THE FARMER, LARGE AND SMALL. (COMMUNICATED.)

Otago Daily Times, Issue 189, 24 June 1862, Page 4

THE FARMER, LARGE AND SMALL. (COMMUNICATED.)

When the toils and dangers of a difficult ascent are well nigh over, how pleasant is the occupation of throwing-a retrospective glance ■ around us. The obstacles which opposed our progress are no longer met with ; the frown, of a dogged resolution to overcome them but are recognised with a gleam of satisfaction ; the mists that enveloped us are pierced, and we stand in the sunshine of a successful achievement. We have been led to this train of thought by what we may hope to regard as the assured dawuiug of a better feeling between the tw.i classes which shnred.between them the broad acres ofthe province of Otago. We remember, as a tale that.is: told, the olden time when it was the fashion of a certain section of a certain class to look contemptuouslyon the small farmer; and in controversies with them to substitute for argument what were inten ledas designations of derision."Thus-one often heard ~ of a 'cockatoo"—and a hybrid racej euplio- J niously designated a "cockatoo squatter," bothy; which species of the genus-homo . were:sup?,y j>osed to reside in a peculiar description of country known by the name of " hundreds." Hail it not been regretful for its consequences it would have been amusing to witness the derisive smile with which the faintest utterance of an indication that you regarded such people •as sturdy yeomen, their country's pride, was received!' These days we hope are now passed^"y ■und better days we trust are in store for'us.-'5 We will not too closely scrutinize how thi? state of things has' been brought about, nory will we accept as its origin the supposed fast that wolves have got into the sheep pens and are harrying the flock. We thankfully receive the improved feeling, and with a view to its encouragement give a little sketch of an experinient made of converting a barren wilderness iii to'a smiling field—the needy crofter into the well-to-do sturdy farmer. ,"".'. .;•'.' Nestling among the hills in the county of Ross, lies a property belonging to a Mr. Matheson. The soil of the improved portions consists of a heavy brown loam of twenty inches in depth, on a subsoil of sandy clay. The climate is represented as cold and moist, wild severe winter snow storms accompanied by gales of wind. Generally speaking, the country may be characterised as barren heaths iwith boulder bedded slopes. ' These have been convert'edinto the finest pasture and undulating lawns of enchanting smoothness. At the time of purchase, the tenants yTt^will were small-farmers or crofters, renting.from _ six to twenty acres of arable- land;: veritable., 3" cockatoos " of the -most diminutive. species, and with dingy plumage; in number ■there were about nineteen, of whom eleven 'had not the heart to venture on matrimony; and attached to these farms, were about 120 pooi- : folks who could scarce keep soul and body together. Their, hovels, were'built on the most scientific principles for smoke drying the indwellers, andthe sleeping'1 apartments -mere Whins" arranged along the wall—by no means, at least to. tlie;-ordinary', observer, adapted forj rest ahd repose. ,: We will not; describe; the homesteads, for the: absence -of-.all..arrange-ment and design would sanction the idea :that they were the spontaneous produce of the soil, while an odorous, slimy, repulsive looking, emerald colored, central pond was peculiarly adapted for.the propagation of miasmatic effluvia. The system of-farming adopted by these aboriginals was scarcety entitled to the designation of " high" farming. The lands had never been trenched, but merely scratched to the depth of 3 inches; indeed tickled into bearing corn, while Here and there were gigantic boulders, the nuclei around hvhich' were gathered the abundant crop of stones whidh covered the surface. The harvest-time was indeed a period of rejoicing, For it was then that the crops which were not mildewed were conveyed to the stackyard. * The drainage was so complete that, though a slight drill at the foot ofthe ranges might have conveyed away the surface water, it was allowed to stagnate on theland.

This was the condition ofthe tenant-at-will farmer, precariously possessing some 8 to 10 acres. We will now convert them into tenants holding 19 years' lease, and the breed will inprove and the plumage become more glossy. Tiie property, comprising some 1200 acres, has, within 10 years, become changed as by the enchanter's wand. Green undulating slopes are seen on every side, gardens occupy the sites of morasses, " sloughs of despond"- are converted into nurseries, diversified with many miles of-substantially-formed roads, with pleasant grass borders ; and the tenantry, though still occupiers on sufferance —the embryos of a future race of farmers. There are seven farms varying from 100 to 300 acres, 4 farms from 50 to fOO acres, 12 farms from 30 to 60 acres, and 14 cro "tors having from 5 to 20 acres. The reclamation wai effect :d by the landlord, who found it lo pay. His desire was to remodel, and to show that, in a pecuniary point of view, it was not necessary to clear off the old inhabitants, and tJ convert tha country into sheep-walks; he designed to check that expatriation, which arises from the thirst of man to possess laud of his own, by bettering 'the condition of his tenantry at home. • " ; '. Considerable as the expense lias been on some parts of the farms, amounting to .£22 per acre, for draining, blasting, trenching, clearing away stones, fencing, &c.; yet, laid down in pastures, it hi\s readily yielded a rent of £3 Bs. Bd. per acre. So successful has the system been, that tha incieise of population may reckoned at more than three-fold in ten years. . That hateful, useless class, the old bachelor, has almost disapeared; in-tead of the van, haggard, and indolent '-hn-bandinen,-' may be-- seen the stout, hale looking benedict, with wife and bairns around him, and the land, which scarcely produced m.-al and potatoes, is now covered with the richest crops and scores of most inviting looking bullocks. More sheep farms are undergoing the process of conversion into the abode of m.-n, capital being readily invested, where the interest is so certain, and man is instinctively drawn to positions where hp car} not only live in comfort, hut put together a tidy sum for enabling his children to own a wee bit land of their own; as influential a stimulus as you can possibly administer. Well has it been said, "The principle of. gradation, in all its relations, commands our admiration, and it loses none of its beauty when exemplified in the well laid out farms of an intrusive estate. It is surely very desirable that our well to do tenant-farmers should cherish the hope of one day being farmers on their own account ; but to inspire them with such a hope, small farms must exist. The ' crofters' are those who supply the best class of young ploughmen anc} farm laborers.'-' Welcome to Otago theu, all pjasses pf agri; Cii'tufists—fie backbone of a country. Not only the landed proprietor of 1000 or 2000 acres, but the small farmers of 100 to 500, with a few hundreds of pounds, and not the least useful, the "crofter" of from 10 to 80 acres. May they all flourish together, until every acre of land will depasture' 4or 5 sheep, instead of as at present, one sheep requiring 4or 5 acres. Let the motto of Otago be— "Speed the plough." There's: prosperity in evtry furrow, and though the day be long in dawning, it will nevertheless come in due course, be brjght and hpart-satjsfyipg, i£s light penetrating through all classgs'pf spqV ety, enlightening and revivifying the whole.

TOWN BOARD.

The usual weekly meeting'of this body took place yesterday afternoon, at the office in Princess street. Present—Messrs. Hardy, Mollison, J. Cargill, and De. Hulme. Mr. Hardy, chairman. The Clerk to the Board then read the minutes of the last sitting, which were put aud confirmed, in the usual manner. • TUB JIANUUE Dlil'OT. The following correspondence was read with reference to this depot. " Superintendent's Oflice, "Dunedin, 23rd June, 18G2. " Sir, —I have the honor to forward the enclosed memorandum received from the Commissioner of Police, relative to the necessity which exists for the appointment of some person at the manure depot, and wliich I beg to urge on the consideration of the Town Board. " I have, &c., " (Signed) J. Richardson, " Superintendent." " Police Department. " Commissioner's Oflice, " Dunedin, 21st June, 1862. No. 126 G. MEMO. " Tl c attached report is foi warded to hisjlonor the Superintendent, with a request that he will recommend the Town Board to engage a man for this very necessary work. ■ . " (Signed) St. John Branigan, " Commissioner of Police. " To his Honor the Superintendent." No. 685. " Police Department. »y : " Dunedin, 21st June, 1862. " Constable Nimon reports for the information of the Sub-Inspector that he this morning obtained several men in the employ of the Town Board, and buried the dead horses at the manure depot. Thomas Dickson has buried his this morning also. " Constable Nimon would most respsctfully bring under the notice ofthe Sub-Inspector the necessity there is for a man to be at the depot during the day keeping the road iv repair, and to see that all rubbish and other filth taken there was deposited in the proper place. " (Signed) James Nimon, " Constable.

" J. K. Weldon, Esq., " Sub-luspector." " Forwarded to the Commissioner, I have to ?e----mark that at every such manure -depot in Melbourne, nnd other places, there is a man employed constantly to burn all • filth, Bury dead animals, and keep down the stench as much as possible. " (Signed) " J. X AVeldon, Sub-Inspector.

" June 21st, 1862." Mr. Cargill considered the manure depot was altogether a nuisance. In his opinion there ought to be no such thing tolerated. Manure, which would make the country smile all round Dunedin, was in the way of being converted into a nuisance rather than a benefit. Manure depots were not allowed iii the home country, while here we have men contracting for the removal of manure, and receiving an exorbitant t price for taking it away. Even supprsing that manure were a saleable article, its intrinsic value was utterly damaged by the recklessness with which rubbish ■was mixed up with it, such as broken bottles, &c. This was a great pity, because there were parties on the hills and in the north-east valley, who would be willing to purchase it by cartloads, but the men who carted-itoff did not care about that as'they preferred conveying it to the Town Belt and depositing; it there. He trusted the Government would close the depot, as the Town Belt was never intended for such a purpose ; it was originally designed as a place for recreation. The cricket ground was out there, and there ought to be a public garden. He would suggest that the Government be strongly recommended to abolish the manure depot ; or, if a man is stationed there at all, let him be instructed to see that no person deposit more manure in that locality, .j ■ The Clerk suggested that as the site of the manure depot had been selected by the Commissioner, it might be judicious to appoint a man to keep ifc in as good an order as possible, in order thnt depositors in future might discharge their loads in the depot, and not to shoot it out on to the public road. Dr. Hulme bore testimony to the fact that the depot in question had become a great nuisance. It was ultimately resolved :—" That Government be recommended to shut up the depot, the same being a public nuisance, and that the Board will be willing to pay'- the expense of "a watchman to see that no rubbish or manure be deposited at'the Town belt." , Dr. Hulme. remarked that under the present arrangements, a man might go along the main south vomil, and capsize his manure into a ditch at the sricfyyThe police had tried to get hold of some of these men, but the fine inflicted was so low—something like ss.—that the aggressors could well afford to pay the fine, and eleposit the manure there. Somebody was required to watch, and have a few of the offenders fined, with a view of suppressing the nuisance in question. When the Government objected to the erection of any public buildings, such as hospital, asylum, and . barracks. on the Town Belt, it was rather sur--prising that they should suffer any portion of it to be used as a manure depot. It wa.3 now resolved :—' That a committee, consisting of Messrs. Hulme. Hardy, and tlie mover, confer with His Honor the Superintendent on the subject ; and in the .meantime, that the Town Board sanction the appointment of a person to take charge of the manure depot.

THE CUTTING. Mr. Green (afreeholder) nowentcred Board room, on the stranger's side, and addressed the members -, -present to the following effect:—He had to report sthat nothing had been done for fhree weeks past to. the cutting hear to his premises: and he vWshed to'know if anything was contemplated to be done _to reduce the centre of Princes-street to the proposed level. ■ * The Chairman observed that the contract was ' already let to a party to perform all tlio work. He did not-knptv what was the occasion of the delay pomplained of. Mr, Green reiterated his assertion that nothing lind been done for the last three weeks. The Chairman said the contractor was under an engagement to the local government to remove the earth out of the cutting, and to lower the street. The contract was not with the Board, or else they could deal with it ; but, in the meantime, lie considered they were bound to look after it, and to . inquire why the works had teen suddenly brought to a stand still. Mr. Green remarked that he did not wish to quarrel withdoy one: all he wanted was that some .consideration should be given to the subject, as his ] property was suffering from such neclect. Dr. ilujme thought that the Board might {iiithorise Mr. Green tp take down the earth to the required level. Mr. Green said flint he had already taken it to the depth of the foot way. He understood the ... -proposition ofthe Board was to take down the level to the other side first; nnd if he attempted to come out now to the level, there would be somebody breaking their necks. Mr. Cargill observed that tbis was a very hard case; but tbe Government ivere doing the cutting, and-Piinces-strcet -fras a main road running through the town; but, at the same time, the Government required the sanction of the Board for the present operations, in the prosecution of ; which : the Board had given, their sanction, although the work had proceeded in a very unsatisfactory way. In the first place, the contractor was only working by fits and starts "; in the next place, he only does those parts which he pleases; nnd as he proceeds, the earth is nil flipping down. He (Mr. Cargill) thought the be&t copisp would be to remit the subject to the panic committee as befpre constituted on the subject of the manure depot, and empower them to confer with His Honor the Superintendent on this matter also. ■ Dr. ilnlme thought that the Board might ihake a complaint to the Government. Mr Green said there were numbers of people who would be quite willing to go on with the work now, at a trifling . expense—people who were anxious to improve their property : hut the parties who had got it were like the dog in the manger, they would never touch it themselves nor jvllpw others to do it.

.-Mr. Cargill,: It is a decided case of monopoly then. The proposition of Mr. Cargill was adopted: and Mr. Green was informed that the Board would confer with him on an early date. WOODEN PAVEMENTS. A letter was read from James Jefferson, tendering to lay down an economical and durable pavement of plank, nine inches wide. Mr. Cargill observed that there were a number of parties, living at the back parts of the Town, such as Wulker-strcct, for instance, to whom wooden pavements of only five feet wide would prove "a very great accommodation, nnd essential comfort. If' the Board could obtain any authentic or reliable data from which to calculate the expense, of laying down these wooden pavements, it was quite possible that the members might be disposed to entertain the proposition. The Town Clerk was requested to inquire particulars concerning the price of constructing wood pavements, and instructed to make a report thereon at the next meeting of the Board. ALBANY-STREET. A letter was read from W. H. Alexander, relative to the level of this street, but no action was taken on the subject. WAIHOLA SECTION. A letter was read from J. Gillon, with referonce to the Municipal section of the Waihola, and offering to pay a £25 five for permission to sub-' let and transfer his interest therein. Mr. Mollison gave notice that, at the next meeting of the Board, he would move the rescinding of a former resolution on this subject. MANSE-STREET. Mr. • Cargill moved, " That the residents of Manse-street receive notice to pave each side of that road opposite to their respective premises, either with stone, wood, or asphulte, and in the event of their not doing it within a certain time, the Board will undertake the job, and charge j them with the expense. sections 3 and 4. A letter was read from James Mollison, James Smith, and James'Morrison, complaining ofthe unsafe position of the boulders in sections 3 and 4 South Maitland-street. The Inspector was ordered to examine the locality, and if considered dangerous, measures, were authorised to be adopted for removing the nuisance in question. MACLAGGAN-STitEET QUARRY. The Clerk reported that he had succeeded in obtaining a lease of the quarry in Maclagganstreet, from the Commissioner of Crown Lands ; and that it was only now necessary to survey it. The Chairman wished to know how far the quarry extended ? The Clerk replied about ten or twelve chains. The Board instructed Mr. Charles Reid to prepare a proper lease. ELM-ROW AND CANONGATE-STRKET. A letter was read from the inhabitants of these localities directing the serious attention ofthe Town Board to the present state of those thoroughfares. The Clerk intimated that it would involve an expenditure of some £S0 or £90 to put them into efficient repair. Consideration of the subject was deferred to next meeting. GOVERNMENT OFFICES. Mr. Cargill asked if the Government had received notice to pave opposite to the Customhouse, Post-office, and in front of their premises. The Clerk : Not yet. Mr. Cargill moved that Government receive notice at once to do so. Question put and carried. DOWLING-STREET. The Clerk reported that Mrs. Muir complained of tlie approaches to. her premises situated in Dowling-street. ; . ' Dr. Hulme said the complainant'was much better off than himself. Mr.''Cargill .remarked that, if the street were cut down to its level, Mrs. Muir would suffer a great deal more than that lady did at present. (Here the matter dropped.) TOWN ENGINEER. Mr. Cargill guve notice that, at the next meeting of the Board, he would ventilate the necessity of appointing a Town Engineer, to lcok generally to the works required to be performed. ACCOUNTS. The following accounts passed the Board for payment:— Sigley and Co. - - - 2 110 J. S. Cragg - - - 3" 18 0 Smith and Marshall - - 0 5 10 Robinson and Maclean - 27 3 2 TENDER ACCEPTED. Mr. Kirby's tender to lay down gravel in Albany-street, was accepted at a figure of £6 9s. 6d. per chain. ADJOURNMENT. ! i -At half-past five o'clock, the Board adjourned until half-past three next Monday afternoon, the 30th current. -