Bush-Farming in the North Island

Feilding Star, Volume XIII, Issue 24, 25 August 1891, Page 4

Bush-Farming in the North Island

TT — '' (Dunedin Star.) (Continued ) This year mas one of "the worst for burning; that has ever been experienced in the Mana.vatu district. Thousands of acres ' have been spoilt through^ being set- on fire without having enough time to become pro- . perly'dry^ n whilo there are thousands that have never been "fired" at all, in the hope that next year will l c sufficiently dry to burn. After the j burn the hard work again commences. I First there is fencing. Now, there is a great deal to be considered in the sort of fence that is best to be put up. Supposing the settler has but a limited capital, his best plan is to construct thd dog leg fence.* This consists of inn luiera'de pieces of timber that have been gathend from the burn, aud are bo placed together that they fi rm a very good fence indeed. But n teuce of ''this construction does not last very' long,' five years being as lung as can be depended .upon. To a great 'extent, however', it depends upon the way in which it' has been c instructed whether it lasts even that tiine7 ,~ r ~ ' This, sort of fence is to be seen on most of the pioneer settlements, and . "when it falls to pieces it gives place to the 'Wire fence. An ordinary wire fence L looks ,very simple in construction, yet it has cost the North Island set,tler a great deal of thought. For instance, one settler wili recommend one kind of timber, and another will Recommend a different kind to be Used in its erection. But they nearly all agree that there is nothing like the heart of the totara for fencing .purposes; especially for straining | "postsyas'ite durability is more lasting &ny of the others. If totara is -not to be obtained, the next best wood used is matai— and soon n their order, • •as aftermatai comes pUnatea and hinau, *imu' f arid "yellow pii'e. Yellow pine has -proved to he a very deceptive timber/as may be noticed from tie fact that probably One post will las- 1 years, while a post taken from another tree would only last five. The fencing having been finished, the settler next sows his it* n with grass seed. Sowing gene: any commences -about the middle of March, but he 'might 'begin earlier or later, in- accordance with the time the autumn trains set jn. The chief seeds used are rye (which predominates), timothy, foxtail, 1 fesceans, clovers, and cocksfoot grasses. Cocksfoot is here placed last, 'on account of the fact that many ' -of th'e£ farmers scarcely sow any of it, Hrbilg^ others sow five and six pounds tto 7(Sre/acre. Opinions are very j&bout -cocksfoot^ some say fthatiit 'destroys the other grasses, and isheep do not thrive on it, while others -■fieeuf to/think that it could not be done tT \vithdut. What I have seen of it-is that a very, little of it goes a long ';;^ayi^a^d\:that-4ialf a pound per acre as tne sheep won't eat at - when they can get the other grasses. To give an example of what might be ihe result of too. much cockefoot.'l'ytili illustrate the case of two farmers.: whose farms goin, ; and with whom T am acquainted. One place l is7sosirnVH;ith>ißib^c!f cocksfoot' to the T^cre, ana 7 carries only three sheep to "the aerie ; while the other place has •^hly^ahoutTialf & pound to the acre, and runs four and a-half and sometimes five *heep to tte acre all the; year r ' ' rouiiaV 7h"eaid©s having a far' BU^eYipT*jflojca: of^sheep and a better 'class - ' of f wcjol,; The man who only runsithfee^heep. attributes his failure to too"niuoh cocksfoot. [•psrvu}iuoQ aq'oj,)