PRIZE FARMS.

Waikato Times, Volume XX, Issue 1673, 27 March 1883, Page 4

PRIZE FARMS.

It is antfi4l-kn<wn fact that there are tracts of country in ditTcrent parts of We wouMhnotod H few generations ago, for exuWmit fertility of soil, which are now/ as Mtrran as the desert. And this result has-M)don , brought about, not by any natuiiat oilamity, hut i» simply the effect of the improvidence of mail. No sensible man can suppose he may keep on drawing u pou a certain sum of money am neNtfi- reach tlie bvttom of lin put so. And yet this is the principle adopted by a great many farmers in ovety new country, in spite of the warning afforded by the experience of past generations. Hm colony, though only one generation old. already shows the consequences of bad fanning in the worst and most «trddng aspeefc. Australian farmeia, having been lonuer at work, enn show vast areas ot land impoverished l>y continual cropping and then abandoned to the squatter and the 'grow tb of weeds. In Americi, too, the work of spoliation has been carried on by succeeding generations, and district 1 after distiiut has been reduced to a state of barrenness and sterility by the selfishness and improvidence of the temporary occupiers. But whe.n the American farmer lias beggared out his farm he can go farther west, and the South Australian cropper can push northward ; but there is no such retieat for the New Zealand farmer, and therefore a prodigal system of farming will in his case bring its inevitable result of poverty and mn both surely and quickly. We must admit, however, that there has been a great impio\ement of late years in the style of farming piactised here, and very many of our farmers are fully aware that a liberal treatment ot'ihc soil must pay in the long run, and vindicate their claim to that expiessivo old-fashioned name of husbandman as far as circumstances will admit. So far the intelligence and enterprise of our most advanced agriculturists have been devoted to the improvement of stock and the introduction of machinery and implements, and' the actual improvement of the soil has received comparatively little attention. But the spirit of progress is gradually extending through every branch ot agriculture, and it stand to reason that ultm' possessed of sufficient intelligence to improve their stock Mill not be content to cultivate poor worn-out soil, hi every country theic are some bad farmi rs, but there is no icason why tlieic should be. Those Who have not had any experience of farming in the Old Country, wlieie good farming is the rule, cannot plead ignorance as an excuse for not managing their land as they ought, for they can obtain good and piactic.il infoimation from a variety of .sources. The columns of every weekly paper of good standing contain hints, suggestions and ad\ice, •which any man of common sense may apply to his own use if deficient in a knowledge of the piacticul working of his land. Then there are numerous agiicultuial works published here and at Home winch contain infoi matiou easily adapted to the wants of e\eiy one, always of conrac, making allowance for difference of climate and sod : but in bpite of all this there always has and always will be bad farmers to be found hete and there. One good farmer has a wonderful influence in improving the style of farming in his neighbourhood. If one keeps his hedges in good order his neighbours will soon be found trimming theirs, for nothing makes a neglected fence look so bad as a wellkoptone ; and, ngain, if one man grows exceptionally good crops his neighbours will soon want to know the reason. The plan of giving pi i/es for farms is undoubtedly a good one. It not only gives rise to emulation but also encourages obsenation and ciiticism, and when pcoplo begin to obseno and ciitieise they are sine to discover the means of impiovemont It is doubtless well known that pti/es arc given by the Royal Society of England for the bubt managed fauns in dilleient counties, and caieful reports are prepaied and published in the society* journal, giung the aiea, descii| tiou of ciops, and com pat ativc meiit-, of each competing iarm, w lth the reason for the judge's aw aid. There is no reason why the same custom should not be adopted here, for we have all the necessary inaelnni'ty for putting it into piaeticc. Our Agricultuial and I'astotal Associations might give their attention to this matter with great advantage. The money value of the pri/o need not be vciy great, in fact if theie wcie none such, a testimoni.il from the society and a repot tin the puucipal journals of tlic district would bo sullicient, we think, to bring ninny competitor into the Held, for it is not the intrinsic value of the prize that is thought of in such cases. To be piocliiimcd the best farmer in a largo agricultural district like Otago would be an honour moio highlyesteemed than a prize of %ci y great money \alue. The duty of inspecting and judging the iai ms would be rather an onerous one, and would involve the expendituie of a deal ot time, and those entrusted with the work would be entitled to an honorarium. Accoiding to the mles of the English society no fiii in can t.ike a puzc unless it contains two hundred acres or upwards. Theic must be a ceitain portion arable land and pasture land, and to avoid the evil of wealthy men taking honouis with fancy farms, the tenant, occupier, or managci must show that the f.inn is worked pioh'tably. If the awaids necessarily fell to the man who could show the best and most complete faun-buildings, the most cvpensive implements and fancy-priced stock, the man of wealth only, would take the highest honois ; but if the object of the judges was to discover the most intelligent and skilful system of farming ; that which gave the highest return upon capital invested, and which promised to be a productive and selfsupporting system, then tlio case would be different, and the object for which the awards were given, would be attained. No method of farming can be called good unless it is capable of being applied for a number of years without reducing the feitility of the land, and at the same time giving a reasonable profit upon the outlay. This is v liat our farmers have yet to find out, and it is not a question of money, but of skill, and to this end agricultural schools, or colleges are, or should be, established. If only a limited number of young farmeis are made practically acquainted with a more or less scientific method of farming they will set a good example to their netgh1)ou ih, and perhaps induce them to depart fiom the slip-shod happy-go-lucky style in which the majority of colonial farmeis aic content to jog along. — Otwjo ll'itiie^.

An eccpntrio Spaniaid, who lived in Keoknlc, Illinois, six years ago, died last August in Spain, leaviujr a 12-year old daughter, whom he wants to have leaied fis a Protestant. In his eceenhioity he mimed George Hand, n eolouied blacksmith of Keokuk as guardian, and also made a contract with a priest in Spain to cairy out the conditions of his will, for •which the piiestwas to receive 65,000d01, but in case of failure receives nothing. Hand, the coloured guardian, is to have the same amount smd the citstody of the child, who gets 160,000d0l and a large amount of jewellery and diamonds. i The Rev. John Milum, of the Wcleynn Missionary Society, has made a vi«it in the interests of the West Africa Mission of the Society from Lagos to Whydah, mid Abotnoy, the capital of Dahomey. , After arrival at the capital he was detained nearly a month on one pretext or another" before he obtained , tin audience 'with the kin-r. When entering, ,tb,e palace pates he detected a strong fmelWjf 'purifying flefb, and found on each side „of^be gate a mound of sand, on,whioh jwjere placed three human headu, „J?o,th qn the outside and inside of the gates there were human remains.^ Seven perpons, had been, (sacrificed (the previous, night,] and their blood had been poured upon the, ground, as »m o.blatfon, ■ On every succes-j sive visit Mr, Milum saw that f reab. heads! had been plaood on these moundf t