Correspondence.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 378, 1 August 1874, Page 2

Correspondence.

PLAIN PLOUGHi:;^ V. FAL--E {To the Jklitor.} Sib, — I sse by your paper of the 20tn . that Tonr-inviDefl discussion has been ta^c advantage of by ons signed " False-Cut.: He takes up the plain and- false-cut, and his opinion is that both should be encouraged i.i their proper places. I would have like' v he had stated their proper places, but i.. refers to low ground only. It is rather liar I for a lov/lander to accuse us'highlanders with the ignorance that prevails after us having ten years of experience. I will now give you my opinion of the false-cut on the Tuaoeka ridges. Ist. That the false-cut should have no place whatever ; the very word itself is sufficient to make farmers get up and knock it down. 2nd. That it is unprofitable for the farmer in many ways, as it leaves a comb of good soil in the bottom of the furrow hard and fast, which never sees the frost or sun for a year, or perhaps more ; and at the same time the cuts that are on the plough cause the ploughman to strain every nerve and muscle he has in holding the plough ; and at the ploughing matches lie very often has to give up exhausted before he completes his third of an acre. As a proof of this, witness the last ploughing match here, where e7cry ploughman who had " cut " on his irons waa seen during the whole time with streams of I^erspiration running from his face, although the weather was cold to freezing point ; and the horses were in little better plight, from having what I confidently believe an extra weight of from two to three hundredweight to draw. At that [rate, with false-cut ploughing, and man and horses worked hard for a third of an a/;ro, the cost of the work done would amount to about £3 per acre. 3rd. It ha 3 never proved itself to be a multiplier, for as soon as the inafce-h is over the ' cuts " are thrown aside until the next match, or the irons taken to the blacksmith and the " cut " taken off , and I am aware that practice is adopted in the lowlands as well as here. Now, I maintain that if false-cut was used ia general farm work, there would be good cause for a hue and cry against us for ignorance. The reason of false- cut being in iMk^'h favor with certain parties is to keei^^rne reputation of old prize-takers, who have theingeuuity of regulating the particular shapeof the sock and twist for the coulter, and which, like many other antiquated absurdities, had better be consigned to well-merited oblivion. Next year I hope to see a really good prize giren for the bost general ploughing, and then you will see some of our young . ploughmen go in and win firsfhonors. As a proof of the non-success of false-cut in producing a crop, I visited the land where the ploughing match was held four years since, in (Jla ks Flat, after the crop had come up, and I plainly saw that where the " cut_^ had been used, the appearauce of the growing crop was far inferior to that where the worst of the plain ploughing had been. Mr. False-Cut will have to show us some more encouragiug profits than au extra turn of the.ha>TOws. With regard to the late ploughing match; here, it was a creditable turn-out of the famcrs; but the ploughing itself was in myopinion very inferior, and will so continueuntil a stop is put to the false-cut system ; ixocl as fco fclie inaHer of pj-^jticifee, I belxev© • the people were quite right in their condemnation of the " cut," and I believe also that il the system is persevered in the result will be that the farmed will soon qualify themselves as petitioners in the insolvent court. I have no» given you a rough sketch of my opinion of the false-cut, and on a future oj.'-asio-'' 1 shall, vtiih. your permission, give you ■£".*' ideas upon good honest ploughing. — i .tin, &c, Pbacticai.

(To the Editor.) Sn*> — The discussion invited in your paper of the 25th ult., on the system of ploughing practised at ploughing matches in this di^ trict, has been carefully watched by your farmer readers and others interested in such affairs. At'ter persistently adhering to tho false-cut, in opposition to the opinions of those competent to judge of its unsuitableness for this district, it appears tie promoters of these matches can now find tLev had the sow by the wrong lug, and are beginning to see, with the vision of practical k^owledce, the requirements of these engaged in Vrmin"', and the absurdity of continuing wli»t was neither good for the land, suitable for growing crops, nor instructive to.the young ploWhmen. Your correspondent " False-cut " had in Saturday's issue, given his opinions pretty freely, but as he confined his arguments io^ low-lying land, it is needless to.follow him t>~ the regions below, as his system has been long since damned in this district, except by the- favored few. Taking into^fcon- • sideration the high elevation of T^te!^ it is visible false-cut will not answer here. *My friend. Sandy tells nib ft is a Scotch system. Well if so, contiiQj^' it ; it would be a pity to alter anything Seo;clv " even though, for the benefit of the comnon weal. It appears " Plain Ploughman " speaks of ploughing done in the past generation and in other countries more than any experience gained on Tuapeka. He has not laid down any delinite method for judges of future ploughing matches to go by, and we would hare to wait too long for the result of his. challenge to plough and sow false-cut. Now, I find the general opinion to be in favor of the following system of ploughing to bo adopted at future matches in Tuapela,: 6 inches deep, 9 inches wide, equal measure top and bottom (this to be strictly adhered to-, from beginning to finish), well packed, with good shoulder as seed covering ; no special prizes ; feering, ins and outs, and best finish all to be included as necessary to secure only one prize in per class ; the judges to be local men, who by observation and experience may be able to rectify any faults and make improvements where found necessary from yearto year. — I am, &c., Willie.