OUR PASTURE LANDS.

Clutha Leader, Volume I, Issue 22, 10 December 1874, Page 3

OUR PASTURE LANDS.

Mr. W. A. Murray, of Fern ley, TTokomairiro, writes to us as follows :

An attempt has been made to cast discredit upon Mr James Adam, immigration agent, for the statement made by him in Scotland as to the carrying capacity of properly laid-down pasture lands in Otago. I will furnish a few facts that will speak for themslves. The falls paddock, which we shall call No. 1, 70 acres fallow, 100 acres tussock, and 65 acres which were sown after wheat, (fed off with sheep and cattle), with 6 lbs. cocksfoot, 2 lbs. timothy, 20 lbs. perennial rye-grass seed, 2 11 s. alsike, 2 lbs. red, and 21bs. trefoil clover, and 31bs. rape seed, and finished on 26th October, 1873. On 7th February, 1874, put 433 threequarter bred hoggets, and 340 old sheep on to it, aud on 11th March, 439 old wethers, and 329 half-bred hoggets. These were removed on 4th April and on the 13th, 567, tour and six-tooth, half bred ewes, with twelve Leicester rams, were put on. The ewes remained till the end of August, when they were removed to a rough tussock paddock to lamb. The bridge paddock, which I shall call No. 2, contains 12 acres fallow, and 65 acres grass. This had had turnips (after wheat), which, in the winter of 1873, carried 25 sheep per acre. After the turnips it was ploughed and sowed with the same proportion of seed, 4oz. of turnip 'seed instead of the rape being used. The sowing was finished on the 15th Dec, 1873. On the 4th April, put on 1372 sheep ; on 1 8th May removed 443 old fat wethers, and on 24th June, 930 young wethers and fat ewes. Some seven or eight of these sheep died of inflammation, as they were improving too fast; and,— for the benefit of your readers 1 would state that sheep on such feed should have every second night it possible a rough paddock — those sent to Dunedin were, it was said, the most prime sheep in the market. On the 16th October, 1874, shifted ewes and lambs off rough paddock on to No. 1, where they remained till the 28th ult., being shorn in grease. Oct. 21st, put 177 fat wethers on No. 2, also 52 head of cattle and horses — that is about 9 sheep and 3 cattle to 3 acres — 598 three-quarter bred hoggets and 145 fat ewes and lambs on No, 3. This paddock contains 40 acres fallow {after wheat and oats) and 20 acres in grass and rape sown alter last harvest, <14th March, 1874.) These 743 sheep remained on this till the 6th November, being 37 sheep per acre for 16 days, or equal to 1 sheep for 592 days, and then there was plenty of feed for the 145 ewes and lambs left on it. But these hoggets and 740 other sheep had to be put on 40 acres of rape to keep it from running to seed. The fallow ground in No. 1, being* sown with turnips and rape, to prevent injury to which, I removed on 27th, 28th, and 30th to No. 2, 700 half-bred ewes, and 749 three-quarter bred lambs, having shifted the fat sheep to another English grass field. I should add that in No. 2, the men were cutting the grass amongst the -cattle. The system adopted being so successful, 1 am enabled to save, besides the above, 130 acres of pure cocksfoot and perennial rye grass for seed. I should also state that I largely use the Lewis and Hoole's presser and chain harrows, and will be glad to furnish information as to rotation, &c, and to show my farmer-friends the results from grass and turnips versus grain and sorTil, if they will visit me, before I go North in 'December. The high drying and scaithing winds, the blight and the grass-hoppers, are the. great obstacles to the success in Otago and Canterbury •of this system of farming. But for these there would be scarcely a limit to our grazing capabilities.