THE CROPPING SYSTEM. TO THE EDITOR.

Waikato Times, Volume XXI, Issue 1729, 4 August 1883, Page 2

THE CROPPING SYSTEM. TO THE EDITOR.

Sir, — In cropping land the points to be consideied are, chiefly, does it pay, dons it give a fair return for the tune and labour expended, does it take too much out of the land in return for value looesved, and does it cieato or cause a demand for labour, and assist other trades? As to will it pay, experience ijops to piove that it docs, well managed, more especially under the grain cropping; system, as in that case the peison leasing pays only a fait" rental (one eighth), and is not burdened by such expenses as local lates, erection of, 01 keeping in icpair, fences and buildings, and is free while his ciop is glowing to labour at other work. Then, igaiu, he pays his lent at the end of his term (in gram), and only on the e\act area occupied by liis ciop. It is well known that most fauns contain a laige piopoition of land that docs bring in small interest on put chase, and in some cases none. Does it give a fair leturn for time, labour and capital imested ? Take, for instance, a ciop of oats, .as moie ea*y to quote, wheat and other ciops being peihaps at piesent not so easy to define and manage. .Say 100 icies, put in at fair contract lates, as follows :— Ploughing, £50 (add Jl.'iO more if new fein land) , han owing, £15 ; seed, £40 ; harvesting, CloO ; [ sundries. £20: total, £27.). Produce at 10 bushels (not a high avciagc if the i land be well woiked and fallowed) — 4000 bushels less £ rent— 3soo bushels at 3s (not, I think, too high an average to take the year round) equal, £525; leaving a I balance to profit of £2.10 ; not bad I think for the time expended. If the j toad eontractois, carters, and others did their own work then until harvest time I came, the actual cost outside seed would be very trifling. What oats take out of the land is moie than recompensed by helping to completely kill the fern, and the af to 1 -growth for winter feuding. Although a crop of wheat ought to pay the cropper best, the aftev-giowth is of less value. The demand upon all branches of trade by a district undei ciop, as against one under glass, is so patent that comment is needless, and the demand for labour, both manual and horse, 13 also a very important consideration. Now that there seems every likelihood of numbeis of workers coming to our shores it will be wise if we have plenty of employment for them. Again, grass sown after one crop ot oats, the atter-giowth of which has been fed off by sheep, will, in my opinion (from what I ha\e seen), pioduce a better result in eveiy way, as far as a good sole of grass ia concerned especially. Before concluding, looking at it from a point of view that the owner of horses would, I would go into the question, and say : "How cheaply can I put in and take off 100 acies of ciop If 7 I do it with my own horses or teams? Very much less than before stated, as that is coutiact rate, and the con ti actor expects to have a profit." Then he knows what price, as a rule, he buys at tlnoughout the year, and (except the question of storage) lie will find that his bill foi horse feed will be about one-half what it was formerly, and if good seed be sown, he gets a more even, if not a better sample of horse feed. That the district will soon produce, besides large quantities of meat, enormous quantities of grain, is, I believe, certain ; and I believe that the more grain we grow the more meat. The one prepares and assists the other's growth. We can hardly stock our country at present as it can and will be stocked, but we can crop the whole shortly, and prepare our rich pastures as we eradicate the fern. Then again, the owners of the land are also benefited in this way, that the stacks of wheatcn or oaten straw not used assist materially in a field of grass, turnips or rape, in fattening stock in the winter and spring months. I think the above remaiks well worthy of consideration in the Waikato, for what has been done in one district with success, ought, under equally favourable circumstances, to be successful in another, and I think the Waikato District fully equal to any I have seen.— l am, &c. John Gifford

Mr W. Kincaid, Cambridge, advertises cheap lines of goods for sale. Mr A. Isaacs, Cambridge, will sell at his mart this day, a choice lot of groceries, etc. Mr J. H. Mandeno, Te Awarr.utu, has a prime lot of seed potatoes for sale Tenders are invited for building stable, etc., for Messrs Lewis and bimpson, Cambridge, up to August 11th. In the selection of a combination of grasses for pasture, grasses should be chosen which flower at different seasons of the year, and which will produce a large amount of sweet succulent grass entirely through the season. For meadow a combination is desirable in which the different sorts flower simultaneously. At the late Paris Show, the Houdans took the prize of honour. They have been mneh improved latterly, it is said. The La Fleche are highly spoken of. As a' cm-iosity, we note the Courtes Patttß '(short-legged), which stand the hen's body only one and a half inch from the ground, '> ... '