CHATS WITH FARMERS.

Waikato Times, Volume XIV, Issue 1214, 10 April 1880, Page 2

CHATS WITH FARMERS.

(By OiNoiNNATua.)

Continuing the subject of my conversation with Mr Parsons, I think I mentioned the proportions of seed which were sown to the acre, and it will now only be necessary to briefly refer to them. Coming from a country where the grasses do not spread as in Waikato, Mr Parsons was led into the mistake of sowing rather too much of certain seeds, such, for example, as cocksfoot, of which he at first sowed no less than. 31bs. to the acre. With this amount 113 finds that it rapidly usurps the soil rightly belonging to other plants. He readily admits that it has many excellent qualities, but does not consider that on good land it should occupy the position of the principal grass. A favorite grass of Mr Parsons', but one which, for reasons similar to the foregoing, he now uses but sparingly, is "ribgrass " — a plant with leaves nearly an inch and a-half in width, coarsely ribbed, hardy, and much relished by cattle. In this country, owing to the extreme mildness of the winter, the ribgrass spreads much more rapidly than in England, where the cold is an effectual check to its growth. Consequently, instead of sowing, as in the old country, 21bs. of seed to the acre, Mr Parsons in future purposes to use only half the quantity. The other seeds he "vrill continue to sow in the proportion I mentioned in my last. On light, rich land I cannot think of a better mixture, having, as it has been, arrived at, not only after much consideration, but being the result of careful experience. The object of all graziers should be to get a paddock which will yield them throughout the year the largest amount of feed, not regarding so much the securing of an extensive crop at one season as a good average for the greater period of the year. To secure this, the mixture of grasses adopted by Mr Parsons will serve as well as anything at present known. On the subject of the thistle nuisance, about which much has appeared in your columns, I was particularly anxious to have the experience and opinion of Mr Parsons. When he took possession of the farm, in the year 1866, one of his paddocks adjoining Mr Mandeno's farm contained a very tliick crop of thistles. At the present time this piece of land is in turnips, and so far as is known does not contain a single thistle. This he looks upon as testimony favorable to the oft repeated statement that the thistle dies out in a given — about fivenumber of years. Further than this he is assured that the grass in thistle-covered paddocks does not suffer in anything like the degree which some attribute to it. When the thistle dies in the autumn, he says, the cattle find a plentiful supply of food, which has during the dry weather been protected. Notwithstanding this Mr Parsons is anything but an advocate for the thistle, and so far from going the length of sowing the seed, would gladly see them depart. He recognises, however, that the cost of extirpating them would more than counterbalance the good which would result from their disappearance. That is, of course, having regard to the present high price of labor and the low vahie of btock. Mr Parsons does not as yet possess a stud herd of cattle, but like many other prominent settlers in the district he is fully alive to the necessity of improving the quality of his stock. With this object he uses none but pure Hereford bulls, his general stock of cattle being composed chiefly of selected well bred colonial cattle. The sheep kept on the farm consist of Lincoln ewes, with purebred rams of the same breed. Mr Parsons' wool — some 600 fleeces — sold in December last, fetched 7^d per lb. The fleeces averaged all round over 81bs. To speak of Mr Parsons' farm without some reference to his beautiful apple orchard would be an oversight indeed. The ground, which covers about four acres, is of a gully sloping character, with a south-westerly aspect. This aspect, as it secures to the trees a full share of whatever frost may come is well chosen. In the orchard are some 120 trees imported direct from Atlanta, in Georgia, United States, where Mr Parsons lived for many years, having in fact occupied a farm in that State during the unhappy civil war. Packed up by the owner the trees were sent to NeAv Zealand via London, on the 4-th of December, 1875, and from that date to the 2nd of October, 1876, they remained in the boxes, having been detained in a warehouse in London for several months, owing to a mistake, The trees, which were just one year old from grafting, were all southern seedlings, and were at the time they were packed very small. With ordinary care in the planting out and the subsequent treatment they have now attained to an average hight of about 10ft,, some even reaching 15ft., and are all in full bearing. They comprise almost all varieties grown in America, and the most remarkable feature in connection with the orchard is that the fruit, ripens on the different trees from December to April. For instance, the " Yellow May" was ripe in December, the " Red" and " Yellow June" were ripe in January. Several others arrived at maturity during the month of Februtu'v. " KybiuoQji'b Superb" was

ripe in March (and. by the way, I tasted one, and can testify to its exquisite flavor), while this month is made glad with "The Slockley." An apple off one of the varieties, "Hames' Farly," weighed 14 ozs., and a dozen off the same tree average^ 12 ozs. each. The trees are all looking remarkably healthy and free from blight. The yield on some was so large that when I saw them the branches in all directions were held up by means of props and twine, without which many of the limbs could not possibly have supported their burdens. While Mr Parsons has been so successfully devoting his time thus to the consideration of matters affecting the useful, his worthy lady has turned her attention to beautifying that portion of the demesne more commonly under the sway of the fairer portion of humanity. Under these influences there graces the front of the homestead one of the prettiest flower gardens I have seen. When I was there the roses had gone, but the trim, beds and borders were bright with every autumn flower and more particularly was the show of dahlias simply gorgeous.