WHAT CAN BE DONE WITH AN ACRE OF LAND.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3232, 8 November 1881, Page 4

WHAT CAN BE DONE WITH AN ACRE OF LAND.

Fhe follfwinr* pr:t : '.tical paper was read by Mr O. ftcobcl ii a recent meeting of tho Iltomicrs' and Selectors' Association of Rockbampton. We are indebted for the article to the Northern Argus : "There is an impression amongst our land-owners that nothing will grow in the Kockhampton district, and that farming will not pay for that reason. I come forward to state, first, what can be grown, and secondly, what money can be made out of an acre of land. But before T tro into rlotails. I will Tnpntion what sort Of land is the best to cultivate. 1 bere is a black and yellow clay. This soil, although called clay, is not exactly so, when broken open and left exposed to the pun and air it falls to pieces, and becomes fine. In this soil good cabbage, broad beans, and other crops can be grown. One acre or cabbages will, when well manured and attended to, bring in £50. There is a and yellow loam ; and crops will grow in this soil, if well manured. There is also a black and yellow sand, well adapted for arrowroot, tapioca, and many other cereals ; but sand is a very hungry soil, and require* plenty of manure. Ab I have found out that no land will produce a good crop without manure, I will point out how a farmer can pvppar* manure at a very little expense. A dairy farmer, if he milks from i.wentr to thirty cows, should dig himself a dunpit in such a place whpre water runs into i 1 in rainy weathpr. ?n thi« place he shonlr 1 put all dung from .srofkvnrd and piastre : this should be well ni'Tprl w'fh bush grnsall the slops from the In'trhpn, sonp water all bones thit he can find he should char coal, so that he can make them fine, brim from meat cask, lime, and a little sulphur all mixed with manure, are excellent foi fruit trees and crops ; this likewise, preventmany insects from attacking the plants. 7 have planted, in March, an acre of potatoes in loam soil mixed with sand ; in July 7 lifted two and a half tons of saleable potatoes.. Then I planted ninety day corn ir ':he seven rows where T took out the pota toes ; and, as I had well manured the corn I had a good crop, and when ripe I hs<" 1 twenty five bushels of maize. Then 7 planted in the same land about a hundred holes of pumpkins, which I well manure ."Tain, and T hnd five tons. I sold thi potatoes in Ttof'shnrnpton at from 9s to 72 ;vr* rwt. • the corn i at 5s per bushel:

r l t-hn piirmVldr-s fr v." s=* to Rs per cwt.

As land cannot !•«■ inred pvcrv venr Til'that, T shall give • ; If "nd a total income ■ rom fhiee acres •>' one must think th-i T had no I had b.'icl seasons v.which X merle very little, but by perseverance I marie my losses up again. I hay* grown red mangel wurzel, and find that i ( brings fifty tons per acre. I had sorno weighing 23lbs ; they should be planted ir loaTn soil, two feet apart from row to row and 18 inches in the row, plenty of manure in this case also ; this is a good fodder crop and can be left in the field to be taken up just as wanted, they do not go wrong if left in the ground ; I had them standing til' Christmas • they should be sown in April .- for pigs they should be boiled ; for horse= and cattle they should be chopped fine in n itroft and mixed with chaff ; cattle eat them greedily. I have grown wheat on trial, and "ame to the conclusion that an acre yields about 27 bushels. I have during the period of 8 years farming tried everything that can be grown, and find that in an ordinary reason barley and oats grown well both for green fodder and grain. The total income from three acres of land during eight years, amounted to £600, or £25 per acreannually. There is an imr-ression amongst our land owners that they nan earn more by working for orders, but 7 cun show that this is a mistake, eve:v iifi-o of land he cultivates is worth £15, and if he attends weir to his land, the first crop will pay' him for the cultivation ; besides, he teaches his sons and daughters to farm, which will be good for them ; the farming population' is tbe wealthiest in every country, an d it is # pity our landowners do not take to it, as they would soon find out what farming is as against cow milking."