THE HARD-EARNED INCREMENT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 984, 26 November 1910, Page 19

THE HARD-EARNED INCREMENT.

THI: FARMERS POINT OF VIEW» Pioneers and farmers .who have gone out on the land, and worked and slaved and sweated to carve out an existence for-themselves and their families,; usuauy . term the < return "the hardearned" and not tho "unearned" increment. If, as often happens after years of tod, mental worry, and physical' exertion success smiles ,on the efforts., of. theso farm .■ workers and settlers, it. is another apt illustra-" won of man's ingratitude to man, that they then become tlie target of .theorising Socialists, whose'apparent maxim is a division of the spoils when there is no more work to do. Mr. J. Burt. Veale, of Woodville, is tho case of a' man -who transformed "a ■ neglected : 'sec-': tion into a model farm, and it is by the irony of fate so common now with hundreds of our industrious' and enterprising farmers that others would like to claim the result of that industry and outlay. When Mr. Veale took W flis present. Woodvillo • section, : a largo portion w.aV being ravaged' by the Mangapapa, Streamy which? like nearly all our New Zealand' streams, with their ever silting-up beds,': roamed at will, gouging out blocks ofBOil at every new ''fresh," arid crossing tho land in all directions, left behind it acres of unproductive and unin T v'tnig lpol;ing Somo ■ portions of the property' were 'rapidly; becoming a l-umed . section! when'. ■Mr. veale assumed, .possession,'

amidst tho gloomy prophecies of, friends ' and acquaintances that, :in taking: up ;the burden, ho was only qualifying for, .. a mental asylum.- However, Mr.Teals ' : tackled the job: To ■straighten'-••the ■■•' streanr ho ran an oighteen-ch'am •'but; .. ting,- eight feet,wide'and.six,feefcdeep, .through some standing-bush, .planted •'■■ tho banks with, willows, and then, constructed numerous groynes: Time and again the floods' interfered with ■-the- -. work. The , groynes and the willow's were: • repeatedly washed away, and it was not till more than three or'four; years!'had "'■.. elapsed that tho river was kept ' : tically within bounds/;. Even now -tho ■ stream has to bo well watched, but 'the..: channel first out, and now bankedVoii ■ ;, both sides by drooping willows, form's a. •■' beautiful river otie of the sights or tho place. In' addition, Mr. Veale- . has constructed, near the inside.bank, ' ,a five-acre plantation, upon ■ which* are growing blue and red , gums, sycaritorea; , '."''. •maples,_ chestnuts, walnut'S; qal;sYVa'sn'3s',« ( /! pmus insignia, and a considerable mim- ■ ber of native shrubs.. .'Running across ■. the farm areshelter Kelts of miiricata '. and macrocarpa, and also some -livehedges of berberry. There are one'.hun-V .dred and forty chains of open drains 'oir-' the farm, and, where necessary, all lanol , : under the plough; has been stone" and) tile drained. A, big '.drain,was. tho.irst.: •'•:, thing constructed to drain.-the swamp,■ .■/■ .and, with cultivation, the .whole-place . Vas ploughed, and sown, and:ploughed;. i and sown _.again, until now,. i .witl£.it9. ' ■ farm.buildings and machinery, it isj.one,'.'.of the .objects of interest'in the North'.'' Island. : y- -.-....-.;-. :. : ■■>,'■•

"If the people -who talk of tho.;nn- : : v earned increment," said. Mr. Vealo, ■'■■'■■' "had to faco some-of the difficulties .of.' w, the outlay, : hard work,, and waitin'a.i ■;. which.is attached to farm "work,;;~they ■'"'. ' would call it hardly-earned .1 should like to see them tackle soine^ '::'.■/' thing of a. similar nature to'what I' :-'- : nav-e done on this farm. Many people' v" thought, and,. indoeVl,. .expressed : -the ■ .'■■ opinion, that Iwas a visionary, butthey '"'■■':■'■ aro beginning to. ask me questions aa .-v to done.- .1 fiudthat...>:'.' people who were against.'pro-'. \'--' : - gressiye ..farming,;are. now-beginning to' '-'■; see that.it is necessary to do soniotning' v ■ more than milk cows .and- then look'-.'■'• over the-fence.ior the rest of .the diiy, '-r,\~ I beliovo..in early, morning' nhd-'eaiw:'7{r' evening labour, and no candle light.?* -