THE ADVANTAGES OF THE CROPPING SYSTEM.

Waikato Times, Volume XX, Issue 1711, 23 June 1883, Page 2

THE ADVANTAGES OF THE CROPPING SYSTEM.

TO THE HDITOR. Sir, — The follow ing remarks, w ifch a view to promote the settlement and development of t lie W.uk.ito dud sm lounding districts, will, I think, bo of interest to your teadeis : —In conjunction with .1 gentleman in tlio South, I had the pleasine of initiating (in tie year ISTfi) w hat is now called the, " Qiain icntal system " At fclufc time veiy little ims done uitli the land, c\uept for gia/mg pm poses : tiom that date tlio giowth and aiea unilei who it lias inei cased ye.n by year, until at the piesent tune the expoitis second, only to wool, and thcindustiyisone that employs a large amount of labour. I will endcjAom to point out the particuLus of the system and its advantages, l'eisoiib holding Lirtfu blocks of land, i'\cn when money is not so inuoh .in ol>|eet, do not eaie about woiking their land by the growth of cereals, but in the .South it was (and I think .still is) managed in this way : Lirge landowners lease poitions of their cstites in blocks of fiom 100 up to to 1000 acres, or more, for one or two ct ops (one of wiieat and one of oats,) or foi one only, charging lor the Uhe of the laud fiom tour bushels up to .siv bushels per acre, deliveiy to be taken by the owner at the threshing machine. The balance of the giain belongs then to the poison aopping. There are, of course certain modilications at tunes, to allow for distance, poorness of soil, &c, but such is roughly the idea ot how the system was worked. Now for it advantages. In the endeavour to pioniote the settlement of a distnct, the interest of the large landownets and capitalists should so woik as to be also the inteiusts ot small capitalists and the W'oi kuiff classes. Then this uombuntirn of laboui and capital is certain of success (t success is jiossiblo ) The advantage to the owner i:» that he nets his land fail lv well cultivated, icceivos a good rental, which is secured to hint by bomg on Ins land, and the surface is propaied for bettoi tillage, either tor loots, glass, &c. , and tho .straw for win truing his stock is not to be despised. The>e are some of the advantages he has by the transaction ; among other things the increased value of the land lhn&tbc mentioned, fiom both oultiv ntion and hid'-ascd settlement. In a. measure I consider the gain to the person who eiop-> is qi cater. Say, lor inatance, he has* a team or two of horses, and can manage to get seed to sow, his only cost in feed foi his hoisef, fiiatco&t of implements, seed, and his own time for a few Weeks (this at a time when othci W'oi k is slack) , the whole expense per aci c Will not amount to much, and if he be askcl a week ot two befoie harvest what lie will take per acie, the answer, as I have found it. is something like 100 pel cent. Another thin ir is that he is alloided employment for a longer peiiod Foi instance, should this system take hold, as it has done in the South, you will find that load boaids will, as theie, let their contracts at the two peiiods of the year, namely, after the crops aie put in, in sjjiiim, and small necessaiy ones after harvest. By the development of grain growniug two veiy important things aie achieved, a settled labour population, and our vast area of land bi ought under tillage without loss, (as it is done cheaply.) Drejaring it to grow glasses, which in tuin will give us power to piodnce fat stock for shipment. Moic might be advanced in favour of the system, but I think fiom what is before you, you will understand its advantages. That it has been veiy successful, and has done much to assist and foiwaid the South Island, there is no doubt, and were the piacticc oncp started, numbers would conic fiom the Snithcrn distiiets owing to our wanner climate. — I am, &c, John" Gikkokd.

Mr W. A. Richard&on has been appointed creditors' tiustco in the estate of 'lhom.is Clcmmy, Cambridge. Special attention is directed to the new advertisement of Mr James Daley, diaper, clothier and grocer, Hamilton. Why are bootslikodoor-mats? —Because they are worn by the feet. Tkk fair sex in Guernsey is not to be tiifled with. At a fancy dress ball given there recently by the subalterns of an iuf.mtiy regiment, a lady noted for her originality and wit was brought by chance to the side of one of the chief military authorities of the place. Said she to Colonel Z ' May I aMc, colonel, what you are ?' ' Oh,' answered the colonel, who was evidently not in one of his happy moods 'I am nothing. What are you ?"' ' I am next to nothing,' was the prompt rejoinder. The sudden death of Prince Batthyany was recently reported by cable. The Fall Mall Gazette gives the following particulars :—": — " Great consternation was caused at Newmarket on April '25th by the sudden death of Prince Batthyany. The Prince was going down the steps which led to the luncheon-room in the Jockey Club stand, when lie slipped, and fell down head foremost. He was picked up, bleeding, by Lord Cadogan and one or two other gentlemen who were standing near, and a doctor was at once summoned. Life, however, was found to be extinct. There is a some uncertainty— which a coroner's inquest will doubtless clear up — whether death was due to the shock of the fall, or whether the Prince was seized with a fit when he fell. The sad event happened when the hor&es for the Two Thousand were being saddled ; so it was impossible to adjourn the racing, as the stewards would wish to have done. Prince Batthyany was the owner and nominator of Fulmen, one of the favourites ' for this year's Derby, for which he is consequently disqualified. He is also disqualified for the Epsom Grand Prize, the Ascot Gold Cup, and the Sfc James' Palace Stakes at Ascot." *