THE CEMETERY TRUSTEES.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 240, 16 August 1879, Page 2

THE CEMETERY TRUSTEES.

To the Editor of the Wairarapa Daily

Sr,—ln your paper of tins day's date, I observe a letter, headed " Mr Shute and the Cemetery Trustees." signed " A Trustee." The statements contained therein, I most solemnly deny. They are untrue, but I am unable just' now to set ths matter before the public, in its truthful character, not being well able to use my hands to write : but I trust, in the course of another week, to do so, and to show then, the falsehood contained in the letter referred to, and the oppression that has been exercised toward me in this instance, I am, &c,, Thomas Wat. Shute.

Kuripuni, August 14th., 1879. [Enough has now been said in our columns on a question which is one of private rather than public inteiest. Ed. W. D.j TURNIP CULTIVATION, [To the Editor of the Wairarapa Daily,) Sir—l have much pleasure in forwarding you an enclosure I have received from Mr Roberts, of Dunedin. This enclosure is, as you will see, a letter that has been forwarded by him to the North British Agriculturist, a paper with a very large circulation in Scotland amongst the agricultural classes,

1 think you will agree with me that the information is at this juncture particularly interesting. It proves incontestibly the advantage of turnip culture where suitable land exists. I, of course, am aware that an allowance must be made in adapting the calculations of results to the circumstances of our district. The markets are not so good, and the contract price for the various ploughings would be more expensive here. I hope that the publication of this correspondence will cause land owners to consider this question carefully. To eradicate rabbits it will be necessary to clear and cultivate the ground where such is possible, and if turnip cultivation is found (taking all circumstances into consideration). comparatively as profitable here as in the South, a most important problem will be solved. One year's growth of turnips will almost pay for the clearing of the land, and a good seed bed will be provided for grass sowing the following season. Mr Roberts' letter is of considerable length, but I hope you will be able to find space for it,—l am, &c, George Beetham.

Broadmst Turnip Sowing in Olago. The Editor of the North British Agriculturist. Sir—As some of your readers are doubt, less curious to know how we can grow turnips profitably in a country where wages are very high, we beg you will give us space in your journal for the insertion of this letter, in which we will give our experience of turnip cultivation, Owing to the high rate of wages here, sowing the turnips in drills and thinning them (especially when a largo area is put in) would be out of the question, and we are therefore compelled to adopt broadcast sowing. The sowing is accomplished by the broadcast sower commonly in use here, and which is fitted with tin canisters behind the seedbox, which are attached when sowing of turnips is being carried on. The quantity of seed to bo sown is regulated by the number of holes left open in each canister. The quantity of seed sown to the acre should be from 5 to 8 oz,, according to the quality of the ground. On good ground we have found 5 oz. cover the ground splendidly,

and the turnips, where they have plenty of room, grow to a great size. Too thick sowing is a great mistake, as the turnips will necessarily be very small, and stand no feeding. On average ground 8 oz, we consider ample seed. The seed wo have used for some years is Aberdeen purple-top yellow, and we find it a most serviceable turnip and lasts the winter out well. The turnips are not all eaten off until the middle of October (corresponding to your April), and at that time they are good feeding, and do not seem to have sustained much damage from the frosts. V7e may mention, however, that our vjgjjLs are not nearly so severe as your ScotcgSnters, ancL-where-.we have been iteming ploughing is rarely stopped for more than a fortnight during the winter. The sowing is begun early in November, and continues on until about the middle of January, and the feeding off begins in May, Last year we had an average of about 900 acres of turnips sown with an average of 7 oz. to the acre, and we give you below what was the result of the crop iu fattening sheep and cattle. During the months of August, September, and October we sold in the Dunedin fat market^4227 sheep yielding (average 14s 3fd per head) net .. ..£3025 411 172 fat cattle (£]ll9s 7d) net 2060 3 6 £5085 8 5 From this deduct— Ploughing 900 acres at lis ... .. £495 0 3 strikes of common 12-ffc. harrows at Is 3d per acre per stk. before sowing .. 168 15 Sowing, Is 6d an acre 67 10 1 strike of 18-ft. harrow after sowing. Is 3d 5G 5 Seed, say 8 oz., 4GOlb at Is .. .. 22 10 4227 store sheep at 7s 1479 9 Fifty sheep which died, at 7s ..£l7 10 Less value of skins, at 2/6 6 5 11 5 172 head of store cattle, at £6los .. His 0 One man attending stock for 6 months, at 35s per week .. 45 10 Expenses driving stock to market, 14 trips, at £3 per trip .. 42 0 1579 4 0 Net result, exclusive of rent or interest on value of stock.,. £1579 I 5

Besides fattening the above 4227 sheep and 172 head of cattle, we grazed on the turnips 4000 half-bred hoggets and 80 head of young cattle for ten weeks, the value of which we have taken no account of in the above statement.

In feeding] these turnips off we used no nets or other fence, and allowed the stock the full run o£ the different paddocks. There were three paddocks of about 300 acres each, and at one time there were 8000 sheep and 200 head of cattle on one of them. One would naturally expect that there would be great waste in eating the turnips off in this wholesale way, but it is surprising how clean the stock eat them.

All last year's turnips were grown on the first furrow of land broken up out of its natural state. Although turnips do well on the first furrow, the land requires to be twice ploughed before it will grow white crops well. In white crops we find the same ground yield 35 bushel of wheat or 50 bushel of oats to the acre without manure.

This year we have about 1,150 acres in turnips, tut owing to the excessively dry weather that has prevailed since they ware sown, we do not expect to have such a good crop as we had last year, we hope, however, to nave fairly satisfactory results. We-jyy mention that this year is the first ioiwh past six that we have had even a pujjjll failure, -^

The land we are now working cost (six years ago) 28s per acre, and the fencing 20s, in all about 48s per acre, and the present value is somewhere about £7, Your readers will doubtless understand the advantages to be gained by feeding off two crops of turnips before putting the land down in English grass.

Trusting the foregoing mil be of interest to a few of your readers, We remain, &c, Murray, Roberts & Co,

A Miss Stevens, of Walton, Delaware County, died on May 1 of toothache, Although this is a rare occurrence this is an undisputed case of death resulting from an excruciating toothache, The victim, who was a youug American woman in a family at Walton, had suffered some days with a terrible toothache, which accompanied an ulcerated jaw, An attempt was made to extract the troublesome members, but her teeth were broken off and her face'was too sore to permit their removal by the painful process of cutting away the gums. The girl suffered an entire nervous prostration from the extreme pain, aud gradually sank under it until death ended her sufferings. An army surgeon, who attended her, pronounced her symptoms the same as those following the amputation of a limb.