PROFITABLE FARM

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 March 1940, Page 2

PROFITABLE FARM

PROPERTY ONCE DERELICT A CANTERBURY EXAMPLE. Four years ago a derelict farm of 400 acres on the downs above the Levels plain, Canterbury, was taken over by Mr F.' Clark, who, by a progressive policy of liming, top-dressing and sowing good pastures has transformed it into a profitable and highly productive property. The secret of the improvement in the farm is progressive management, but it has also depended greatly on an area of 60 acres which is watered from the Levels irrigation scheme.

The farm now carries 650 ewes, but enough ewe lambs have been kept this year to make the flock up to 1000 for next year. The increase in the carrying capacity 'has not jeopardised the growing of crops for which the Levels downs land is well suited. The land is not light, but is badly subject to the droughts which make farming there a grave uncertainty.

The cropping this year, much of which, of course, has for some time provided feed for sheep, has been 20 acres .of Government nucleus Montgomery red clover. 30 acres of Government stock perennial ryegrass, 30 acres of certified Italian ryegrass, all for seed. 50 acres of wheat, 25 acres of rape for seed. 25 acres of swedes, and 30 acres of rape for feed.

The grass seed crops have turned out extremely well. The Montgomery clover will return about 2001 b to the acre, and the crop should be highly profitable, one estimate of the total return from the 20 acres being £6OO. This crop, which has been given irrigation. has cost £6 for water and £4 for labour to put the water on. It gives an excellent indication of what water will do. The water did not reach two or three small patches of the crop, and where this happened, there is certainly clover, but so little of it in comparison with the strong, healthy covering in the rest of the paddock. that the patches look bare. Certainly no seed will come off the patches. The other crops for seed harvested so far have also turned out well. The perennial crop harvested 40 bushels, and the Italian 42 bushels. The wheat, a crop which has been grown on the property with varying success in the past, returned 50 bushels.

All the lambs that were sold went fat off the mothers, and Mr Clark was able to sell 30 acres of rape for feed. The farm, which is not yet fully developed for irrigation, will eventually have the whole 60 irrigable acres under water. It is planned to expand the relatively small area in lucerne, and with this, the farm should be able to feed comfortably the considerably enlarged flock through the driest times.