Requisite Outlay and Estimated Return

Otago Witness, Issue 19, 27 September 1851, Page 3

Requisite Outlay and Estimated Return

on the Cultivation by Horse Labour, &c, of 50 acres Grass or Fern Land in Otago, carefully prepared by the undersigned.

OUTLAY. PROPERTY. Cost of 50 acres Wild Land, with Freehold Title, . . . £100 0 0 FENCING. Cost of Fencing 50 acres, open ditch and rail fence, @ 2s. 6d. per rod, . 50 0 0

EETUSM". CROP. Fifteen acres Oats — Return at the rate of 32 bushels per acre, @ 4s. 6d. per bushel, . . £108 0 0 Seven acres Potatoes — Return, at the rate of 5 tons per acre, @£3 per ton, . 105 0 0 Three acres Turnips— Return * at the rate of 20 tons bulbs, @£1 per ton, . 60 0 0 273 0 0

* The dwelling-house, in this case, is simply for the Ploughman and family. Superior dwellinghouses must of course depend upon the taste and means of the owner ; but the following data may be a sufficient guide : — Bricks are now turned out at 255. per 1000. Sawn timber at 10s. per 100 feet, generally on the spot. Lime, cheap and abundant. Bricklayers' and Carpenters' wages 305., and Labourers 21s. per week. In one instance a Villa is being built of a beautiful Limestone, soft and easily turned out in blocks of any size, and which hardens by exposure. Contiguity to Quarry, however, is essential to atone-buildings, as carriage for any distance would be exoensive or imnractioablp

OPERATIONS. Assume that Ploughing be commenced on the Ist of April, and (allowing plenty of time for short days, &c.) that 25 acres is turned over by the 10th of May, (being little more than half an acre per day), and the remaining 25 acres by the 20th of June. On the 21st June return to the 25 acres first turned up, and harrow it, which will occupy, say 6 days, (in connection with which is employed two hands for 10 days to gather and burn roots, &c.) This brings us on to the 27th of June. On the 28th commence cross ploughing the 25 acres ; this will occupy (say as at first) up to the 6th August ; from this point crop, say as follows :—ls: — 15 acres in Oats, 7 acres in Potatoes, and 3 acres in Turnips To accomplish this, and be in good time with the crops, we have from last date (6th August) till about the 20th November ; the remainder of the season, until the end of March following, will be occupied in attending to the 25 acres left in fallow, the securing of crops, the horse-weeding of potatoes and turnips, &c, and the preparation of the whole 50 acres for full cropping the following season. We would just advert, before concluding, to the fact, that in Grass and Flax Land a good crop of Oats may be depended upon, merely by ploughing it up and sowing the seed.

Farm Account for Second Year (1851).

OUTLAY.

Value of Stock on hand, brought forward from Ist year, as per account, . . £327 6 0

KETUKJT.

* Keep of Horses. — The horses, when not at work, and during the night, were out on grass. When in stable, their feed was chiefly wild meadow hay, with corn in proportion to the season, and the work then being done. t Wheat. — The average here is 31 bushels per acre. One half of the whole was spring sown, and yielded only from 17 to 20 bushels per acre. Experience in this case has established the conviction that spring sowing ought to be abandoned ; winter sowing should not be later than April. X Potatoes.— This is one of the few cases in which the crop had suffered from drought. The seed usvd was the refuse small potatoes of v tornier crop. Note. — The profits in this case have proved moi cfavourable than shown by the above estimate, because of the accidental circumstance of Wheat and Oats having brought 10s. and 6s. per bushel, in place of 6s. and 55. ; but such high prices are neither to be desired nor expected. Attested by us at Dunedin this 19tli day of ) September 1&31 — Thomas Ferguson. dsvid sow dbs'. Andrew todd. J\MES itITCIIIE. Pr.TEtt PjtOUUPOCT. In signing this Statement, I may mention that I consider the Outlay sufficient ; but not having been long enough in the Colony to judge for myself, % sign as regards the lieturns mei'el y from statemeii ts and facts obtained from those whom I consider comDetent hido-M Tanvia Attttijo". ■">'•.

)welling-li (table, house,* ; (cob' )) £20 0 0 5 0 0 Jam, 30x14, 9 9 0 34- 9 0

HOUSES.

Plough, . . £5 0 0 Pair of Harrows complete, in the Colony, . . 3 10 0 Roller (wooden), . 6 0 0 Cart, including freight from England, say . . 13 0 0 Turnip Sowing Machine for one drill, . .200 Wheel Barrow (colony) . 10 0 Three Spades, 10s. ; 2 Dung-forks, 65. ; 3 Hay-forks, 65. ; 2 Adzes, 65. ; 1 Pick, 35. ; Axe, Bs. = 2 0 0 Small stock of extras in Ironmongery, &c, . t 2 0 0 Scythe complete, Rakes, &c, (colony) . . , 10 0 Set of Harness for Cart & Plough (Sydney) . . 8 0 0 "Winnowing Machine (Fanners) 10 0 0 Set of Biddies, &c. (colony) 10 0 Corn Measure (bushel) . 110 0 Thirty Sacks (colony) , 3 0 0 Grind-stone (do.) . 0 5 6 Dairy Utensils . . 2 10 0 i i.T oj

IMPLEMENTS.

►nc pair Draught Horses, 50 0 0 'hrce Milch Cows, @ £10 each, 30 0 0 80 0

STOCK.

or^i^u. Fifteen acres Oats — seed at the rate of 3 bushels per acre, @ 4s. 6d. per bushel, . . £10 2 6 Seven acres Potatoes — seed at the rate of 12 cwt. per acre, @ £3 per ton, . . 12 12 0 Three acres Turnips — seed at the rate of 3 lt> per acre, (rz) Is. pertb, . . 0 9 0 33 o G

CROPPING.

Servant's "\Vage~ — or Provisions for self and family, . £50 0 0 Extra wages for hands employed in securing Crops, Thrashing, &c, . 30 0 0 Cutting down Flax and other wild growth preparatory to the first ploughing, @ lGs. per acre, . . . 40 0 0 Keep of Horses for 12 months, (prices as above) . 30 0 0 Blacksmith's Account, say 4 0 0 Carpenter's do., say 3 0 0 157 0 0 Net Outlay, . £506 8 0

LABOUR AND HORSE KEEP.

Fifty acres of Land, . £100 0 0 Fencing, . . 50 0 0 Implements, less 10 per cent., 53 0 0 Houses, . . 34 0 0 Horses, . . . 50 0 0 Three Cows, with increase, at £12 12s. each, . 37 10 0 Dairy Utensils, . 2 10 0 327 G Net Return, . £600 6

VALUE ON HAND IN LAND, STOCK, &c.

•tjtlay for Property, Stocking, and Cropping, .... £506 8 0 Letubn in Produce, and Stock on hand, 600 6 0 Balance, being Return to Proprie- \ ,. Q ,> , fi n tor for first year, . . j *** ia v

ABSTRACT,

Twenty-seven acres Wheat — 48 bushels, @ 6s. per bushel, . £14 8 0 Three acres Barley — 4 bushels @ 6s. per bushel, . . 14 0 Sixteen acres Oats — seed at the rate of 3 bushels per acre, @ 6s. per bushel, . 14 8 0 One and a half acres Potatoes — cost of Seed . . 10 0

SEED.

Servants' Wages, . £50 0 0 Extra hands employed in course of the season, . . 50 0 0 Cost of Harvesting, . 30 0 0 Cost of Thrashing, &c, 1,412 bushels, @ 6d. per bushel, 35 6 0 Keep of Horses* for 12 months, 25 0 0 Blacksmith, &c, account, 5 0 0 195 6 0 - - r ~ To-tal Outlay, £553 12 0

LABOUR AND HORSE-KEEP, &c.

Twenty-seven acres Wheatf-— Return, 837 bushels @ 6s. per bushel, . . £20l 2 ( Three acres Barley — Return, GO bushels, @ Gs. per bushel, . . . 18 0 ( Sixteen acres Oats — Return, 535 bushels, @ ss. per bushel, . . 13?. 15 ( One and naif acres Potatoes^ — Return, 7 Is, tons, @£3 per ton, . . 21 0 < Value in Straw, 40 tons, (tv £2 per ton, 80 0 < Value of Poultry reared, . . 7 0 < £.510 17 t

CROP.

Land — 50 acres (now in cultivation) . . . £123 0 0 Fencing, ... 50 0 0 Implements, less 10 per cent., 50 0 0 Houses, . . 34 0 0 Horses and Cattle, . 105 0 0 3G4 0 0 Total value, £874 17 0

! VALUE IX LAXD AND STOCK.

Outlay in Property, Stocking, and Cropping, .... £553 12 0 REfUitx in Produce, and Stock on hand, 874 17 0 Return to Proprietor, £321 5 0

ABSTRACT.