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Lyttelton Times, Volume III, Issue 126, 4 June 1853, Page 7

To the Editor of the Lyttelton Times.

Sib,—ln reply to a letter signed a "Recent Colonist," making enquiry relative to the terms upon which sheep are farmed upon the system of thirds, I acquaint you, for his information, that it is universally the custom throughout the Nelson district, where I have resided for the last three years, engaged in the occupation of farming sheep upon thirds, to make an agreement for the term of three or five years; the expenses of the'first year making it necessary that the farmer should retain them for the two following years to reimburse himself in the preliminary expenses of starting a sheep-farming establishment, and to make it sufficiently remunerative to make it worth his while to incur the risk with which the undertaking is always more or less.attended by losses from disease or otherwise. It is usual to divide the lambs at the end of every year, when the sheep-farmer, independent of thirds from the original flock and from the two-thirds of the first year's increase, has a proportion of the increase in proportion as his thirds of the first year's IricreasV are to the whole flock, and so on with the second year until the contract is rescinded. With respect to wool, he has the whole clip of his own thirds, and one-third a. the owner's proportion. I am, Sir, yours, Bee. A Colonist.