The Momohaki Experimental State Farm.

Manawatu Herald, 15 February 1896, Page 3

The Momohaki Experimental State Farm.

Near Waverley the Government have a similar white elephant to that they possess at Levin. At t^Waverley the firm is experimental, whilst the one at Levin is, if not experimental, a distinct failure. Momohaki formed the subject of a little enquiry in the House last Session, and the answers to a few easy questions asked by Mr George Hutchison in June have now only been published. It is not to be wondered at considering the fact 9. The farm consists of 254 acres 2 roods and 13 perches, of which a little over 71 acres are in bush. The expenditure between the Ist September, 1898, to 31st March, 1895, with the first value of the land ia as follows.: — The amount spent in buildings is £577 10* ; in fencing £367 6s 8d ; in cultivating, including labour, £887 8s lid ; in stock £876 Oa 5d ; and other purposes £449 10d Bd, a total of £2667 11s Bd. The uses the land has been put to, as per report, arc the investigation of diseases in stock, the testing of seeds and plants, and the distribution of proved sorts to settlers. The number of persons employed throughout has been 11, the maximum number 9 and the minimum number 2. The Curator was paid £125 per annum ; the overseer £2 per week; assistant nurseryman 7<--6d per day ; labourers 6s 6d and 5a per day ; boys 8s 4d per day. As it has been stated that 11 persona have been continuously em ployed we may expect that the Curator, Overseer and assistant nurseryman held their posts, and the salaries of these three totals to £846 per annum, added to this must be the average wages of the eight other persons which we have taken at half men and half boys and these should be some £572 a year, making a total of wages sheet of £918 per annum. As this expenditure is for 18 months, with adding five per cent interest on £2657 (£199) we haw the interesting amount of £1576 spent to further the above objects The farm manager is proud of recording a return of £81 2s lid from the property and points to the fortunate possession of 5 horses, 44 cattle and 897 sheep For Orchard work the farm has 987 fruit trees and 71 vines ; for .Nursery 1634 fruit trees, 10.000 vines, 50 other planti, and 6,170 forest and shelter trees. The colony will not be able to afford many more farms. Fatal Aooident on a RaceCourse. ■ ♦ At the races at H*era on Wednesday when the Cup horses were about a quarter of a mi c fro n ntnue. Anita fell, and brought down Brook-

let, Prioress, and Flying Fish. 1 Hammond, the rider of Anita, was found to have been very eoriouply injured internally, and suffered a severe scalp wound, with prohaK.i: , fraci-ure of the base of mn sKiui. lie was removed in an unc<.naeious condition. George, the rider of Prioress, bad his collar bone broken. The two other jockeys were uninjtmd. A few minutes after the accident, a rumour went round that Hammond was dead, and flags on the courso were lowered to half-mast. Signs of life were soon after perceived, however, and the poor fellow lingered on until 4 o'clock, when he succumbed. Tho nofts cast a gloom over the proceedings.