BREAKING IN A BUSH FARM.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 70, 23 March 1910, Page 8

BREAKING IN A BUSH FARM.

PRACTICAL ADVICE TO BEGINNERS (By Pioneer.) Every sheep farmer in New Zealand is no doubt more or less alive to the fact that it is to our mutual advantage to bring all the virgin bush acd locked-up native lands, suitable for grazing, into occupation as soon as possible, and while some of us are reminding our Government of the necessity to take action in every possible and reasonable way, others of us may do some good by giving our experiences and advice to new-comers, and recruits to our ranks. There are men, no doubt, who have sufficient capital, perseverance and intelligence to make successful pioneers, and profitable investments in bush country if they only knew how to go about it from the start; in a. word, if they had '"experience." and experience as a rule costs money, so that a few figures and conclusions the writer has compiled in the course of gaining his own experience niay be of.use to some would-be pioneers. The writer's remarks refer to the districts of Poverty Bay and Bay of Plenty lands more particularly, most of his experience having been gathered in these districts. Now, the first thing the pioneer sheep-farmer has to decide when inspecting bush is whether the land is good, bad, or indifferent. This question is most easily decided by the bush itself, certain timbers grow on the best land which do not grow on the lighter classes of country, and if you find your bush contains heavy tawa, puriri, matai, puketeha. nikau palms, or white wood, and a few other timbers with a good undergrowth of supple-jack, you can rest assured that it will make fair grazing land. The next thing to look to is the lie of your country—north-east to north-west is the best and south-east to south-west the worst way for country to lie, but one can not expect to get a block of 500 acres or more all lying the best way to the sun, and southerly country, though not so gcod in winter, grows just as good grass in summer as the northerly, other things being equal. It is safer for those who are not expert judges of soil to be guided by the forest growth rather than by the soil itself when judging its worth in tlie natural forest state, and it is -well to observe the nearest clearing closely and see if the grass has taken well and to inquire if the bush on it was the same as that being inspected. When the would-be pioneer has decided that the country is all right, he has next to see that the title is in order; and, for this purpose, it is advisable to employ a legal gentleman, whose eagle eye is more likely to detect an ambiguous phrase, or loophole, which niay lead to no end of trouble later on. When the title is passed as correct, il it be freehold, so much the better, but if it be leasehold, see that the term is a good long one, and that you have right oi renewal on unimproved value, or full compensation for improvements, otherwise you may do a lot of labour in vain. When you have at last acquired youi title in good order yon can tackle youi bush. Pitch, your tents and make yourself a comfortable camp near a good stream, and not under a tree that is likely to fall on you, nor -where yot

are within the flood mark of the said creek. When this is done, get a competent surveyor to cut your block up ; into suitable sections for falling according to the size of it. This will cost from , Od to 1/ per acre, according to the ■ ; size of the block and distance from the j I surveyor's headquarters, and the forma-1 . tion of country. j > As soon as your surveyor is finished, i fix a reasonable price for felling each j , i block, which will be from 25/ to 33/ , per acre, according to the nature of the ' bush fall everything that can be l ! reasonably cut down, up to 3 feet in dia- I 5 ' meter; then get your bushfellers and _ have a contract signed by the members of each gang you may employ, and don't ; forget that the Employers Liability ' Act holds you responsible for any acci- , i dent to the said bushfellers, so get your ' policy of insurance out on every man , : at work, and let them make a start i j underscrubbing first, and see that it is ( : well done, or you will have trouble t ■ later on. If you are your own overseer, ! ' j don't hesitate to find fault with the work i ' r ' if it is carelessly done, and if you employ > ' an overseer don't let him be too friendly : with the bushfellers, or he may treat J them letter than he treats you. T j Get your bush down during the winter 'and early spring if it is heavy, and dure i ing spring and early summer if light. , . Give it plenty of time to dry thoroughly ) j ! before burning, but watch that the vines i 3 ■ and undergrowth don't get up too much, j j I as they sometimes choke a fire; and if I they appear to be getting a hold the I j ; only thing to do is to bum early. I 3 J The best time, to burn in Poverty Bay j , J and Bay of Plenty is December-Janu-I ary, and when you do burn make no misj j take about it; let your neighbours.know , of your intention in good time and then, i. I when you get a day with the wind right, , ! let her go. Don't go out by yourself 5 j with a puny box of matches to burn 500 j acres of bush; get at least three or four t i good men, and give them as many boxes t i of matches as they want and see that I 1 they have something to make torches of f ! as • well, and away you go. Make no I mistake about your wind being right .Jat the last minute: look at the° clouds £ J overhead and see that they are travelling | fj j the way you want them to, otherwise j ' J go home and wait for another day. when ! ._ J they do. Fix a time to start lighting, j c and start all on the same side of the | .. fallen bush, and work one way; and if I c the day is right and the bush well fallen, | 0 you -will have a good burn. A good! j burn means a great deal to the pioneer. 0 If you have been wise you have already c purchased your grass-seed, mixed, and in some safe place ready to be packed out. : _ as soon as the ashes are cold, and you c have made tracks for your pack horses . to get along over the burn. With a o good burn you will not have much work c track cutting, but with a bad one it ~ means a good deal of extra labour, and 1 d i must be done properly, or you will have ! „ I your grass-seed bags torn and perhaps j € a pack-horse killed before you realise it that the tracks are too rough, d j With regard to your mixture of grass ,f I seed we take it for granted that sheep H . pasture is what is -wanted. I have omr- itted to mention the important fact that i. if your country is not very light you, ir must always sow turnips -with your ir grasses as 4he -tnnrip crop if good -will c- tfatten from 6 to 10 sheep to -the acre at ] id a. profit of say 3/ ahead,, wiiicih goes • a is long way towards paying (for your ibush.iu" falling and seed sowing. T3ie turnips do

not in any way spoil the ultimate pasture. Half-a-ponnd of turnips to the acre with say, Mb rape and 1-Slb musUird, as the latter has an important medicinal effect on sheep. There are JilTerrn-t kinds at" turnips, but the writer has seen some {rood crops of Purple Tops and Yellow-tone turnips, and can recommend them. Besidce tie turnips, rape, and mustard, you want your grasses, and the following makes a good mixture per acre: — Sfbs Cocksfoot lOlbs. English Ryegrass 51bs Italian Ryegrass •21bs White Clover Jib Yarrow -j'H> Rib Grass 2lbs Paspalum dilatatum (if suitable) This makes a mixture of about 30ita to the acre, and will cost from 10/ to 12/. If your 'burn is good you should get your sowing done for from 1/ to 1/G per a-cre, and if a bad burn 1/9 per acre, Sec that the seed is well mixed by your own hands or your merchant in town, and see that it is evenly sown, not dolloped on here and none at all there. You next want store cheep for your turnips, a.bout May, when the land should be fit to put stock if sown in December or early New Year. Don't buy rUibbish, whether tihey are hcggets or wethers, or dry ewes. Dry sheep are to be preferred to ewes in lamb, as the former can be shifted any time. Sometimes when etore sheen and wool are selling- well it pays to winter a bigger number even if you can't fatten any, but as a rule it pays test not to overstock and fatten them. The finer woolled your sheep, the more liable it is to rub off -with the constant scrambling amongst logs, so ii your burn is bad buy coarse woolled sheep. The year after your "turnips are done you -will be tunazed, and perhaps disappointed to see instead of a nice crop of grasses coining on, a mass of Scotch thistles taking , possession of your land. If they are not very thick you will still be able to run one or two sheep to the acre, but I have I seen "them so thick that it was impossible for sheep to set a living amongst ! them, but be comforted. Without these ' thirties your country would not be as i -Tjood in the lon-: run. In fact, men of J long experience say they are the makings I of the country, keeping it sweet and not I letting , it get sheep sick. They are not J so bad the third year after your burn, j and are still less after that. We have so far omitted the item of fencing. After your seed sowing -was finished you should have gat any necessary fences ■up on. the burnt country. It is not necessary to fence your sheep off ii they are bounded 'by green, bush, which you intend to fall the following year, but it is well to get your boundary fences up, and see that the line is well clear- | ed, no trees left • overhanging, all logs j and stumps clear for at least 6ft. from I roar fence to allow st*jk to get along, i See that your fences 'good, and keep' them good always. Johnson's No. 8 wire is the best. Puriri is the best post I timber if it is available, and totaxa next to ft. TJhere are other timibers that aTe .good enough if close to your fence line, but if possible get the pnriri. For batten timber, "white •pine, matai, and other sorts ■will answer. • Tout fencing, pro•saded you have not to buy posts, -will cost you. about £65 per mile, divided approximately as&Hwws; Wire and staples £20 per mile, erecting , £20 to £23,

packing £10 to £12, splitting £10 to £12this is for a seven-wire fence, six plain and one bash on top, making in the writer's opinion, the best fence. See that you have gates in convenient places, and if it is sheep country make your fences anchor "their -wires instead of using strainers, as they are heavy and expensive to pack. With your necessary fences up, and your first crop of turnips over you can now pay some attention to building a house or whare in keeping -with the property; don't have it in a gully, and don't i I have it "where there is any likelihood oi a slip. Have it sheltered from the ( worst quarter. It is -well to leave a corner of bush here and there when you t aTe falling, and more particularly near , your house site, as it affords coo , ] shade in summer, ■warm shelter in winter, and gives a supply of firewood. It is almost impossible to leave patches of bush in I your paddocks, as if you do leave it standing the fire will probably sweep i through it and kill it, and it will cover ■ the ground with dead timber later on. However, it is sometimes possible to save a corner or a strip along a creek, and if so it is always worth doing. One of the first things the pioneer should do when he has decided where he is going to build is to pick a level piece of land for an orchard and cultivation patch. Fence it in and plant twenty or thirty trees, including three or four lemon trees, which must be protected from frost. Tin's much done and the I pioneer's attention can be turned to building a woolshed, sheep yards and dip, also cattle and horse yard. When these things are done he may give his attention to the general maintenance and improvement of his farm and stock. If the country is first-class it will winter two saeop to the acre, and a cattle beast to ten acres as well, and it will carry twice the number of stock in the spring and summer. With a. reliable climate like the districts I spea?of. enjoy, it is indeed a wonder if the pioneer does not prosper and lead a pleasant, if bard working life.