MR J. J. MECHI.

Patea Mail, 29 March 1881, Page 4

MR J. J. MECHI.

Our readers will have heard with regret of the death of Mr J. J. Mechi, of Tiptrcc Hall, which took place on Sunday, Dec. 26. Mr Mechi, was born at Blackheath, on May 26, 1802, and was consequently in his 79th year at the time of his death. His father, a native of Bologna, settled in London in the latter part of the last century. The son was educated chiefly by the Rev. Mr Watson, and at the age of 17 he became a clerk to a mercantile firm in the city, in which situation he remained until 1827, when he opened the business in Leadenhall street, which ultimately became so successful. His famous razors, razor strops, and “ magic paste ” became known all over the world, and brought in large profits. Soon the business was extended to other articles, especially dressing-cases, bags, and various things suitable for presents, and a large establishment was opened in Regent Street.

By the year 1841, Mr Mechi had acquired a considerable fortune, which ho invested in four farms. At first he had no intention of becoming a farmer though he had long been interested in agriculture through seeing a great deal of it in his wanderings in pursuit of his favourite sports, shooting and fishing. During his visits to various parts of the country he noticed very wide differences in the character of farming practice, and consequently in the results, He soon began to make experiments on a small scale in his garden, and became convinced that want of draining, waste of manure, and shallow ploughing were to a great extent explanatory of poor crops. When he pxirchased Tiptrcc Hall, he found the land suffering from sub-soil water, and offered to drain it for the tenant if the latter would pay a small percentage on the outlay. The tenant, however, like the majority of farmers in those days, was ignorant of the advantages of draining, and wonld not enter into the arrangement. The result was that Mr Mechi paid him something to go out of the farm, and determined to cultivate it himself. He soon set to work draining, chalking, manuring, and afterwards steam-cultivating, and Tiptrce Hall became a model farm, producing crops much greater than had previously been grown upon it.

At the beginning of his fanning career Mr Mcchi made some costly mistakes, notably in draining and ploughing up too much of the poor subsoil of bis farm. He also committed tbc mistake of teaching farming before be had learned it, and thus exposed himself to much criticism. But even his failures were instructive, whilst his teaching and practice alike were generally sound. His name soon became a household word, not only in this country, but all over the civilised world, and his books on farming had a very wide circulation. He was not content to teach his lessons once for all, but repeated them frequently in the hope of drumming them into the somewhat slow minds of the backward agriculturists of his day. What those lessons were every farmer now knows, and most farmers practice. His advice was given to landlords as well as to tenants. He urged the former to drain their estates, put up good farm buildings, cut down worthless trees, especially nollards, and give freedom of cultivation and compensation for unexhausted improvements to their tenants. The latter he advised to keep plenty of live stock, and thus consume a great deal of the farm produce at home, avoid too thick seeding, take care of manure, keep the land clean and cultivate deeply. He was also a strong advocate of steam cultivation, horse hoeing, and the use of machinery generally.