GREENFIELD ESTATE.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VIII, Issue 435, 17 February 1875, Page 2

GREENFIELD ESTATE.

We had the pleasure of visiting Greenfield Station, last week after a Elapse of nearly five yeans, and the changes that have been brought about there during that time are so marvellous aid well worthy of remark, that we shall not apologise for occupying a portion of our space in giving a short discription of that really magnificent estate.

Greenfield, the property of James Smith, Esq., is situated on the banks of the Molyneux, and ia distant about 1© miles from Lawrence. The road to it at present is in a good state of repair, and wei % e it not for Breakneck and one or two other pinches on the rising ground above Lawrence, the road would be a very easy one. $The natural outlet from Lawrence to Greenfield, Tuapeka • Mouth, Waiwera, and Popotuna, is undoubtedly by Clarks Flat, twb miles along the main road, and if the road there was some talk about by that route were made, it would be of immense advantage to Lawrence, and to the settlers who have recently taken up land on the oommonage. Since Mr. Smith took up his residence on the station, five years ago, he has been engaged in one continuous work of improvement, until he has suoeeeded in transforming a barren waste into a magnificient estate. The present is the harvest season, and the beautiful undulating hills as far as the eye can reach covered with golden corn, is a scene which cannot be witnessed in many parts of New Zealand. , The blue gums around the Homestead, which were mere saplings at our last visit, have grown into fine trees, and afford beautiful shelter* ,^ to the house and garden from the prevailing winds. No better proof of this can be seen than in the perfection to which both the flowers and fruits are brought in the garden. Between the gums are planted all kinds of English forest trees, which in coarse of time are intended to take the place of the gums. Nestled amongst the trees is

THE DWELLINGHOTTSE, which is after a design by Mr. R. A. Lawson. It is a two-storey building, was erected about two years ago, and is a substantial structure, in which both ornament and convenience are well blended. The rooms are large and airy, and from the balcony in front of the building, which faces the north, a fine view is obtained. A 2000 gallon cistern, as well as three 400 gallon tanks, are fitted to the house. The cistern is connected with the bath-room .and the closet, and from these there is a drain which conveys the waste water a considerable distance away from the house. The water from the three tanks is used for culinary purposes. Of the furniture we shall only say that it is quite in keeping with the handsome appearance of its surroundings.

THE GARDEN is what mii^ht be expected from a place which receives the constant attention of an experienced gardener. Everything is kept in trim, bnt a vast amount of labor had to be expended upon tho ground before it assumed its present aspect, owing to its formerly broken character. Among the trees in the garden, two Californiau pines, about thirty feet in height, arb specially deserving of note ; and the fruit trees, especially the apples and the peaches, are laden to the ground with fruit — the branches in several instances being broken with the weight. Tn one corner of the garden, snugly suvrov%led with manuka scrub, is the croquet lawn^on which many a pleasant hour is doubtless spent : and over* at another corner is a circular swing, where the younger members of the family exercise their muscles. A fine conservatory is in course of erection. It is of an octagonal design, and will take 800 feet of glass to cover it. Situated on a mound ; all planted with flowers, it is approached by a circular walk, and when finished will be a pleasant place of resort. There are several natural springs in the garden, the water from one of which is conveyed to the WASH-HOUSE, which is also fitted with a tank. This outhouse is furnished with a patent mangle and washing machine, and other appliances for the saving of labor. Then, close to the wash-house, we come to THE DAIRY, which is situated under the cool shade of the trees, and affords room enough for butter-making for a small village. Close to this again is the TOOL HOUSE, or receptacle for the gardener's tools. These, we were informed, must soon be cleared out to give place for the apples. We think, however, some additions "will require to be made to it before the apple crop can be stowed away withinitsnarrow precincts. Passing through the woods, we come to an open square with open sheds on the one side, and a large building on the other. This open space aud the sheds are pretty fully occupied with FARMING IMPLEMENTS, and the threshing machinery required fop a large estate. The following list, by no meai.s complete, but still an approximate one of the implements used on the Station, will give our readers a faint idea of the extent of the work carried on by Mr. Smith in converting the wilderness into a beautiful garden. In ploughs there are 9 double-furrows, Reid and Grey's, Oamaru ; 2 do., Jack and Co.'sOamuru • 3 do., Mitchell's, Aberdeen; 1 do., Pirrie; 2 do.,Hornsby; 9 single-furrow ploughs ; 1 Hillside plough ; and a double mould plough for potatoes and turnips. There are 10 sets of harrows, 1 Norwegian harrow, and one set of chain harrows for grass seed ; 3 Cambridge rollers — one 6ft., one Bft., and one 12ffc. in width, and 4 plain rollers— two 6ft. 6in. and two 2ft. 9in., for crushing clods ; 3 Irrge grubbers and a potatoe drill ; 2 18f'. sowing machines ; 1, 20ft. rape seed machine ; an 8-horse power Marshall's steam engine, constructed with improved furnace to burn lignite ; and a'Ransom I and Sim's threshing mill ; 7 Bamlett's reaping machines, three of which are mowers and reapers combined, and four reapers alone. The drays, &c, used are. as follows :—9: — 9 farm carts. 3 tip drays, 2 bullock wagons, and 6 bullock drays, and the animals used for working these are 40 draught horses and 30 bullocks, all of whom are kept pretty constantly engaged. We should imagine the foregoing list will convey a better idea of the extent of the work going on at Greenfield than many words of ours would be capable of conveying. We have said that on the one side of the open space where the machinery is stored, is. a . large building, this is divided into a storeroom, smithy, and carpenter's shop. In th*e two latter we observed three men busy at work. Passing from this, we pome to the

MESS BOOM, which consists of one portion of a large two storey building, where all the permanent hands partake of their meals. This room is 50ft x 20ft, and is capable of giving sitting accommodation for 60 or 70 men. On our visit one of the side tables was piled ceiling high with loaves of bread, which the baker had got ready lor supplying the harvest hands. The j bake ( house forms part of the lean- to of this building, which is fitted with an oven and a large American cooking stove. The other part of the lean-to is set apart for sleeping bunks, and is familiarly designated the "longboat." A fine large . room at the other end from the messroom of the building we are describing, Mr. Smith purposes devoting to a reading room for the uso of the hands. It has a large fireplace in it, and must prove to be a remarkably comfortable place, as it is lined with T. and G. timber, as indeed is the whole of the building. Up stairs is sub-divided into a number of small bedrooms for the use of the permanent hands, and we should imagine that when once a man has comfortably pitched his tent there, he will be loath to leave it, unless he is fired with the noble ambition of following his employers example, and his way on his own account. A few years apprenticeship at Greenfield must at all events be good training for any man who in after years starts even in a small way to push his fortune in New Zealand or any other new country. In front of the building we* have just left, is a well 36ft deep, cut o-ut of the solid rock. The sinking of this well cost 10s a foot for 15ft, and about a half more for the re- - maining 21ft, but then tjiis large outlay has given an unfailing supply of excellent water. Leaving the Mess Room we pass THE SLAUGHTER HOUSE AND PIGGERIES, but these do not require any special notice, so we may cross over to THE WOOL SHED. This is a very large shed, in which there is room for 1000 sheep,' and a shearing floor for fourteen shearers. The building is 75ft x 20ft, with a T end 40ft x 22ft besides a lean-to 75ft x 34ft. The shed is fitted with a screw press for packing the woof, and in the wool season, as may be guessed, this building presents a very busy appearance. The flooring is narrow and open to keep it clean, ajad the manure which accumulates below is cleaned out and utilised in the garden. Part of this vast space below the woolshtd is also devoted to cellarage^ and is stored the various chemicals required for ■4sheep-w ashing. We shall now walk over a little distance and see THE BARN, and here we find a chaffcutter and oatbruiser. This latter machine for crushing oats for horse feed, is looked upon as a very invaluable one. It is calculate Iby those who^jjhave made the rearing and feeding of horses their study, that 5h bushels of oats crushed will go as far us 7 bushels uncrushed, so that a machine of this kind must be a great saving to their owner where a largo number of animals look daily for their full quota of oats to keep them up in good working condition. These machines are driven by a 12ft. diameter overshot water wheel, which receives its supply of water from a large artificial dam a short distance above ■ the barn. A circular saw outside the barn is also worked by the same power for cutting firewood. THE DAM, as we have said, is near the barn. It is situated in a gully, and is capable of holding water to supply the wheel with 110 inches for a week. The embankment of the dam is a fine piece of work. There is a facing of 150 tons of stone on it, and & row of willows along the top. All the dam now requires is a pleasure boat to complete it. The water is conveyed to the wheel in boxes, and can be turned off to . supply THE DIP with water for the^heep-washing. The dip is like other such constructions ; but even here Mr. Smith has adopted laborsaving contrivances. Four large iron tanks are placed ovsr the furnace, which warms water for the sheep-washing process. These tanks have each a tap and a spout to convey their contents into the dip. They are not connected with each other, although they are all connected with the water race or boxes. The object of this is that different ingredients can be put in each, and the quantities regulated with all necessary precision, as^they are emptied into the dip. Adjoining the dip is the SWEATING HOUSE, where the skins, after they have steeped a sufficient length of time, are removed and allowed to sweat or decompose sufficiently to enable the fleece to be removed without difficulty. THE STABLE is now the only building among the outhouses of the homestead we have not yet touched upon, and it is in keeping with the other buildings. It is fitted with 17 stalls and six loose-boxes. There are four 400gallon tanks connected .with each other^ These receive the rain-water from tbjp roof of the stable, which ia^used for washing the horses, a hose being fixed to the tap for that purpose. We have now a few wofds to say about the crops, ■We could not have visited Greenfield at a better time than we did, to see the harvesting operations in full swing. There were five reaping machines and about men employed last Saturday when we visited the station. The harvest hands are jaaid by the hour this year, and we believe^ it will be more satisfactory both to the men and their employer. It will be the means, at all events, of pushing on the work, as we were informed by one of the men that some of the hands were working eleven hours a day. It will no doubt be wondered how such a large body of men are fed. Well, the process is very simple where every appliance is at hand. There are three lar<*e huts, situated in different parts of the fields, and at each of these there is a cook, besides the baker' and cook we have, referred to in the description of the messroom above. At these the men have their meals, and if their fare is simple, it is of the best quality, and such as hardworking men are likely to enjoy. Plenty beef and mutton and bread, and any quantity of vegetables if the cooks will take the trouble of preparing them, and what more could be desired.

The land cropped this season on the estate amounted to J324 acres, and was apportioned as follows : — 500 acres in wheat,. 480 in oats, , 240 in barley, 60 in grass seed, 50 in ryegrass, and 4 in potatoes, and the yield of these Mr. Smith estimates as follows j~

Wheat, at 40 bushels per acre, 20,000 bushels Oats, at 50 „ „ 24,000 „ Barley, at 45 „ „ 10,800 „ Bye, at 40 „ „ 1,000 „ Grass Seed 40 „ „ 2,000 „ Total, - - 57,800 bushels 500 bushels of the grass seed from the above-mentioned crop have already been sown this season, and the laying down of 400 acres in grass has just been completed. There are now 2400 acres in old English grass, and it is Mr. Smith's intention to lay down the 1270 acres of stubble land in grass next spring and summer. Of fallow land there are 1550 acres, which were broken up eighteen months ago. This land has been twice ploughed, and is ready to be sown in wheat 'and oats, a commencement to which will be made in a fortnight's time. If contractors can be got to do the work well, it is Mr. Smith's intention to have 2000 acres of virgin^oil broken up this winter. The steam thresher will be at work this week, and the 10,000 sacks recently imported by Mr. Smith to hold the grain will be filled in a remarkably short space of time, and ready for the market. Our local millers, Messrs Harraway and Robertson, purchased some 20,000 bushels of wheat from Mr. Smith last season, which made such excellent flour that' we fully expect they will be large purchasers i<gain this season . There can be no doubt that the flour produced by our local millers during the past twelve months has earned for them a good name, and brought to them the great bulk of the trade of the district, of which they are thoroughly deserving. We must now bring this imperfect description of Greenfield estate to a close. A great deal more might be said about it. We shall watch its future progress with more interest than ever, but in the meantime we shall conclude by wishing its happy possessor many long years of life to enjoy the fruits of his labour. Seldom in these times do we meet with a man who has raised himself from the ranks, and nobly pushed his way with such success, and who withal wears his honours so gentlemanly.