FARMING.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 350, 25 April 1874, Page 3

FARMING.

{To the Editor.)

Sib, — In the name of common sense what is " Practical Farmer " writing about ? He has evidently lost himself in a maze of his own creating, and doubtless will not come to the light until those who are yet unborn shall speak of him as their venerable great, great grandfather (say about the year 2000), unless brought forth from the darkness of inexperience of colonial farming with which he is enveloped by one of those he sincerely pities. Perhaps I can assist him to a knowledge of the ridiculous position he has placed himself in by referring him to the letter of Ist April — a fit date for such a letter. Why did " Practical Farmer " base all his calculations on the assumption that he could obtain 610 acres of land in one block if he knew better at the time ? Why did he allow only a sufficient number of chains fencing to encircle it in one square block, and that of a kind the least durable and worthless, and as far as keeping in or out horned cattle or sheep utterly useless, and, as he justly remarks in letter No. 2, no farm can be made to pay without stock being kept ? Yet he has failed to allow for subdividing into reasonable siaed paddocks ; neither has he allowed for a considerable per cont., at least one-third, of his 640 acres fit, only for grazing purposes. Why did he not take all this into hia calculations? Simply because ha knew very little about the matter in which he undertook to instruct others. In fact " Practical Farmer's " l»9t letter is a mass to contradictions from beginning to end. In one sentence he condemns the selling of all the straw as a ruinous proceeding, as it should be returned to the soil in the shape of farm yard manure ; and yet in another sentence he remarks that if he only sold his straw his profits would be swollen. If " Practical Farmer " really desires to begin farming in Tuapeka, let him look about him, and he will find farmers not many miles from Lawrence that know infinitely more about farming than he does, and from whom a few hints would be as valuable to. him. as gold. — I am, &c.,

Colonial Farmer. P.S. — This closes the controversy so far as I am concerned.