THE MAN ON THE LAND.

Franklin Times, Volume 9, Issue 727, 2 May 1922, Page 8

THE MAN ON THE LAND.

FESCUE 70 THE RESCUE. Several very, large cheques have been lifted off Southland farms this season by farmers who were fortunate fin being able to meet the requirements of a capricious market. Apparently in every case (says the Southland News) the big cheque has been for fescue, for which there is a heavy demand- Large quantities of this seed are ex-ported annually to England and America ; but from the old price of 2d to .‘id per lb it has soared this year to from Is 2d to about Is 6-d. At this price there is a ready market, and farmers with large quantities of the grass on theii properties find themselves just now, to make us of a colloquialism, “on a good wicket,” The year’s working on one farm in the Eastern district is said to have yielded £15,000, of which £IO,OOO was the proceeds of the fescue haravest! The circumstances under which another big fescue cheque was received make interesting- reading. A soldier settler in Southland found himself a month or two ago faced with the prospect of having .to vacate his property, out of which he was not even getting a living,' He had been put on the farm through the Land Board. His first application was turned down, but on the second occasion he engaged a lawyer ito state his case, and his application went through. One of the local firms of stock agents stocked the property, making condifibns regarding payment. Six months passed and the soldier was “up against it” with not a penny ,to come in, and rent, etc., to pay. The stock agents removed every head of stock from the place, and the farmer was left with a big farm and nothing on it. He hung on desperately fo ; ’ six months, and in the meantime the grass grew till the soldier wakened up one morning to the realisation that his farm had been sown down in fescue. He borrowed implements, hax vested the grass and screened it, and sold it for £4OOO, of which he spent £3OOO in purchasing the freehold of Ins property. He should not object to being called ‘lucky.” Fescue is a coa'se English grass, .regarded almost as a weed. It grows

easily, and has been grown extensively and profitably far a number of years in he Lumsden and Mossburn districts. Even at 2d and 3d per pound it was a profitable crop to grow. It is hardly grass and does not require resowing, bulb’ remains in ( the ground It is used to some extent in golf courses and lawns. This year’s phenomenal, demand from America and England has caused the price to soar.