To the Editor of the New Zealand Spectator. Wellington, June 4, 1845.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume I, Issue 35, 7 June 1845, Page 3

To the Editor of the New Zealand Spectator. Wellington, June 4, 1845.

Sir, — In the Editorial remarks appended to my letter of the 21st ultimo, I am accused of giving a garbled extract, thus I deny ; what I extracted did not alter the sense, and therefore could not be a garbled extract. I merely wanted the cost of freight. The article in question had no date, and it does not appear when the shipment took place : however, it will be easy to j>rove that the cargo could not return a profit ; the cost and charges upon landing would be fully 70s. per quarter, which, at the least, is 10s. higher than any weekly average during the last two years. The extract does not say it " bore all the expenses of importation with a fair profit to the importer :" you have left out the words •' we are informed," and therefore have given a garbled extract yonrself, the omission materially altering the the sense. You further state, " that the rent of corn land in England is seldom less than £2, in many instances as high as £5 or £6 per acre." I defy you to prove this assertion, and I positively assert that very few farms in England rent as high as £2 per acre. In the statistics of agriculture, population, &c, extracted from the last census of England and Wales, the average rental of England is given at 18s. lOd. per acre; of Wales, 9s. sd. The county of Middlesex ranks highest, viz. 335. 9d. ; Westmoreland, lowest 9s. ; those two fine counties, Leicester and Warwick respectively 295. 9d. and 245. lOd. ; the very best farms in those counties do not rent higher than from £2 to £2, 10s. per acre, and better land is seldom met with. Bucks is 235. Id., including the vale of Aylesbury, probably the best land in all England. If you wish to see this table, I shall be most happy to produce it. You next state, "In the second year he supposes the 19 acres first cleared to lie idle," &c. Ido no such thing. If you attentively look over the .second year's expenses, you will perceive they apply to the same land. To use one of your own expressions," you are rather unfortunate" in your remarks upon Canada, so far from the expense of clearing being nearly the same as it is in New Zealand, I assert, from personal knowledge, it is not one half. A few years since, I travelled over the greater part of Canada, and was very particular in my enquiries respecting the price of clearing land. I found it range from ten dollars for light, to sixteen dollars per acre for very heavy timbered land, including fencing (the zigzag railed fence). Our land costs us fully £6 per acre to prepare for crop, the Canadian (including fencing) at the highest price, 16 dollars, £3, 6s. per acre. In Upper Canada the winter is four not six months long. In point of climate, I allow New Zealand is immeasurably superior to Canada. In

regard to soil, I never yet saw the equal to thaf of tfie* Western District of Upper Canada ; land was pointedout to me from which 19 crops of wheat had been taken in 21 years ; the maize was the finest I ever beheld. You st.ite that 1 charge " two years living, &c, against the first crop, instead of extending my calculations over a period of four or five years, and including the profit (?)■ on poultry, pigs, cows, green crops," &c. I will extend my calculations when I can resort to farty ; wo have been sufficiently amused with imaginaiy sentiments and puffiing returns of ninety bushels of wheat per acre, &c., &c, &c, and which have obtained for the Feftlement " rather an unenviable name." When I see the advantage of keeping poultry, pigs, cows, and growing green crops, I will do so ; at present I can buy pork for l|d. per pound : Can I fatten it for double that sum ? Green crops at present I have no use for ; besides, they will not pay. In England, they are cultivated for the purpose of feeding stock for manure, and to carry out the usual rotation of intervening a green betwixt two grain crops ; but the farmer mainly depends upon his grain to pay, his rent ; indeed, so much is this the case, that mr all calculations of the price of growing wheat, you will see two years' rent charged against the crop. In the statement of Earl Ducie, that caused so much controversy v of the expense of growing, harvesting, and marketing wheat on Whitfield Example Farm, I find it given at 545. 6d. per acre. Rent, tithes; and taxes, at 50s. per acre. The expense on a second farm he states at £4 :8: 1" per acre ? on a- third, at £4 : 9 : 10 ; "and on a fourth, £5 : 7 : 6 per acre, including in the three last cases two years' reas. . I'fwd an. acre of wheat costs me the first year for'l«boHr''ancf-seed, £9 : 15 ; the second year, £7. What- the cost the third year may be, I cannot say, and unless we can get our wheat gFouhd at a reasonable ratej'-frdo riot intend to try it, being, dtetermined to cultivate ho more than will serve for the use of myself and family ; and I know numbers of others who have come to the same determination. I am, Sir, your constant reader, ' Clodhopper.