INTENSE FARMING IN NEW ZEALAND.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 10248, 18 January 1899, Page 2

INTENSE FARMING IN NEW ZEALAND.

"Weekly Press and Referee."

A MODEL JARM AT ST. ALBANS.

/By Ock Special Rkporth3l.) "Mr H. Forwood's farm at St. Albans is a perfect picture, and you should go and see it," was the remark mode to a member of our staff the other day. and as an opportunity w&s *y*as afforded of obtaining some information as to how inteaee farming ma}' be carried on profitably in Canterbury, a visit was accordingly paid. The land in the St. Albans district is eminently suitable for working in small holdings, as it is rich in quality, easily cultivated, and is handy to a first-class market. Usually descriptions of farming operations in the colony are devoted to the work done on fairly large areas, and there is therefore much to be learned from the method of man&geoKKit and results obtained on a small, well worked, farm. Mr H. Forwood's place is known as Churchill Farm, and is situated on Church road, St. Albans. It comprise:; < :''*■?•&'?. acres in all, twenty-four of vhku, including the homesrtead, are leased from the Church Property Trustees, and 22 acres belong to the late" Rev. Mr Fisher's estate. The farm is devoted to four branches of industry, namely, cropping, dairying, and the raising of and poultry. It gives regular employment to four msn, a boy, and a dairymaid, in addition to the assistance given by Mr Forwood .and the members of his fjunily. The chief crops tliis year comprise 12 acre? of spring sown wheat, 6 acres iof oats, which are being cut for hay fo r I winter feed, 2 acres of intermediate carrots, which are expected to produce 30 tons, 9 acres of Derwertt potatoes, which are looking exceedingly well, and acres of kidney potatoes. Five acres of meadow hay, and 4 acres of ryegrass Lave a»".so baen saved. Some twelve or thirteen cows are kept, thouph only six are in milk just now. They are principally of Jersey and Shorthorn cross, and they are b&ing served by a purebred shorthorn bull, bred by Mr W. Recce, at Bottle Lake. This is a remarkably docile ajiima, 1 , and appears to belong to a good milking strain of the breed. Mr Forwood is a great believer in feeding his stock well, and in the winier the co-ws are stalled and fed on oxten and meadow hay and carrots, the latter being first put through a slicing machine. The cowsheds are models of arrangement and cleanliness, and there are probably very few so well kept in the colony. In this respect Mr Forwood furnishes an example that every* dairyman should folloAV, and if that were done there would be no need for the continuous agitation for greater cleanliness in regard to cowsheds. The sheds are built of corrugated iron, lined with timber, and are onen to the sun. The floors axe evenly laid with bricks, with an outward slope, and there is a fall to one end of the building which gives efficient drainage by means of a channel. . In front of each cow's stand is a feeding box and manger for hay. The sheds are not expensively built, but they are very neat, and the appearance is very much added to and the sanitary condition improved by their being white-washed every three months. They are also cleaned out every day ; and a wash-h&nd basin and tawol was evidence tiat the cleanliness is also applied to the operation of milking. There should be nothing unusunZ in recording these fact*, as it is only what should be done on every dairy farm, but on how few are such methods adopted? There ans two dairies where the milk is set on the shallow pan system, a separator not yet having been used. These buildings are under the shade of the trees, and are match-lined for the sake of coolness and cleanliness; but on extra precaution has been taken in the latter respect by covering the pans of milk with light screens. No wonder, -then, that Mrs Forwood says she can sell all her butter on the farm, and could get rid of double the quantity that is made. There are six Berkshire sow 3 kept for breeding purposes, together with a remarkably good Berkshire boar, bred by Mr W. Scoon. Mr Forwood devotes his attention to raising porkers, and usually dis- | poses of 120 every year, at an average, when thirteen weeks old, of 25s each. They then weigh' from 701b to 751b, and they are reguI larly supplied to, one butcher. The pigs are fed three times a day on skim milk, sharps, and potatoes, the food being given cooked, and thus the young pigs are kept growing and fattening from birth. The pens are built on the edge of a bank, with boarded floors, along the front being a platform to give easy access to each pen when feeding, &c. The drainage runs down the bank info a yard in front of the pens, where a large quantity of rich manure Is thus made. The pens ore, like the cowsheds, cleaned out daily, and are also whitewashed at intervals; indeed, it was noticeable that all through whitewash is freely used in the interior of the farm buildings. It may be mentioned that adjoining the pig yard is a plot of three-quarters of an acre in lucerne. From this plot twenty tons of 'carrots have been 'taken, and as it was afterwards freely manured with pig manure, which is one of the best that can" be used for lucerne, the latter crop, sown last year, has come on well, and the third cutting is now being made from it. Mr Forwood is a strong believer in the use of Belfast and Islington manures for root crops. Four horses are hi use, and the sta-lrn. coachhouses, harness room, kc., are in keeping with the oilier arrangements en the farm. There arc several corn and feed bins in use. mode out of ordinary zinc-lined piano cases, which serve the purpose excellently. The fences and gates are substantial and well looked after. The poultry are a feature on the farm, as Mr Forwood has combined the interests of a fancier with the raising of eggs and birds for the market. He keeps the following breeds.—Orpington, Langshan, Silver and Golden Pencilled Hamburgs, Silver Spangled Hamburgs, Andalusians, Brown Leghorns, Minorcas, Golden and Silver Wyandottes, Buff Cochins, White Brahma*, Game, Seabright, Black Hose-combed, and Game Bantams, besides ducks, pea fowl, pheasants, and three varieties of pigeons. There are also two aviaries of canaries'and Australian birds. About 120 young ducks are raised in the season, and about 150 fowls are kept, -, the most profitable Mr Forwood finds being . the Orpingtons, which not ody lay well and sit early, but are fir»i class taMebirds. All the different breeds art well hattsed and kept separately. The poultry, ai hu been stated, are found to be profitable, and from August Ist to August 28tft»laet, no less than 1370 eggs were gathered. An .unusual feature on a small farm is an office, but Mr Forwood has one in which he files his newspapers for reference, and has a good library of books, many.of which relate to the farm. All the outgoings and incomings of the farm are carefully recorded, employment being found for a clerk, as Mr Forwood, besides (running this profitable model farm, also does a good deal of business, especially in shares. There is about half an acre in the kitchen garden, and the wonderful growth shown there is evidence of the richness of the soil and the .care bestowed in the cultivation. The lawn and grounds are also neatly kept. There are two pretty fish ponds stocked with trout, and a capitally arranged fernery that affords a pleasant retreat during a hot summer day or a depressing nor'wester. The homestead is weu watered by a> permanent creek, and an unusually good supply of arteaian water is obtained from a 77 foot well that rises Bft above the surface. Atogether Mr Forwood's farm is a very interesting one, and will well repay a visit of inspection.