Agricultural and Pastoral.

Hawke's Bay Weekly Times, Volume 2, Issue 60, 24 February 1868, Page 48

Agricultural and Pastoral.

FARMING JN' NEW ZEALAND 1 . . (Letter in Canterbury Titq.es. by Mr B, D. Bust.) . Although small farms are objectionable, and will generally lead to littie permanent good to either occupier or country, save when in the hands of ’ really practical men who can do nearly ' all the work within themselves, yet even small farmers* who have sthe requisite means and judgment can live well, and with- comparatively little care, by farming long wool sheep, as they would thereby have scarcely any labor to employ. Eveu 100 acres is considered a very small farm in the old country, the occupants being a hard-working class, leadiug the way in every operation, and generally living most economically; differing widely from many 50 and 100-acre farmers in the colonies*. Instead then of sim ply grain-growing until the land is exhausted, and the quality of the production is spoiled, we ought to benefit by the advantages be stowed 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 threefourths or four-fiths (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 the 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 40fbs of the most valuable washed j wool per acre for the farm throughout J But this would be often exceeded, andj allowing Is 3d as the price per lb.i which I consider a low estimate, <£2 10s per acre will thus be raised from wool alone, and if we add (at a much under-estimated rate for sheep) only £2 10s per acre, it will be clear that working on a good scale would leave a tolerably handsome margin, for the amount of labor in sheep-farming on this principle would be but small, and it would also admit of the employment of a portion of unskilled labor. In all farming where proper appliances are at command, the greater the extent of the operations, the more economically they are worked. 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 fru gal 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 How Zealand highly prosperous. But even if the course system (four or five |hift) adopted on the light soils of England, were to be practised here, a large ahiount 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 aboui 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 of 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 considerahle extent, thin lands, which, if permanently grassed, as in the first method, or artificially (an English term), as in the course system, would . so burn up in the summer season as scarcely to carry any flock, even of lighfer sheep, bjit could still be worked V to some advantage by the adoption of a constant succession, Qf.green corps, to be fed off upon the land, which would jmprove the soil at every feed-

ing, and continually render it more productive. This, would require nets and stakes, such as 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 this class of soils it is probable that the fine blood, like original Leicester, Hampshire Downs, or other breed, might answer as well as the heavy woolled sheep, To getting either of the fore-going propositions into operation, there seems two prominent barriers, vijz.: j —The want of capital 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 large flocks, without interfering with and damping the energy of competent bauds, or damaging the 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 mecbauical manufactory to do a little light portering, sweeping, &c. However, these methods of farming would afford better wages than any other. We are fast arriving at that period of our colonial growth when the motto, “Every man to his calling,’’ will become more observed.