CHATS WITH THE FARMERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1501, 21 August 1880, Page 6

CHATS WITH THE FARMERS.

A Visit to Rough Ckaio, and a Chat with We William Waddell, of Waikaka.

Mr Waddell's father, who was a celebrated breeder both of Clydesdale horses and Ayrshire cattle, occupied a farm in Lanarkshire, in Scotland. Here Mr Waddell spent the greater patt of his youth, his occupation consisting of the ordinary farm work, and attending the various exhibitions of stock in charge of his father's cattle and horses. Amongst stock of so superior a character as was reared on his father's farm Mr Waddell's thoughts very naturally turned in the breeding line, with what results we shall presently see. When only fifteen years of age Mr Waddell entered the lists at the local ploughing matches, and continued competing for several years, always being successful,

In the year 1862, hearing something about tho Colonies, he left his native h«ath, and landed in Dunedin in the following year. His firat occupation was carrying to theDunstan, whioh he followed for several months. He then thought of purchasing land, and for this purpose he visited Southland, and secured some suburban property at Invercargill. Here he carried on dairying and dealing for several years, always purchasing the best stock he could find, until he had monopolised all the leading prizes for Ayrshires at the local shows. In the year 1874 Mr Waddell sold all his stock, with the exception of a few youngsters. He then intended to return to the Old Country, but fate had decreed that it should be otherwise. Shortly afterwards several blocks of land were placed in the market on the de-ferred-payment system. Mr Waddell happened to be doing nothing at the time, and meeting a few good judges of land who had inspected all the blocks then in the market, he was induced to apply for a section. These gentlemen all agreed that the section for which Mr Waddell was induced to apply for was the best then in the # market. So, without ever visiting the locality, he made his application, more in fun than earnest, as it was considered that there would be so many applicants that his chance of being successful would be very dubious. However, the day fixed for the ballot arrived, and with it arrived no less than thirtythree applicants ! Mr Waddell drew the highest number, and consequently secured the section at the upset price of 253. The next move was to find the section, and on arriving at the scene of his future abode, he was highly pleaßed both with his section and his bargain.

Of course this event caused Mr Waddell to defer his visit to Auld Reekie. However, he did not relinquish the idea altogether, for he made up his mind to return to the Old Country as goon as the three years were up ; but

" The beat-laid plans o' mice an* men Gang aft agley," and Mr Waddell still remains in New Zealand, and a bachelor. Having some capital at bis disposal, at the end of three years he bought out the section, and has since wrought a wonderful change on Bough Craig Farm. Where but a few years ago the natural grass (chiefly rushes and tussock) reached over a man's head, and was tenanted only by pukakqea and perhaps a few Maori hens, now there is one unbroken sward of English grass, upon which sleek cattle and horses are contentedly grazing. The farm is now all fenced and subdivided, gorse being sown in all the fences. In all the fences we noticed an arrangement that must be exceedingly beneficial to the stock, especially in stormy weather. There is only one ditohjfa each fence, and that has been placed on the Mather side, leaving the other side without ff ditcb, and consequently the stock get close up to the hedge, thereby obtaining the full benefit of the shelter. A substantial, dwelJing-house, men's hut, and other outbuildings have also been erected, of which j we will presently speak. The first year sixty acres were broken up and sown with turnips, which were fed off by sixty head of cattle. Twenty-five of these were sold at Invercargill as fat cattle, and brought a very high price, which was only eclipsed by some of the New Zealand Land Company's. The following year the turnip land was sown with oats, and sixty more acres were broken up, and, as before sown with turnips. The winter was very severe, but the turnips turned out exceedingly well, aa&the same number of cattle were fattened as the year previous. This was in 1878, and four of the bullocks were taken to the Tapanui Show, where they obtained first prize as fat cattle, and were afterwards sold for L9O. The same year 4000 bushels of oats were grown on eighty acres, and 2000 of these were sold for seed to Mr F. Bell, of Waimea Plains, the price being 4b per bushel The oats grown are " Sutherland," and are found to yield well, and command a ready sale. In 1879 some seventy acres were sown down in English grasses, and the result is simply astonishing, and would even open the eyes of the Taieri farmers. At the time of our visit this paddock was looking splendid, and that after carrying one bullock per aore since February, the paddocks being sown down about last November. The mixture adopted is as follows :— One and a-half bushels rye grass, one pound timothy, one pound red clover, one pound white clover, one pound alsyk'e, and one pound cow grass ; also four ounces of turnip seed. After four crops have been taken off, the land is ploughed up in rigs of 15 feet, and left in fallow until the autumn, when it is rigged up the reverse way. To this plan of working the land when thoroughly dry, thereby allowing the warm rays of the sun to penetrate the soil, and also to the prooesß of ploughing it in lands 15 feet wide, combined with good soil to work npon, may be attributed Mr Waddell's success in raising such excellent pasture. The seed is sown, without any other crop, about September or December, and is ready for grazing by the month of February. The paddocks, of which there are eight, vary in size from forty to ten acres, being well watered by running streams, which are almost invaluable on a farm. The farm will soon be all broken up ; only a few bends in the river remain, and these will probably be all ploughed by next year. In proceeding to inspect the stock, our first move was to THE STABLE, which is a spacious building 44 feet long by 16 feet wide, with 12-feet walls, and loft which is capable of holding a large quantity of grain. In the loft is a chaffoutter, which is worked by horse-power from below, the ohaff being conveyed to the stable by a spout, as is also the oase with the horse feed ; so that whenever it is desired to feed the horses, all that is requisite is to hold a bucket under the spout, and by drawing out a slide ib is quickly filled. The stable contains six stalls (which at the time of our visit were all occupied) and a loose box. Having inspected the stable, we next proceeded to view the HOBBHS, of which there are some fine specimens. On entering the stable, the first stall is occupied by Maggie, a three-year-old Clydesdale filly by the Prince of Wales. She has been twice exhibited, and has taken first and second honours. The uext stall is devoted to Rosy, half-sister to Maggie. She was exhibited at the Matanr* Show, and awarded third prize, competing with twelve aged mares. The next on the lift is a five-year-old mare of great substance, by the celebrated Marquis of Ailsie, in foal to Crown Prince, The next Btall is occupied by a three.year-old gelding, by the far-famed Clydesdale enfra Lord Nelson, and promises to develop into a splendid animal. Last, but nob least, is the two-year-old filly Kate— sire Prince of Wales, dam the renowned Blosßom. Kate has already; been twice exhibited as a two-year-old, taking first and second ptizts, and from all appearances she will not be behind in the future. Besides the above mentioned, there are in the paddocks a nnmber of youngsters deserving of mention. A young thoroughbred by the Nigger is a promising youngster, as is also a young Clydesdale by Lord Clyde, and a year- old filly. Besides these, there are ten other useful farm horses. A short time before our visit Mr Waddell unfortunately lost a two- war -old Southland Champion colt, which hei^nded keeping for an entire, it having met^ith an accident while running in one of the paddocks. The aged horses are always disposed of to make room for the young stock, as Mr Waddell does not believe in breeding from old stock. Leaving the stable we enter the byre, consisting of ten stalls, which is conjoined to the stable. Here we are at liberty to view THE OATTIE, which are all of the Ayrshire breed. Mr Waddell is known throughout the length and breadth of the island as a breeder of Ayrshires. He has a great partiality for this class of cattle, perhaps owing to the fact that he gained a complete knowledge of them on his father's farm. Some people are prejudiced against the Ayrshires, thinking that they oannot be reared large enough ; but this Mr Waddell Bays is an error, as he has often seen Ayrshire bullocks on his father's farm weighing from 600 pounds to 800 pounds. He has seen prize-takers weighing as high as one ton when alive, and he has no doubt that he will be able to rear them of as heavy a weight as they reach in the Old Country. One bullock which was killed a short time ago weighed 500 pounds, though only twenty months old, and this fact should set aside any doubts to the effect that Ayrshires cannot be reared of a large size. Another fallacy has taken possession of Colonial breeders to a great extent— viz., that it is necessary to starve young Ayrshires to make them fine and show a clean neck. This Mr Waddell regards as a very erroneous impression. Where the breed is not right, it might no doubt tend to make them appear like pure Ayrshircs ; but where there is a pure strain of blood, feeding will tend to improve them in a great measure. It is true they may not look very symmetrical and handsome for the first i two years ; but when they come to oalve at 1 three years, if they are of a pure strain of

bleod, their udders will be large and capaoious, j whioh is the principal feature of an Ayrshire, cow. Therefore fault cannot be found with a large-framed animal ; and though they may not be so handsome for the first year or two, , the milking will in a great measure tend to refine their appearance afterwards. Colonial breeders experience a great dimcutty in exhibiting their stock at the annual shows, owing to the incompetency of a great number of the judgeß. Though they no doubt Kive their opinions conscientiously and to the best of their ability, still they often cannot give sufficient reasons for giving the prizes to one animal in preference to another. The consequence is that if a defeated exhibitor asks the judges-perhaps with a view to improve his stock-in what respect the prize- taker is superior to his exhibit, they are often unable to answer hiß question, or give him just cause for awarding the several prizes. This is a matter that show committees cannot give too much of their attention to, as on the selection of thoroughly competent judges depends principally the success of their annual exhibi1rii.869 MrWaddell purchased four heifers from Mr J. Gait, manager for the Australian and New Zealand Land Company. Theße oame of Btock imported by the Hon. Matthew Holmes, of Seaward Downs, and were bought at a high figure. Previous to this Mr Waddell had purchased some very good stock from Mr J. Hamilton, and there is • a strain of theae bloods in the stock at present on Rough Craig. Two of the dams of the heifers purchased from Mr Gait were bred by that celebrated breeder of Ayrflbires, Lawrence Drew, of Merryton Farm Hamilton, Lanarkshire, the others being bred in Kilbride Parish by J. Morton. Their Bires were bred by John Parker, of Nether Broomlands, Ayrshire, who was second to none as a breeder of Ayrsbires. By this it will be seen that the strain of blood possessed by the cattle on Bough Craig Farm is of no m ()J entering the byre the first atimal that engages our attention is a fine bull rising three years old, out of Crummie, sire Neil Gow (the Fatter animal was bred by MrWaddell, who sold him after an unbeatenEcareer). Another bull— Mata, rising two years— is the winner of no less than five first prizes, Rained last season as a one-year-old. At the Dnnedm Show he was placed first, against a field of ten others. At Tapanui and Mataura he also gained first honours and at Invercargill he beat a field of twelve. Though only a one-year-old, he was shown against the two-year-olds at Tapanui, and awarded first prize, beating the prize-taker in the two-year-oldß at Dunedin, who was purchased by Mr D. M'Kellar (late of Brooksdale, Tapanui) at a high figure. He was considered by competent judges to be the best one-year-bull ever exhibited in New Zealand, and Mr Waddell expects him to retain the reputation ha has already established in his future showing career. A one-year-old bull, by Mr Gait's Baton out of Crummie, is an animal of great substance, and judging from appearances we think it is likely that he will yet be heard of in the showing. Amongßt the cows Primrose 11. has taken several prizes. Crummie, when a two-year-old, took first honours at Invercargill, and second for the best aged cow in milk. Two years ago she was shown at the Mataura, where she gained a first prize. Brindle, a full sister to Neil Gow, and Fanny, sire Neil Gow, are fine animals, kept for breeding purposes. Besides the above mentioned, there are Beven or eight young heifers, all by Neil Gow. Mr Waddell finds it injurious to show breeding cows as they are considerably knocked about by being driven backwardß and forwards to the different exhibitions, and consequently he has not shown any of his cows for some time. The number of cattle kept upon the farm is from twenty to sixty, and horseß from twelve to twenty. . We had the pleasure of inspecting several medals gained oy Mr Waddell for cattle. There are five silver medals and one gold. Three of these were awarded for bulls, and the other three for cows. Besides these, Mr Waddell has taken upwards of a hundred other , prizes. The outbuildings are literally bristling with prize tickets, and in the byre a string of these cards several yards in length are tacked on the wall. Half an acre of ground in a sheltered spot has been chosen as an orchard, and planted with various kinds of fruit trees, and an acre around the house has been planted with close on 2000 firs and pines for shelter. The house itself iB well situated on the last spur of a long leading ridge, and commands a fine view of the country to the north and east, while the passing trains on the main trunk line are distinctly visible from the door. The farm ib all level, with the exception of one portion of a ridge upon which the house is i situated. The ground was for the first two or three years very difficult to work, chiefly on account of the abundance of natural vegetation, four good horses being necessary to draw the double-furrow plough. The soil is principally a black friable vegetable loam, varying in depth from two feet to eighteen inches, upon a subsoil of porous marly clay. It grows excellent oats, grass, and turnips, some of the latter being exceptionally large. Wheat has also been tried one year, but with indifferent success". Good lignite also exists on the farm, but it oan be purchased at a pit near at hand much cheaper than if it were raised on the farm. There is probably no suoh breed of poultry in New Zealand- as those posseßßed by Mr Waddell. They are a cross between the common white fowl and the Australian cockatoo, and are really a novelty in the poultry line. The^haracteristic of the cockatoo is marked oanery one of them in the shape of a crest of feftberß on the back of the neck. Last year, through the lobb of the male bird, no marked attention was paid to them, but as there is another bird growing up some attention will be devoted to them, when they will be named and exhibited at some of the local shows. They are excellent layers, arid are very beautiful birds.