THE BEST FARM IN THE WORSLD.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2534, 27 July 1893, Page 4

THE BEST FARM IN THE WORSLD.

Melbourne, July 19. Mr W. J, Harris, who was for many years engaged in the foreign grain trade, and who represented Poole in the House of Commons in the last Parliament, contributes to the Argus of Saturday last an article entitled { - The Best Farm in the World.” The article, which has evidently appeared c mcurrently in some English papers, was written during his recent visit to Australia and New Zealand. Mr Harris characterises the best farm in the world as Mr John Grigg’s, Longbeach, near Ashburton in Canterbury, and declares that “ it is the best managed too.” The article, which minutely describes the farm, is nearly three columns in length, and the following are some of its concluding remarks : “ If all the farms in New Zealand were as good as Longbeach, and if all the fanners were as clever as Mr Grigg, they might well, indeed, be alarmed for the future, but fortunately for them, 1 have been only describing what I believe to be ‘ the best farm in the world.’ There are probably not 2,000,000 acres of laud in the whole of New Zealand the quality of which is equal to Longbeach. Some small acreage is, however, superior, and I have heard of enormous yields of wheat and oats. At Effendale, further south, I saw a paddock of 20ft where the oat crop had just been threshed, mi it yielded 98 bushels per acre. The laud there is not suitable for wheat, but in the neighbor•fctfpd of Oamaru as much as 80 bushels o£ wfessi i s 110 t infrequently grown in J heard of one field of oats containin'? which had this year threshed out iIC huaheis t.Q jj?e acre, and my informant was n.' vf; tii6 Obi?) exaggerate; in fret, ho was a > may repeat what he said for the comfoih of British farmers; ‘These yields,’ said ho, ‘are all published, but the failures are not published. Thoio are a great many more acres threshed which only yield 20 bushels of wheat or 30 bushels of oats than there are which yield 10 bushels more. In fact, the ordinary farming in New Zealand is behind our English farming. The work is roughly done, very little weeding is over attempted by the ordinary farmer, and the crop of thistles and sorrel is sometimes as prolific as the crop of corn. There would require to be 100 farms as large as Longbeach, and 100 men as practical and clever as Mr John Grigg, before much impression is made on the English prices of corn from this quarter. Even Mr Grigg, told me that mutton and dairy produce were both paying him bettor than wheat at the present, and that he intended to

reduce his wheat acreage in the coming year. If every other farmer in the world does the same, what will be result ? The contraction of our wheat acreage in Groat Britain may under such circumstances bring about very unlooked-for consequences, and the prices now current, at which the Economist professes to rejoice, may prove to be a curse to the consumers. The farming land in New Zealand is not as yet one-half developed. The frozen-mutton trade has stimulated that sort of farming, but that very fact has rather contracted the increase which would otherwise have taken place in the corn acreage. If the prices of wheat were to rise in England so as to allow the price of 4s per bushel to be paid in New Zealand (say about 40s a quarter in England) the farmer would quickly respond, and the country could with ease export ton times what it does at present. The supply of mutton may easily overtake the demand. The climate of New Zealand is undoubtedly the most favorable in the world for the production of meat. The summer is like an English summer, and the winter is like an English autumn. The grass may be said to grow all the year round. They do not suffer from drought or locusts, and the pest of caterpillars complained of years ago is rapidly disappearing owing to the increase of small birds. To winter a big ox in England costs (in value of food alone) from £5 to £7, whereas in New Zealand it costs nothing beyond what the land bears. Ordinary farm-yard manure is hardly ever saved. At Longbeach, however, it was considered worth carting to the nearest grass paddock. It makes corn grow too rank, and it is a much more expensive application for root crops than the artificial manures wnich are generally though not always used. I saw lots of very excellent crops of turnips grown without any dressing at all. Jf any interference be made with the laissez faire system of political economy which English people still believe in, it should be in the direction of removing some of our ruined farmers and their poor labourers to New Zealand, but all who go must remember that.the high wages mean hard work. A handy, steady workman can in five years save sufficient to take a small section from the Government on defei’rod pay meut, building his house and become a landlord. It is unwise to buy land on arrival. To servo an apprenticeship first teaches the emigrant where he is likely to succeed or fail.” Correspondent Christchurch Press. MONETARY AND COMMERCIAL. London, July 23. Tallow, medium mutton, 28s; ditto, beef, 275. The quantity of wool catalogued at the auctions just over was 337,880 bales. One hundred and thirty-nine thousand were sold for export, and the Home trade took 178,000, and 61,000 bales were held over. The American and Continental wheat markets are declining, and the English is weak in tone. Prices are unchanged. A cargo of Victorian wheat was sold for 295. The Loan and Mercantile directors are negotiating with Baron Schroder, previous to settling the details of the reconstruction scheme. July 24. Mr E. S. Davis, speaking at a meeting of the Queensland National Bank creditors, said that the suspension had been caused by the unfair criticism of a section of the Press. Every deposit had been withdrawn when it fell due until a million had been paid out. He assured the meeting that the creditors had a reasonable expectation of receiving both interest and principal, if the reconstruction scheme were sanctioned; otherwise the Outlook was very poor, as Government could claim priority in the event of liquidation. If the Bank were to go into liquidation at present it would result in an alarming shrinkage of assets. The depositors and shareholders unanimously adopted the reconstruction scheme. City men approve of fMr G. Dibbs’s proposal to establish a sinking fund. The first shipload of Bulgarian frozen meat has been despatched to London.

Messrs Heniy S. Fitter & Sons’ agent has received the following cablegram from London, dated July 24th Canterbury mutton, 3£d to 4d ; do, lamb, 4d to s|d ; Wellington mutton, 8d to 3|d ; do lamb, 4dto4£d; New Zealand beef, hindquarters, 4fd to 5Jd; forequarters, 3|d to Sjd; Australian sheep, 2fd to 3d; do beef, hindquarters, 4jd to 4fd} forequarters, 3d to 3*d.