stumps standing on the ground, the most of the stumps remaining on land that has been felled three years are nearly rotten, and will in a very short time become mere shells, easily to be pulled out. Stumping is an operation that no settler should think of, as it will never repay the expense attending it; besides which, the rotting of the stumps yields a good manure for the ground.

The cattle that are used in ploughing will tread the straw into dung. Very often more than 40 bushels of wheat are obtained from an acre, but that quantity may be considered a fair average. A small expense has to be incurred in draining the land, to prevent water from heavy rain lying on the ground to the detriment of the growing crop. Felling timber, grubbing land, and chipping in wheat, are generally performed under contract, therefore the expenses may be accurately known, and may be stated with confidence. [We quite agree with our cotemporary,who says, "We suspect that Mr. Paton will find that he has considerably understated the yield of the land, and overstated the expenses of cultivation or agriculture will not be a very profitable pursuit in the north of this island." At the time Mr. Paton gave his evidence before the Council the settlers around this district were astonished at his assertions, "that the average yield of land was 18 bushels to the acre," knowing, as they did, that the crops would yield more than double that quantity. Such persons as Mr. Paton giving evidence in matters where they have very little experience has tended, as in the present case, to injure the character of our district for agricultural purposes. —Ed. Chron.] Fruit and Flower Show.—There was a fruit and flower show on Saturday night last in Lambeth Walk, at which the attendance was very numerous. The stalls were brought forward several feet into the carriage way, and were brilliantly lighted with a preparation procured from the fat of sheep, which is placed round a species of white material that is grown in America. Among the fruit, the prize was obtained by an exhibitor, whose gooseberries were so fine, that a pint and ashalf went to a quart —which was the result of forcing—that is to say, forcing in the bottom and the sides of the measure so as to contract the space in the internal cavity.—The second prize was awarded to a peck of peas, so fine, that though little more than half-a-peck they com pletely filled the measure* This achievment was the result of a peculiar treat* m ent of the peas —a plan similar to the m odern system of agricultural chemistry. — Punch, The Royal Mint—This national establishment has commenced striking the new silver coinage, which is to be issued by Government immediately after h«r Majesty's Royal proclamation calling in the old silver coinage of George the 111, in 1816, George IV. in 1829, and William IV. in 1831, as the greater part of it is so defaced by wear and tear, aud so deterios ratea\ in weight, that many of the half crowns are not worth more than two shillings; the shillings 9d, and the sixpences 3d. The panic that was anticipated by the Bank of England in consequence of the Royal Proclamation of the second of October last on *»»<> »«"ghi gold currency having subsided in the public mind, the old silver coinage will be called in soon after the assembling of Parliament, without any loss being sustained by the public, as the new coinage of 1844 will be given in exchange, without deduction, for the old currency. Precedence. —Two ladies contended for precedence in the court of Charles the Fifth ; they appealed to the monarch, who awarded—" Let the greater simpleton go first."—Frederic the Second of Prussia used to make similar decisions —The greatestybo/ should go first. There is also a story on the same subject, told of the French courtier Roquelare. Some ladies were contending for precedence, and made their appeal to him. His decision was —" Let the eldest go first :'' on which each contended for the rear. When the Marshal Richelieu was besieging a town,he was tormented with she drunkenness of his army. He there fore gave out that any soldier who was seen drunk should not be allowed to mount the breach at the assault. And there was not a man to be seen drunk afterwards, far Jo be drunk inspired a suspicion of cowI ardice, and effectually kept the army sober.

1st, year, £ *• Chipping in wheat and picking up rubd. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 One and a half bushels of seed wheat at £7 13 ■ £10 8 0 Proceeds. 0 0 ..3 0 2nd. year. Grubbing one acre and collecting roots jgl7 0 .. 4 10 0 0 0 0 One and a half buihels of seed wheat, at «£5 8 0 0 0 0 Proceeds. | £8 3 0 0 3rd. year. .. 1 10 0 n .. ft 5 One and a half bushels of seed wheat at ft Proceeds. £"> >i 8 0 0 £5 3 0 0