FARMING IN NEW ZEALAND.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume III, Issue 157, 15 January 1864, Page 3

FARMING IN NEW ZEALAND.

At a recent agricultural meeting Alderman Mcclii, the celebrated agriculturist (in theory), related the following anecdote, as showing how much more profitably a man may manage a small farm than a large one:— ■'A certain gentleman farmer had 1,000 acres of land and a fixed capital to work it with. In course of time his oldest daughter came to the point of marriage, and her dowry was required. ‘ What can Ido? ’he asked. ‘1 have got no money to spare.’ ‘ Well,’ he was advised, 'give her 250 acres ofland.’ Ila demurred at first, but eventually did so. Then another daughter came to Hymen’s altar; and what could he give her ? Again ho was advised to give 250 acres as a wedding portion ; he did so, adding that he seemed better off with his 750 acres than 1.000, because the same capital drew a greater profit from the smaller area of land than from the larger. And a third daughter followed with 250 acres more ; but still the worthy farmer protested that his diminished acreage produced a greater per eentage.” Now (his is a point in which, wo think, persons greatly err in settling in this country. They seem to thing that if they can succeed in securing a large farm they aro fortunate persons. There is no greater error. It is an old saying that “ a great book is a great evil,” and a large farm, unless the owner has a corresponding amount of capital, is a great evil also; vet how often do wo see men owning perhaps three or four hundred acres, yet not turning to profitable use more than a small portion of it. Many men lay out all their available moans in the purchase of a farm, and trust to the chapter of accidents for the means of its management. It would be, perfectly, taking an extreme case, to compare the prices of ground adapted for market gardens, near a town, and the prices of ordinary agricultural land, but there can be no doubt that a few acres of ground well managed are better than many acres turned to less beneficial account. In this country, too, there are so many natural and imported weeds—thistles, docks, and rushes, tea-tree and fern—that a man may find constant employment in waging war with them, to prevent his farm from returning to a state of nature. There is no use in a man’s reclaiming more land, be it from the forest, the fern, or the swamp, if he sulfers what he has already subdued to retrograde. Nor is this tendency to deteriorate, unless carefully watched, any argument against entering on farming in this country ; it only shows the inexpediency of a man aiming at more than he can accomplish. The farmers at home thought that ruin stared them in the face when Protection was removed , but they faced the danger bravely, and, by improved management of their land, made their farms pay better than when protected. And so it is with our New Zealand farms. Virgil calls the soil of his native Italy gratissina, teUiin—iha most grateful earth. The soil of New Zealand is not less grateful; it requires industry and attention, but. the industry end attention expended upon it will always bo amply repaid. —Xew Zea~ lander, Dec. 31.