FARMING.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 346, 11 April 1874, Page 3

FARMING.

(To the Editor.) Sin,— ln last Wednesday's Tuapeka Times an individual signing himself "Practical Farmer," gives, as he imagines, a capital account of his calculations as to the profits of farming, for the benefit of your readers. As he is evidently anything but a practical farmer, allow me to point out a few facts, which may cool down his enthusiasm about taking up land. It is well for him he Uses the words "if lean find out where and how it can be got hold of," for that is exactly the greatest difficulty. In the whole of the Tuapeka district, he will not find 640 acres of land in one block all fit to plough, so he might have saved himself the trouble of making his calculations until he has the land, and lcnows lioav much of it is ploughable. " Don't count your chickens before they are hatched." "Practical Farmer " may think himself very fortunate, should he embarke in the enterprise, to get half of the 640 acres — that is, 320 acres — fit for cultivation. But let me, as one of the sneered at, .id vise him to plough and fallow, harrow and cross-plough, and then he will have a fair chance of getting a crop ; but, by so doing, would double the cost of preparing the ground, besides getting no returns whatever for the Avhole twelve months for the outlay of his money. At the end of the second year, the figures will stand about thus : 640 acres at 20s. per acre - - £640 0 0 320 chains fencing at 15s - - 240 0 0 320 acres ploughed twice and harroAved - ... 640 0 0 Seed at ss. per bushel - - 200 0 0 Sowing, harrowing, and rolling 160 0 0 Eeaping and gathering - - 240 0 0 Carting to stack - - - 50 0 0 Threshing 10,250 bushels - 170 13 4 2340 13 4 Produce— lo,24o bushels at 4s - 2048 0 0 Profit - - . ' - - £292 13 4 These figures represent the utmost he would receive under the most favorable circumstances, leaving out the matter of interest on the capital sum invested the first year altogether. In conclusion, I hope "Practical Farmer " will obtain his 640 acres, and a few years will convince him how farming will pay in Tuapeka. — I am, &c, Colonial Farmer.