WARRNAMBOOL FARMERS CLUB.

Waikato Times, Volume IV, Issue 244, 2 December 1873, Page 2

WARRNAMBOOL FARMERS CLUB.

TnE following is a paper read by Mr Lumsden before the Warrnninbool Farmers' Club: — "Subdivision of thh fabm into fields indispensable TO GOOD FAKMING. "Mr President and Gentlemen, — I hold that farmers' clubs should not only be institutions for promoting mutual improvenvnt unionist those taking part in them, but that they should be a medium of communicating such instruction as the 'position and privileges of their members may enable them to give to those who need it. It was not that I thought this subject applicable to any apparent shortcoming in this immediate locality that it suggested itself us a fittting one to bring under your notice. On tho contrary, this district nlfords more evidence than most others that the ud vantages of subdivision are understood and appreciated, and it occurred to me that some of those fanners who have themselves experienced the benefits of having their land properly subdivided would be best able to contribute valuable advice on lbe subject to their less experienced and less foitunate brethren. Having said so much, then, in explanation of tho motives which influenced me in my choice of a subject, I shall now proceed to introduce for your intelligent consideration the necessity of having the farm divided into fields in order to promote good farming. Farming in the early days of this colony, did not receive much attention,-— -that is, with the view of "reducing it to a system. Jt was pursued certainly under somewhat exceptional circumstunces. Land was doled out sparingly by tho Government, and the qunntity which go!; into the hands of the agriculturist was limited in extent, and was confined chiefly to the vicinity of centre* of population. In those times it was t.'ie aim of the fanner to plough evory tore that it was possible to plough, and crop it year after year with the same exhau.-live crop. Jhe only subdivti on forced upon him by this mode of procedure was to sepuMte the cultivated from the uncultivated portion of the farm, and in many instances where the bulk of tho farm was ploughed a ring fence sufficed in the way of fencing. The local demand which existed for his produce, and which greatly increased on account of tho influx of populutioa consequent on the discovery of trold, encouraged the farmer to pursue this spoilative policy. While the soil maintained its maiden freshness, it did not rebel against such irrational treatment. It could not go on with impunity, however, tor in process of time the inevitable lvsults followed, and impoverished lands and barren returns justified in some measure the assertion of the opponents ol the agriculturist that agriculture ruins the land. It was under the Land Act of 1865, and still further under the Amending Act of 1869, that settlement of the Country lane ■ miy bo said to have set in in earnest. The number of small Jnnd-owners was thus many times multiplied, and is still mci owing. \\ c have only a limited home market for agricultural produce. Our distance from other countries and the high price of labour shut us out from tho prospect of pro- ■ ducing proiitably for exportation the ordinary products of I the £»rm. The man with three or Jour hundred acre* of

land cannot afford to lie by an-i take what the natural fertility of the soil will produce in the way of grass as he might do if he had 30 or 40 thousand acres. Under thew adyerse conditions of land, prens, like ihe land of other |countriep, to. become exhausted by continuous growing the §atne ciop, scarcity of labour, istfa^ed position, and holdings limited in area, it behoves the Jarmertin the management of his farm to adopt such a ! f intellijgont >ystem as will enable him sue- . enasfully to cope with these difficulties. Of the moans calou- . lated to assist him in »ttaiuing this object subdivision claims hi* first attention— in fact; is ihd lapcnsable to the proper management of his farm. I shall speak of it under three ] heads — the 'necessity of it, the means to be used in effecting ' it, and the extent to which it may be carried. "I. As to the necessity for having Me farm subdivided. ' A farm without subdivisions or fields is in a state of chaos. ! Confusion must necessarily prevail instead of order or system, . which must govern the arrangement of any well conducted fimn. • Order is heaven-'* first law.' This world itself is ! part of a grand system; it 'is conducted under immutable rules of order, and all sublunary pursuits must likewise be governed by system, otherwise they will not be successful. Order or system applied (to the pursuit of the farmer gives us what we term rotation cropping, and without carrying out wme sort of rotation of crops it is impossible to farm well. In my opinion the rotation that will prove best suited to the circumstances of this country will be one in which grass will take a prominent place. However subdivision might be dispensed with where all the farm is under the plough, with the judicious and profitable keeping of stock it is imperative. Does the farmer desire to keep various kinds of stock ou his farm ? Then he must, to do them justice, keep the different sorts apart. He must further keep those of the same kind properly classified. For instance, brood mares must not be allowed to run with young stock. Dairy cows should be kept, apart from the store cattle. Lambing Ewes should not mix with other sheep— and where the number of ewes kept is large, or where there is a differer.ee of breeding, it would be advantage vi to divide them. On a farm of any moderate extent there will generally be found different soils and a variety of pasture. An occasional change from one part of the farm to another is found to be attended with great advantage to the health and condition of the stock ; but this cannot be carried out without fields. Further, it has been found desirable to give grass a spell periodically- Vegetable physiologists tell us that there is a certain connection or affinity between the growth of a plant Hbove the surface of the soil and the growth of its roots nnder tl.es irfcc ,and that the fjrmer bein^ unduly interfered with, the vitality of the latter will suUer likewise In other wor.ls, if pasture ia kept continuously eaten bare, the tendency is for the plants composing it to die out. It is of the urirost advantage then thai grass should be rested ooc fiouaJly, aud in order that this may done systematically and without inconvenience to the farmer the farm must be divided into fields. The subdivision of the farm into fields is as essential to iis right management as the subdivision of a dwelling house into rooms or apartments for the good order, decency, and comfort of its inhabitant*. " 2. Of the means used in effecting the subdivision of the farm. Fences of two sorts— live and dead. The live fence or hedge should, wherever it is possible, be established as speedily as practicable. As being more lasting, more ornamental, and affording a greater amount of shade and shelter, therefore greater comfort to stock, the live fence where it will grow, is in every way the most desirable. Various plant* have been tried for the purpose of hedge fences in this country with more or les* success, and the iarmei 's cho'o > not only of the plant he uses for his hedge, but of the tort of fence he adopts, must be influenced sjinewhat by the situation of his farm, t"e physical character of its surface, and the nature of the soil and climate. Where these are suitable — that is, where the former is moderately deep, and the latter moderately moist, white-thorn, in my opinion, makes bv far the best Lelge pa it. It is capable of being made to afford a great amount of shelter ; it forms a substantial fence fit to i* pel all sorts of stock, and is longer lived than any other hedge plant I know of. Sweet brier, C.-tpe broom, prickly acacia, and other plants are also used sometimes for making hedges. The first-named of these is prone to spread over the land, and it is injurious where sheep are kept in catching their wool and thus disarranging their fleeces. Cape broom, unless for purposes of shelter, is not of much efficacy as a hedge fence, but it grows freely, is not eaten by stock, and for the purpose of closeness and shelter along with an open post-and-rail or wire fence may, under certain circumstances, be found worth eulthating. Where the soil and climat are too dry for white-thorn, kangaroo acacia affords a good shelter and makes a tolerable fence if kept trimmed. The choice of material of which to construct a dead fence must be influenced in a great measure by considerations of convenience, cost, &c. Where stones are to be had on tb«j spot, the stone wall or dyke is the most desirable fence, as at once affording snelter, and being indestructible in character. On forest land, where timber it to be removed, it is convenient sometimes to use it in building a log fence. This fence, although oci upying a considerate space, and being liable, when dry, to injury by fire, yet can. be cheaply constructed, makes a strong fence, and aflords shelter. But the materials most generally used in making dead fence- are posts with rail or wire, the choice between the two laMer being influenced chiefly by distance ef carriage, which greatly affects cost. In all cases where the soil is suitable the planting of a live fence should be almost simultaneous with the erection of the dead one, in order that as the latter decays the for er may be coming forward to supplement* or perhaps to take its place. " 3. A* to the extent to which subdivision may be carried — in other words, the number and area of fields in a farm. This, again, will depend on circumstances, such as the oxtent and position of the furm, the nature of the soil, and the system of farming to be adopted. On most farms of any considerable area a large proportion is generally allowed to remain almost in its natural condition for a number of years. So far as relates to this portion, subdivision into, paddocks of from 50 to 70 acres will meet all requirements. But in the cultivated part of the farm, or where cultivation is intended, the fields should be much smaller. The best standard perhaps by which to regulate their size is the extent which would be convenient to subject to the renovating system in one season, whether that process be accomplished by means of fallow, green cropping,, manuring, ploughing up, or sowing down. On a farm of say, 600 acres of average |land I would say that the fi. Us in. the cultivated portion should not much exceed 25 acres, and a number of much smaller fields around the homestead would be found of the greatest convenience. If the farmer wishes to try any crop ne*f to him, or if he would grow any of those that require a large amount of labour — sugar-beet or flax, for instance — it might not be found suitable to cult ivate such crops on a large 6cnle, and a number of fields from two to 10 acres in extent would be convenient. Who that has valuable ewes lambing has not felt the desirability of having some small enclosures, in which to place ewes with twins, or those having weak lambs, for a {ew days? Indeed, I think it is a matter of considerable importance to be able to place all newlambed ewes in small fields for the first week or so, until the lambs get strong and able to go with the flock. I would aim, thi'ii, at having a farm of the area I have named, one half of it being fit for cultivating, divided— the cultivated psrt into 10 fields of about 25 acr«s each, and six of from two to 10 acre*, and the other portion into four or five divisions. The expeneof bo much fencing as would be required for such minute subdivision may be urged as an objection ; and I may bo told further that it would be unreasonable to expect a tenant farmer holding under the usual Victorian lease to incur this expenditure, and that landlords as a rule will not do these things. To the latter objection I reply, without going into the relation that should exist between landlord and tenant, that their interest in the matter should be identical, otherwise, if neither will act justly by the land, the whole community must suffer. In reply to the objection of expense, I say if capital invested in any department of farming will give » return, that in effecting neoewary «übdivi«ion will pay best. In facb this will enable the increase in the capital value of the farm and its remunerative ajnual return to go on simultaneously. It is said "If n thing is worth doing it is worth doing well," and farming cannot be well done without the proper and systematic subdivision of the farm. 'Tis true some of the operations of tillage may be efficiently performed on an open plain, but that alone would not constitute good farming. This consists in the policy or management, adopted, and in the end and aim of the various o; erations, as well as in the manner in which these are carried out in practice. "In conclusion, I would say to the man who enters on a new farm, begin at the beginning ; as you clear your land or bring it under the plough, fence it into'flelds of suitable size ; plant a hedge inside each new field as it ir enclo-ed, and if the bed has been well prepared for it, at the expiration of the two or three years during which new land should be cropped before it is fit to lay down with gra*s, the hedge should be so established as to be past being injured by stock. You w ill find in the long run that this will be your best policy. To the farmer who occupies a worn-out farm I would say, as a first step towards its restoration, subdivide it — not merely into cultivation nnd grass portions, but thoroughly and effectually, for this is the foundation of the systematic manngoment and rational treatment of your fi>nn — aye, and of the successful issue of the result."

" I had more inorey than lie lmd to carry on the writ," ■aid a very nienn individual who had just won a law suit over a poor neighbour, " nnd there's where I had the advantage of him. The' I had much better counsel than he, nnd there I had the advantage of him. And then tlio family were ill while the suit was pending, so he couldn't attend to it, and there I hod the advantage of him again. But then J rown is a very decent sort of man, after all." " Yes," said liis listener, " nnd there's where he has the advantage of you * " The Five Sisters of Yoi k " told of in one of tho earlier chapters of " Nicltlrby " were certainly eclipsed by the five daughters of Mr Pasroo Grenfell — nil charming, all accomplished, nnd all married to mm more or less distinguished ; their five husbands being the late Lord Wolverton, the BeT Lord Sidney Godolpbin Oeborns, the Rev Cunon Charles Kingoley, Mr Wnrrc, and Mr J. A. Pioude, tho hiitorian — jlluitra(«l Review.