CAMBBIDGE FARMERS CLUB.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 714, 13 January 1877, Page 3

CAMBBIDGE FARMERS CLUB.

<EARM INSPBCTION.

((By our special reporter. ) Thb seoond day's inspection commenoed fat Pencarrow, Mr W L-Martyn's farm. .Ttfr'Martyn had entered m two classes, " The most suitable lot of horses for farm work," and "The Ibest .mixture of .grasses." The horse stock comprised: i 8 $6bd mares, 1 grey Alley, 3 years old, 2, 3 year old geldings, 4, 2 year did, and I yT • ling; a pair *df buggy ponies, auli 1 laug,^ horse, besides 4if oik. With one •br t ' > •exceptions the horses are of the 'flight - ; class, and called forth the warrr, it praise from the judges. The <harei sspeoially were grand animals, and iJ|msjght stamp to improve the Btock Jp^ljlistricfc. With the exception of . je finis 6ay mare, they have all' been bred "o]n the farm. This exception, was by the firm of Brogden aud -eon, and was employed by tbem on the /railway! works at Auckland. She became 'the property of Mr Martyn some thi cc years aVo, and a finer, and etauncber animal m would be difficult to get. With •regard to tbe test, I -might say that the :2 year- o'.ds are especially worthy of remark, as, also are the very fine pair of buggy ponies. The buggy horse, for 'Single harness, is a strong serviceable -animal. \ Altogether one could hardly rjmeet with a better lot of horses on one ifjurm, or, a collection .moie servicable to Hhe purpose of a- farmer. Although the Ibroken h>rses are all iv constant work, , Ahey ara m condition, which »Set, perhaps, speaks well for Mr. ?liiartyn's other exhibit, "The best .mixture of giassisj" forwbichclass a large jpaddock adjoiningthe river was entered. The grabs has beeu down about twp, years ■ and a half, and the paduock has a really -magniflueut so.'c, in.fact, the paddock althougb pretty well -stocked, is fit to be cut tor bay. Tbe following proportions of soed per aote will show that Mr Martya is no believer m thin sowing, snathe result fully tears out his opiuion: |ye grass, lOlbs, cocksfoot, 3 lbs, white Mover, lib, red clover, Sill's, cow grass _*ilbs, timothy, Jllb, or m all, 201bs of seed to the acre, while Mr Runoiman only puts I7lbs, and of that 131 bs are tye grass. We also inspected several lOther older paddocks of Mr Marbyns, and although m many cased the olover is dying out; theie is still excellent feed, both as regards quality and quantity. On 'leaving Peucarrow, we proceeded again to Mr James Runciu_an'«, to m Bpeot his horse btock, several of which had been away working the night before. Tbey are a good useful lot of animals, but they do not present any variety, and cannot compete with Mr Mai*tyo's. One 2 year old is, however, worthy of notice. Ib was got by Oampsie HI, and is a very lookable filly indeed. Our next stopping place was the farm of Mr fl MD Pear, son, Tamehere, where were wheat and potatoes waiting us. Mr Pearson is not merely experimenting m wheat, he has some 26 acres m, which ceitainly looks like, business. In aupearanoe, the crop iis very even, with. not two ; muoh straw, perhaps sft, bat unfortunately the variety of seed, wbioh Mr Pearson proonred from Messrs (Thornton Smi:h and Firth, although agood milling wheat, is not a- r rofitable kind to tho grower. .It is an Adelaide spring wheat, and had Mr Pearson sown Winter wheat, one of the judges assured him his orop wnuld have been ten bushels* to the acre better. As to 'the (potatoes all that oan be said da, • that they ar* a good average crop. They :are not nearly so .prolific as 'Mr James Runciniau's. No 'manure was used. (From ber© we -crossed the Mangrove Creek to Mr John Runoiman's Bro id Meadows. Unluckily Mrßunciman was from home, aud some time was consumed before we got a man to show us over the farm. . Mr Runciman had -entered ia four classes viz : "Beit gates and gateways," "Best lot ~of horses," " Best orop of potatoes," ahd "Best mixture of grasses" Owing to Mr Runoiman having some of tbe horses with him, and m the absence of any knowledge as to where the grass was he wished to exhibit 'the two classes, "Horses and, grass," Wild' not be inspected. The prinoiple -of the gates may be a good one, but they ire for the most part old and worn, and fn one or two instances dilapidated, and ■ will noi compare m any way with those at Eareka. The potatoes, ou the contrary; are excellent, and although, sown m new land, without manure, they give promise to turn out well. It is a pity "that jthe piece is so smal), only about an acre, hardly sufficient for a good practical test. Making our way through the farm,[we had leisure ao observe the great growth of the tbisdes, which have taken a strong hold here. Mr Runoiman has found out bow futile it is to fight against tbem, and has wisely suffered them to go where they like. What the final effect may pc ou the land we cannot say, but this ip certain, the harm tbey oan do (if ,£&y) will not entail such a loss on the firmer) as the money paid to out tbem •down, Leaving here about noon, we proceeded to Mr Clark's, here vie had the third ore ef wheat, the fourth lot of horses, and the fifth orop of potatoes to look at. Taking them m the prder 'laid down, the wheat, ten aores, lobks a*oiean and healthy crop. The straw, is^not 'too long, and tbe heads are weU'fille£;..aad of ■good size Mr Clark has made the same mistake as Mr Pearson, ia sowing Ade-

hide seed. Thiß wh*»a,t, aUhough a*T have before* said, well adapted for mill, ing, making the best dour, is neither a good yielder nor an easily thrashed wheat ; and seeing that the farmer gpts no more for it on aco/mnt of it* quaVtv, i'lis rmre profitable to turn to forae other kind. Mr O'ark will get a good ernn however, notwithstanding, probsb'y 35 bushels to the acre. The amount nf ae«>d to th* ac c was nearly 3 bushel". Tn horsep, Mr f Clark will probably take nooond honors, that ie, tnkingit for granted that Mr Martyn is first ; indeed, at first sight, it is au exceedingly difficult matter to deoide which are the bent, and it is only on a close examination that the weight and bone of the later toll. Although not so varied ai Mr Martyn' I*,1 *, Mr Clark's stook is a ve r y suitable one for a farm. The majority are unbroken, or undergoing the process of breaking, and nf or arse they are not at the most favour able period of their life for showing. There am two nice little " Derby" fillips among the rest. Tbe total number oa the firm is 17. The remaining entry, potatoes, ib probahlv the most note* w r»hy of Mr Clark's exhibits. As is usual with him, bd has gone m large. f, having about 10 acres r own. No manure of any kind was applied to the land, and the seed, with the exception of two aores wafl.p^nghed under the sod. The remainder of the land was p.oughed three time.' previous to sowing, and the potatoes on this part, oontrary ti expectation, are not nearly po good as the rest. They were it is true, sown a little later, bnt. that would not account for the difference. Evidently, potatoes prefer being under the sd. The crop will yield well, and what i« noticable is tbe uniformity of the kind, Hobar'on. But, Mr Clark has always been noled for his oare m selecting his seed, a matter which he looks on an of the most vital im portamoe. I shall be much surprised if the fist prize be not awarded this crop. We brought our second day to a olose at Mr Reynold's farm, Pukerimu, here there wa* only one exhibit, " The best mixture of grasses." The paddook selected for the purpose, is one of the first Mr Reynolds laid down nine years ago; it is forty acres m extent, and though it has been oat for bay, half-a-dozen times at lea<»t, and has bpen heavily stocked, the sole is still beautiful.. The red clover has nearly disapeared, but the white clover, rye grass, cocksfoot, &c, that remained, . throw magnificent feed, as we witnessed, reaching Almost to our saddle girths. Tbe amount of seed per acre sown, was about 16 or 171 s. Out of of this was •: rye grass 81 bs, and the rest 'mixed clover and cocksfoot. The nature of the land is similar to tbat of Mr r James Runciman's,* namely, . light era land.