The Wairarapa Daily. MONDAY, JUNE 17, 1889. A Maximum of Labor on a Minimum of Land.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume X, Issue 3232, 17 June 1889, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. MONDAY, JUNE 17, 1889. A Maximum of Labor on a Minimum of Land.

In many parts .of the .United States the art of colonisation is about a generation ahead of what we find in New Zealand. Here we liave been breaking tip virgin soil for half a century, there the process has been going on for more than two centuries. There is manifested in New Zealand somedegree of enterprise,intelligence, and scientific skill in agriculture, but in the Status there is displayed a jnuch wider range of those qualities wliioh wrest frpin the soil all that can bg gained from it for the use of mankind, In Ifejv seaini)d the average farmer is probably lipttep off than the average farmer in the States, but his superiority is not caused by better methods of cultivation and of marketing, but by a more fertile soil, a more kindly climate, and lighter taxes. Ifl the matter of soil, climate, and even taxation, tlje New {fealander has tho advantage, but the aft of cultivating , grain, vegetables, and fruits, of marketing the samo, and also of raising stock, is better understood in America. But oven ii> £jie States it is claimed that closer and better mgjijj.qds of agriculture must be adopted in the near future, A writer in Harper's Magazine maintains that "cheap lands and wide areas of virgin soil liave been a temptation to superficial cultivation, and that while the Americans w.ere boasting of development, tliey were really a nation of poor farmers," This temptation to superficial cultivation, wjiicli lias been a blight on American agriculture, is undoubtedly our besetting sin in New Zealand. Of those who settle

on land in this colony, the majority fail to realise their anticipations, and in many instances lose their capital, by taltiflg up larger areas than they can clear and ci}lt}ya.t,e. Their pro. perties produce so sroiill it return that when charges for interest are defrayed there is little or no margin loft for the support of the family. In America it has frequently been found that the more land a farmer has the wprso he is off, and corresponding experience poijld be cited all over New Zealand. Th.e naturaf rpmeily for this state of things is the cultivation of small holdings; and of lalo years in the United States there has been a decided tendency in favor of smali allotments of land as against large sections. The policy of a miniwupi amount of labor on a maximum ampunt.ofland is reversed iiriavor of a maximum piount of labor on a, minimum amoujitj of Jand. • The latter is found to pay, jybereas {lie fprmer is unprofitable, and thousands and tens of thousands of settlers live opmfortably on small cultivations, who would starve on large farms. It has been stated that a small cultivator in America has succeeded in obtaining as muoliasiiOO in one year from

the product of a single acre of ground. Of course, such a large I return implies tb6 possession of .a convenient market, and great skill and industry on tlie part of the cultivator,, but under faVorable conditions there is nothing impossible in such a result from a maximum of labor on a minimum of land. The men in-the States who make big yields of this kind have usually received a thorough agricultural education, an advantage which probably not a score of young men in Now Zealand obtain. It is true that in this Colony we Have an agricultural college, hut it only teaches about a score of pupils. Iu America, there arc some fifty agricultural schools, turning out about five thousand trained farmers annually. Of course, the question of a market has much to do with the success of small cultivations, if, for example, a strawberry grower raised £4OO of fruit in one season off a two-acre patch, as has been done in the States, it is a question whether he could find a market for his produce. Still there is money, even iu prosaic vegetables. In America, it is estimated that an acre of early cabbages can produce £80; early tomatoes, £110; and asparagus, £SO. High cultivation and intelligent >vork, coupled with a knowledge of the needs of the market, would do wonders in New Zealand, as well as in America . In time in New Zoalitnd, the advantage of highly cultivating small areas of land will be recognised, more especially for settlers who have limited meaus Even Mr Ballance's village settlements might thrive undor high cultivation, provided that the settlers planted on them possess some reasonable amount of capital. It is the utter absence of means of any kind which makes tho future prospects; of_ many village settlers disheartening. ■ Spado farming will yet havo its day in New Zealaud, but the man who goes in for it as a business needs, as in every other business, some small capital to tide him over the first year or two of cultivation.

There was a fair demand for fruit treos at Messrs Lowes and loriis' sale on Saturday, but prices ruled uracil lowor than on former occMions, This firm cleared a large consignment they had from a Kelson nursery.

New Zealand frozen mutton is now soiling at s|d per lb in the London market and lambs Gijd Australian mutton does not roach this prioe within a penny a pound. /

A foni'Toomed cottago at Otahauo, originally built as a gardeners residonce and now usud as nil aided school for the children of setters in the neighbourhood, was destroyed by lire on Friday niyht. The cottage was the proporny of Mr J. Bennett. Tho origin jf tho fire is unknown, ' ■

At tho jNapior E.M. Court on Tuesday Captain Preeco delivered judgment in the case Yule v. Crcive heard at Woodvillo last month, in which the plaintiff claimod £6O fls lOd from defendant for timber supplied, Judgment was given for plaintiff for the full amount claimed, with costs and expensos amounting to & 6s.

Mr Goo. Johnston, fltprolteepor, Masterton, notifies the arrival, ox s,s, East Lothian, of thirteen packages of ironmongery, particulars of which are given in the advertisement. Theso goods have all been bought direct from tho makers, and in many cases an extra discount has beon obtained ovor and aboyo the usual trade rate enabling tlio firm to sell at wholesalo rates, His window was a 80U1CP of Rttractiiu to tho passers by on Saturday last, It yas fitted up with very superior iromiiongepy, brass and burnished steel fenders and fire-tarns being the most noticeablo.

The'''Auditor-General has disallowed the following items in tho Christchurch City Council's accounts for. last year;— Sending a cable message to the Emnress of Germany condoling with her on the death of her husband ; hire of carriages for councillors attending the funeral ot tho lato Mrs Harpor, the* Primate's wjfoj cost of constructing a panorama for the Melbourne Exhibition. Threo well-kuown Wellington Bonifaces have for a wager undertaken a walkins tour against tiuio. They have taken forty to one each that they walk from the National Hotel, Wellington, to Palmerstoii North viallnnutaka, Master. ton etc. in four consecutive days. They have twolvo mouths iu which to attompHhe affair, but are likely to start in a day or two. All three may ho seen daily out oyer tho hills around tho city and are undergoing a courso of training, Tho layer of the odds is a woll-known tradesman and the stakeholder. is a gentleman who like the former is wellknown for his Veracity,

On Friday, at tho Town Hall, write! our Greytown correspondent, the oratorio Paradise was, according to announcement, performed to not quito a full houße. This, and it is to be regretted, was doubtless owing to the bleak, miserable sort of weather prevalent during the past few days. As a description of the oratorio has alroady been given in your columns, a brief critiqui of its performance will, it is hoped, induce a bumper house at your town to witness and amateur musical effort which well deserves ehcoi)rag.sniopt aiid' applause. The instrumentalists acquitted themselves with their usual ability. Tho soloists rendered their part with musical expression, eliciting well merited applause, Tho choruses ivero well sustained, not a hitch being apparent throughout the performance, which speaka well for the able leadership of Mr Shearer, wlio well desjorves to tyo.cqinplimentQi'upon the pronounced succpss he has achicyecl. To avoid invidious comparisons, 1 have onnttcd individual criticism, for all did their best and did it woll. The attention of the public is called to tho advertisement in our columns of Mr Fred Hoffmann of tho "Brinsmead" Pian.q Warehouse, Latnbton Quay, Wellington. Mr Fred Hoffmaun ut the sole afjent for the'famous 'London firm of John Brinsmead and Sons, Pianaforte Manufacturers, and wo are informed that ho has received a yeiy fine assortment of their celebrated instruments ex East Lpthian jußtarriyed, Theso instrnilients al| possess the "Brinsmead 1 ' Patent?, Tj)o Patent perfect check repeater action .and- all the latest improvements, and a giiaianteo of ilve years is given with' each piano so the public can depend upon obtaining a first-class article. Tho instruments being the first specimen of Pianoforte's yet imported into the colony. The public may not bo awaro that Messrs Brinsmead have obtained higher gold medals and awards than any other Ufaifufactijrers in the World. It would wpll repay Demons visiting Wellington to callaijdi'nspscfc t||o slock of s{r Fret) Hoffmann who has also a large assortment of Gorman pianos at all pricosT Wo might mention that our representative callocl on Mr Fred Hoffmann while in Wellington and was astonished to see the luporority of his stock over any other importer in town. The attention of t)io public is also called to tjio only address of JJred Hoffmann, bein? opposite the Evening PresSi'Laml}ton Quay, Wellington,

Our Flannels whether of English or Colonial Manufacture are all pure ..wool froms tho best looms. The manufacturer's have a well-earned reputation to maintain and our own prcsligo has been won by selling tho best goods at the lowest possible prices. Wehpyeno liking for "rubbish" of any sort, least'of a)l in Flannels. Wo offer nothing but what is "of sterling value at To Aro House, 1 " We hiVe an extensivo range of English and Colonial Manufacture, the 'formor 'ijt pnfo? unafeoled by'ilje enormous ihjrease of cjuty aad tlio letter regardless of fho advance that Colonial makers have piif oil their productions, In a word, we shall sell our Flannels of all makers for last years prices atTo 4vo House, Wellington,

The Masterton Thentro Euyal fixtures fur the week appear' in out amusement column V; :

Wo remind our readers of the tea and reo' concert at tho Temperance Hall hia evening. ; .

Several Salvationists were fluid on Friday, nominal penalties for obstructing a footpath in Hastings. .

The Somerset Lodge Ashburton unanimously resolved against joining the movement of a Grand Ladge. His Excellency the Governor will review tho Wellington Volunteers on Thursday next. Parliament meets on Thursday next. Sir Maurice O'Rourke, Speaker of the House of Representatives, has arrived in Wellington from Auckland, Notice is given in another column of tho election of Wirdons for the neiv Uangitumau Road Board, which takes place on the 4th July.

Two inmates of the Mount Viow Asylum, Wellington, died on Saturday last, Emma Garn and Charles Watson. The cause of death was nthenia. Wo .are requested to romind our readors of Messrs Lowes & lorns'sale at MePhee's farm to-moirow, at 1 o'clock, which embraces Btoclt, vehicles, farm iinplonionts and sundries.

The s.s. Fifoshiro loffc Oamaru on Saturday night for London, via Timaru and Port Chalmers, taking over 9000 carcases of mutton, IGB quarters'of beef, beside wool, tallow and preserved meats. As instancing the severity of the weather it is mentioned that skating 0.1 the ice ivus indulged m -yesterday on oue lagoon at Outram, Dunedin. This has has not happoned since early in the sixties.

The penalty imposed 011 Mr Nairn uuder tho Property Assessnent Act amounts to ±'BBs, but tho Resident Magistrate will recommend tho Governor to reduce it undor olause 119 of tho Act.

Yesterday being Trinity Sunday Bj:ecial sprmens were preached in St, Matthew's Church, Masterton, Ity tho incumbent tho Itov. W. E, Tho musical portion of the service was ably condnctedby Mr W, Morrish. •

A Ohristclmrch telegram of Saturday't date says primo wheat still dull of sale. To-day large quantities were offered, but none sold 3s Od being the highest offer refnsed, Oats, barloy, and seconds wheat sold freely at current rates,

Mr John louns; notifies that he. wil

close his premises to-morrow afternoon at 1 o'clock for the purpose of straightening up his stock, and will re-open on Wednesday at 8 o'clock.

Wo aro glad to loarn that Master George do Clifton who unfortunately broke his lee; at tho Masterton Public School picnic 011 Queen's Birthday is progressing favorably towards recovery. Ho is out of pain but still weak, A residence in Dixon-streot, Masterton, has just beon stripped of its shingles and recovered with iron, In compliance with the Borough By-law. The shingles which wero of heart; of totara were, on examination, found to ho as sound as as thoy were wiien they were put 011 tho roof ovor fifteen years ago, This morning's train to Wellington

convoyed a numberof porsons interests

in the case G. Mooro v R. R. Meredith, claim £IOO damages for forcibly opening tho Eparaima road. For tho defence alone we understand there'are twontyfive witnesses, chiefly Maoris. Messrs Reynolds and Dixon have commenced their contract for covering the root of the Club Hotel, Masterton. Mr Blkins, tho proprietor, it will be seen, has been anions the first to comply with tho requirements of tho Borough By-law just brought into force. The late hurricane at Samoa has evidently not uprooted all the trees in the Island, as Mr Donald Donald has received an order for one of his patent stump extractors from a firm thoro. Ho does not guarantee this patent bush clearer will do its work as expeditiously I as a hurricane, but it wpl certainly pivo more satisfaction.

A very successful operation under ehlonform of removin? a cancer from the breast of a patient, was performed by Drs Beard and Johnston a fortnight ago. The pationt, Mrs Ciias. Whitt, is already able to got about tho house, the wound being nearly closed ani] general health good, The patient speaks very highly o£ the skill of Drs Beard and Johnston in causing little pam, comparatively speakjng, jn or since tho operation. Animal Wool is the material devised by nature for animal covering, and possesses, as the slimplest experiments will prove, the valaublc quality of not attracting or retaining the noxious, mal-odorous matters which the animal body exhales. Moreover, being n slow conductor of heal, Animal Wool does not chill, even when damp. Therefore, every ono should secure a selection oi our pure flannels at To Aro House, Wellington,