CHATS WITH FARMERS. (By Cincinnatus.)

Waikato Times, Volume XIV, Issue 1202, 11 March 1880, Page 2

CHATS WITH FARMERS. (By Cincinnatus.)

The object of this and the succeeding papers of this scries, is, and will be, to aid in the work of agriculture, by setting before your readers accounts of what has been done by different men, in different localities on different descriptions and qualities of land, and under different conditions. The plan, therefore, whatever instruction it may afford is sufficiently varied, and may interest many of those whose pursuits are not strictly connected with the soil. Knowledge is often, and indeed, naturally, more easily disseminated by means of example than by precept : for while the latter has to be overburdened with argument the former requires only plain statements. What one man has done under certain circumstances, present no obstacle to its due accomplishment by another, provided the mown condition be complied with, and as it is the intention of the writer only to ;ite as examples those who have been nost successful in their endeavors, he cannot doubt that the information so supplied will be of value. Be it also understood that these "chats with farmers" will be held with ' ' farmers" only, not trenching on the operations of those large concerns which, with the aid of unbounded capital have undoubtedly conferred much benefit on the district, but of whose operations no account could prove of much practical interest to the small capitalist, as the records of men of their j own class are sure to be found. Much of our Waikato agriculture is as yet only tentative in its nature ; reliable knowledge concerning our unstable, though beautiful, climate being no more wanted than is correct information on the subject of our soils. Year after year we see land brought into use with profit which we were once apt to condemn as of little worth — aiul instances of this kind could be easily multiplied. .Season after season witnesses the production of crops, the cultivation of which could not before be profitably undertaken, and so on. But it is not necessary to go farther. This much by way of preamble is right to afford ; but not to weary my readers I will here introduce an account of the result of my first chat with A SWAMP FARMER. A few days ago I visited the swamp farm of Mr Henry Tamer, in the Pukerimu district, and much surprised I was with what I there saw. The farm consists of some 450 acres, the bulk of which was acquired in the year 1874, and, with the exception of a few acres adjoining the main road, was entirely composed of heavy flax swamp land, with occasional patches of ti-tree. The whole was almost continuously submerged ; and at the time of its purchase Mr Turner was secretly laughed at by many who considered the task of reclamation a hopeless one. Although the land has been occupied nearly six years, the bulk of the work has been performed during the last two summers. Fortunately there existed more than one good outlet for the water, and, taking advantage of these, Mr Turner has so far succeeded that to-day he has scarcely an acre of land which is not permanently dry. The land,, as before stated, was covered with heavy flax, but there was in addition a thick growth of rushes, while a great part was burdened moss. The mode of procedure was as follows : — The land was first divided into four or five large paddocks by mam drains, six feet deep by six or seven feet wide at the top. This completely cut oil the water, and as soon as the vegetation was thoroughly dry a fire was j>"t through. This would be in the autumn, and during the winter the land was heavily stocked with cattle, which so consolidates the surface that in the succeeding spring and eavly summer it can be very easily levelled by means of a strong triangular harrow drawn by bullocks. Owing to the great depth of the soil and the sandy nature of the sub-soil, no poaching takes place, and the land at this stage takes grass freely. With a little trouble and expense the stumps might be removed and the land rendered fit for the plough; but unless it is intended to crop such a step is not necessary. This then, briefly stated, is the whole modus operandi. Nothing can look more unpromising thau such land in its unimproved state. It will therefore be apprehended that one of the most necessary agents in the working of such a farm is " pluck, " seconded, of course by a little money and a determination to work. Oi the nature of reward there can be little doubt. The land is of excellent quality, and may be reckoned upon to grow anything. On one of the patches first reclaimed, Mr Turner has planted an orchard and garden, in which at the present time are to be seen some fine healthy fruit trees, as well as some very heavy root crops. Along one of the headlands some maize, sown thickly for green fodder has reached the height of t\\ elve feet. The soil for a couple of ieet down is of a rich loamy character overlying a good porous subsoil, and it has been pronounced to be very similar to that of the Lincolnshire Fens. To illustrate what the land has become through draining, last December twelvemonths, Mr Turner was liarrowing a small paddock near his home ! which had been only just drained, and it was only with the utmost difficulty that the work could be done owing to the bullocks sinking in the soft ground. It was sown with grass last autumn, and this year yielded a fair crop of clover-hay. The land requires to be open to the drying influences of one summer, and does not afterwards become wet. Mr Turner says he was sorely tempted at first to relinquish the idef of working his swamp ami taking dry land, but now that the experiment lias been tried, and he finds lie is not only in a position to keep a fair amount of stock, but sees an immediate prospect of being able to send fat cattle to the maiket, lie does not regret his determination. A great deal of money has, of course, been expended in draining, and, as yet, there does not appear to the casual observer to be much return for it, tor the farm is not yet in a cultivable state, but the great bulk of the Avork has been done, and very little labor will now suffice to convert that which but three years ago was an unprofitable morass into deep grassy meadows and smiling cornfields.