AGRICULTURE IN HAWKE'S BAY

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume XII, Issue 536, 23 December 1867, Page 2

AGRICULTURE IN HAWKE'S BAY

To the Editor of the Hawke's Bay Times. Sir, — In your issue of the 16/A of December I have seen a. communication headed as above, on some portions of which I ask tears to make so'ne remarks for the perusal of your readers. The communication is signed Isaac R. Sutton. Four correspondent, in making observations upon the present depression among the farmers of land in Napier, points to remedies, some of which can scarcely be resorted 10, and if so, with little hopes of curing I lie disease. He says that land, horses, and m niton are at fabulous prices ; that land must be sold af what it will fetch, and mutton at what it is worth. I shall leave the hoilers-down of mult on for its fall;w, j'c., to answer the last part of this sentence , and refer to that part of if in which the land is mentioned. Mr Suit on says that “the real curse of the place is those mho monopolise the laud, and thus rob the fanner of his profits." If our respected Superintendent and his Government be alluded In. let /hem answer the impeachment. But if the Maori proprietors of the soil be intended, I beg to say a word or two on the subject. First , fur the monopolising of the land, it is truly their own property, they are free men, and by our public acts end laws ice fully acknowledge them lo be so. They hold the fee of it as legally as the Duke of Devonshire, the Marquis of Bath, the Earl of Leicester, or thousmds more of the land-owners within ihc area of Groat Britain hold the fee of their estates. And, more than that, the Muons are many of them willing to se ! ! if or let it at prices or rents which do not appear to be extortionate, Bu f , Mr Editor, does Mr Sutton know anything whatover of what he is talking about ? First he tells us that million is sold for more than it is worth, yet the owners of our forks arc rearing establishments to boil down the sheep, and g:i ml of them at any price. But this, to my comprehension, sinks lo iiot/iing when compared with his cal~ •clations derived from the culture of the land. He says that the cost lo the farmers here of growing a '<ushe! of wheal is Gj Gd (if (his be a libel Mr T. R. Sultan is the author) and they can male only of it. That is, supposing it to be an am on laud yielding only 32 bushels per acre, ihe farmer loses c - try every acre he grows. And Mr tuition agrees that “the cultivation of wheat is the ih> aJ wanted." Now, Ido trust, Mr Editor, that when again it may he convenient to Jill up a fat lines of a hyping article, and high laudation of the abilities of the Anglo-Saxon, Celtic, and Teuton rare with whose nresenr-e the Isles of this so-called New Britain are now blessed might Jilt np the gap, that the self appreciation of Mr Sutton of himself and compatriots , may have a restraining effect upon your hand. It may perhaps he useful lo consider how (his business of grain-growing turns out in England. There ihc bushel of wheat for ike last forty years and more, as evidenced by the tiihc-rer.t charge returns, has averaged about Is per bushel, the English farmer, from some cause or other, delivering from 2 to 4 \lbs weight of wheat, and from superior etc tiling not less than Gibs of flour,more than the New Zealand farmer. Barley for {he same verind has been sold by the English farmer at is a bushel, weighing on ihe average a pound or two more than that sold in New Zealand, but the bulk being the Lest malting barley not less than ilbs more ner bushel. The price here has been a! least Is per bushel more. Oats for (he same period hare arcraped 2,s - 9 d per bushel, and the full equal weight delivered, while ihe pries here has been little if any less than Cts throughout.

Tin's, sir, ihe English farmer has received, sayin. 7 no!hiiiy of ihe extra delivered weight, for a bushel of wheat, 7 s; of barley, 4s;- of oafs, is 9 d; for nil, lUs 9 d: and the New Zealand fanner, for ahr slid of when!, Gi7: barley, ss; oais, G.f; for all, 17« o d. Thus, sir, for a bi/slcl of each, grain, fhe English farmer receives together 3j 9d less than the New Zealand farmer. Now let ns consider how stand what I may term his imperative annval expenses, rent, tithe-rent charge, and poor-rates. The principal occupiers of arable land in England, I may explain, are divided into three classes. First, noblemen, and targe Trad-owners, occupying pretty targe farms thcm’wlres by means of a farm-bailiff or steward, for the purpose of amusement, or frequently for the introduction of experiments informing improvements. Secondly , smaller land-owners, yeomanry, occupy lay and- tiring on their own forms, from one to several hundred acres each. Thirdly, the tenant farmers, occupying from two or three hundred to as many thousand acres each. This is perhaps the most valuable class of land occupiers in England. They are unirersally men understanding and erica ding to their business, with a fair or sometimes a large account to their credit in their banker's boohs. There is also another class composed of smaller owners and occupiers than those mentioned abort.

Let vs now s'-pr.nss am of these farms estimated to produce an average of 33 bushels of wheat per acre, and other crops in proportion. The rent, tit tie-rent charge, and rate, would not be less than

4-5 j per acre, to he paid half-yearly. Besides, the tenant would hare a sum of money, many hundreds, and perhaps thousands, paid upon entrance of the farm under- the name of covenants, and the interest or principal of which he verer receives in hand again vntil he leaves the farm. Thus about £3 10s on every acre of a farm (not merely that land growing wheat) must be provided for before one item of the expense of stocking the farm., cultivation, labor, living, fc., fc. —and these are all done. And so, sir, mag we do the same here, but Mr Sutton must depend upon it that it can only It by each of attending closely, soberly, and economically to las own business, and not by abusing or envying Maoris or sheep-owners.

I may add that a great desideratum here is a knowledge of the principles on which in the New Zealand climate arable and arboreal culture can best be conducted, and that a well-organised society for the dissemination of such information might prove a great blessing to the people.—l have been, sir, A TILLER OF THE SOIL.