Agricultural and Pastoral.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume XIII, Issue 553, 20 February 1868, Page 3

Agricultural and Pastoral.

FARMING IN NEW ZEALAND. (Letter in Canterbury Times, by ilr E. I). Bust.) ; Although small farms arc uLjectionable, and will generally lead to Utile I permanent good to cither occupier or! country, save when in the hands of really practical men who can do nearly all the work within themselves, yet lever! small farmers who have the reiquiSite means and judgment can live | well, and with comparatively little jciiie, by farming long wool sheep, as they would thereby have s-arcely anylabor to employ. Even 100 acres is considered a very small farm in the old country, the occupants being a hard-working class, leading the way in eveiy operation, and generally living .most economically; differing widely from many 50 and 100 acre farmers in the colonies.

Instead then of simply grain-growing until the land is exhausted, and the quality of the production is spoiled, we ought to benefit by the advantages bestowed by nature upon the country we have chosen, or been led to, as our home, and to make the most of such advantages, I should recommend the seeding down to pasture, of threef lurths or fottr-fiihs (according to extent or other circumstances) of each farm, cultivating the remainder of each, principally for the supply of the establishment, and to provide some winter feed wherewith to help out the pasturage and keep the sheep in thriving condition; and by growing a quantity of green crop, &c., for use during ttie drought of some of our summers (for the growth of wool ought never to receive any check); recourse, according to circumstances, being had to trough feeding or folding off. In this way we may safely calculate upon at least 40ibs of the most valuable washed wool pea' acre for the farm throughout. But this would be often exceeded, and allowing Is dd as the price per lb, which I consider a low estimate, i?2l 10s per acre will thus ha raised from wool alone, and if we add (at a mud; under-estimated rate fir sheep) only £2 10s per acre, it will be clear that, working on a good scale would leave a tolerably handsome margin, fnr the amount of labor in sheep-fanning on this principle would he but small, and; it would also admit of the employment! of a portion of unskilled labor, "in all| farming where proper appliances at\ ■ at command, the greater the extent of; the operations, the more economically| they are worked. I

If, however, we calculate upon the scale of 100 acres only and taking into account that the produce of a couple of cows, pigs, poultry, a little extra grain, roots, &c., would provide the living and incidental expenses of a frugal farmer, and allowing £SO for rent, £IOO for wages, and £IOO interest, he will still at the moderate rate allowed, have a margin of £250, at which, seeing that he also had his living, no man would have cause to grumble. The allowance for labor is amply sufficient, for by working only mildly himself, one youth would be the only requirement, with a little occasional assistance, and thus, if the necessary capital could be commanded, a few years would render New Zealand highly prosperous. But even if the course system (four or five shift) adopted on the light soils' of England, were to be practised here, a large amount of grain would be produced, of much better quality than is now marketed, without much diminishing the quantity (because the yield per acre would be greater), and yet about two-thirds of the above calculation for wool and sheep may be relied on. Such courses regulate the labor of a farm over different seasons, the admit ot fewer hands being employed than any irregular farming can do; while the regularity of the operations also draws the best men who become settled thereto. However, with respect to the question of labor, the former suggestion would have a vast advantage in the amount required. We have, however, to some considerable extent, Tula lands, which, if permanently grassed, as in the first method, or artificially (an English term), as in the course system, would so nurn up in the summer season as scarcely to carry any flock, even of lighter sheep, but could still be worked to some advantage by the adoption of a constant succession of green corps, to be fed off upon the land, which would improve the soil at every feed-

mg, and continually render it mora productive. T'iiis would require nets and stakes, such us are extensively used at home (for which we have abundance of the necessary material here), and also some provision for winter, in the shape of roots, crushed grain, hay, &c. On th is class of soils it is probable that the tine blood, like original Leicester, Hampshire Downs, or other breed, might answer as well as the heavy

.to getting miner of the fore-going propositions iuto operation, there seems two prominent barriers, viz.:—The want of capita! in the hands of practical men, and want of confidence on the part of capitalists to support such operations; and amongst the few who may be willing to do so, the desire for an extravagant rate of interest seems to predominate, the giving of which by inexperienced persons has, doubtless, contributed its quota towards the present crisis.

The adoption of some of the methods of turning our soils to account which I have herein briefly shadowed, would soon afford scope for the employment of both skilled and unskilled labor now in the country, as the unskilled might be made tolerably useful in some light operations amongst largo flocks, without interfering with and damping the energy of competent hands, or damaging me plant unnecessarily, and they would also be thereby brought to see that they would have no more claim to equal wages than if called into the laboratory of the most delicate mechanical manufactory to do a little light porteriug, sweeping, &c. However, these methods of farming would afford better wages than any other. We ara fust arriving at that period of our colonial growth when the motto, “Every man to his calling,” will become more observed.