WHEAT GROWING IN THE WAIKARO.

Waikato Times, Volume XX, Issue 1708, 16 June 1883, Page 3

WHEAT GROW ING IN THE WAIKARO.

.$ TO Till. J'UITOR. Sir, — Ibcliesoitis now an established fact that eeie ils cm be grow v t and {.tow ii well, anil as a nile with piolit, ni the Waikato, I'iako, and other distucts. Such being the case, it they can be produced and tim^poited cheaper than at pics, nt, it will not only be of gtett benefit to tiie pic-ent pioduccrs, but induce niiinbeis nioi c to take up their abode among them, ,uul extend the aiea under ccue.iis. Tins, again, will tend to cheapen the cost of carnage, and gi\e e\ciy ccntio an impetus gicatly needed. To spe.ik bnefly upon the cost of ploughing, &c. — When in the Middle Island, as it was then called, I had thiee hi\-fuiio\v ploughs mOlm 01 king. Bullocks weie used chiefly on the score of economy, their food being the stiaw that was usually burned, ai.d the pickings aiound clocks ; they worked seven hours a-day, and ploughed in stubble, 4\ to f> acies per day. The land thcie as stubble was equal in stiffness to the bulk of Waikato land. Onemandio\c the bullocks and managed the plough : it turned on its own lengtli, owintr to the lifting wheel being in the centre of the plough. Ten good bullocks were u&ed in free land, and 12, or pei haps 14 in stiff soil. The fhst cost of the bullocks is slight con.paied with horses, their keep is nominal, they need no shoeing, e\ en when sent on the roads (such as the Waikato loads aie,) and when they have worked a few yeais, and aie in poor condition, put on to good feed their value is greater than when iirsfc yoked, their beef being all new. The loss of one is not the serious loss that a horse is. The harness, likewise, is simple and enduring. I calculated the cost, providing for interest, wages, wear and tear, &c., and it only amounted to 2s 9d or 3s per aeie. In lini rowing, by a simple contrivance oi swingle-trees, they dragged two sets of four leaved hanows, at a cost of about 74d per acre. These savings, assisted by~the new appliances tor sowing and leaping, will bring down the cost of producing wheat to a very small sum. rfow for transport, I should suggest that the Ameiican plan be adopted, that of conveying grain in bulk, that is to say, loose. Farmers could convey their grain, if near rivers, to shoots placed at given distances along the banks, discharge into iron or steel barges, to be towed down to steamers, which, having elevators adjusted, could load out out of the barge without manual labour, these again could discharge int6 stores, mills, or into homeward bound vessels. These are some of my crude ideas of how to cheapen the transport, and although crude, I cannot hslp thinking, that with such fine rivers for the purpose, the plan ought soon to be an accomplished fact. With regard to tho cost of ploughing, &c, I have proved it, and will be happy to give any information. , Trust-, my letter will not weary you. — I am, &c, John Gifford.

A lazy boy was one day examined by his teaoher in, arithmetic. He was» asked, " Suppose you|liad one hundred poundk, and gave away eighty pounds ; how would you ascertain how, much, ! you , had remaining ?' ! He ve'plied'^drawlingly, •« Well, r sir.,lr'I > cUust r coiui|iy, , K >