FARMING IN CANTERBURY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1441, 25 July 1865, Page 2

FARMING IN CANTERBURY.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LYTTELTON TIML>. Sib, —I hail it as a good omen that at k«t subject of farming here is to be ventilated a hrt.e. through the medium of tout valuable paper. I well remember, about eight years ago, that I myself, amongst others, attempted the formation of a Farmers' Club in Chrisichureh, tor the purpose of discussion, and endeavouring to WM oik and give circulation to the best methods ot tinning in Canterbury. In spite of some eight or ten i of us, who stuck to the club in hopes others wou-u eventually attend, the movement was a tailure: the farmers would not give up their time at!" >0 the matter dropped, with the euvptwn oi ploughing matches and cattle shows; the I*>'< irom the apathy shown, anything but what tne> should have been. By the bye, I had almost torgotten a grain show, held in Christehureh a short fame since, consisting of three bags of wheat two of white and one of red— one wg of barley, and a bag or two ot and peas. I mention this meagre a'" l - 1 ' to show how littli) interest the farmers iu genera take in the matter, and how diliicult u induce them to exhibit. I consider that no (aunder 300 acres will pay to cultivate, when farming is the only occupation for a living: and "j endeavour to give tuy idea how such a ™ should be cropped from a ten years' exponent >i the colony. , 1 believe the best rotation of crops t,n province to bo thus:—Wheat, barley or oi"English grass, anil summer fallow: 'hen * again, barlev or oats again, grass, ami i:l R ' The land would thus be half corn, ami you «■. almost say half grass, as the fallow wouK require to be commenced until the end ot ber; thus, 75 acres wheat, 75 barley or oat', one grass, and 75 two gross in fallow, l „ the stock best suited will be sheep ami a ;* dairy, as some heavy stock must be kept m winter to tread tho straw into manure; or £ lairy is objected to, store steers could be w in the fall, kept through the winter, a" 1 ' sold or grazed out in the following summer. manure must bo taken cave of. and (n»' ' Jeing burnt), if spread over the grass lam ploughing, would, of course, keep the lana » t j leart. I am satisfied that, with suthoieii md some such system as this, the lam dwaye bear a good crop, and a clean one, l r eed was sown. I hear some say. " " nt(K |. >ense to sow 7oacres of grass even - year. 1 Pho first and second year it would be so; « • m hat, tho grass seed would be .S l 0\ it , rt >. he farm; a certain portion would, ot |uire to be cut for hay for winter '° 1 ' /.i. 4 tij f tho live stock. By putting down a. t" 11 it, ightly threshing over tho hay before teei ? here will bo ample seed for the purpose uq nth the exception of red clover, of whic ' j,t rould havo to be purchased if it was jquisito. , h^vsOf course it must be understood that ' not iry small paddocks about the homester • lcluded, and a small quantity ot ron's _. | c rown for pigs, &c. There are many th'"'; r " )be considered; but, as "Canterbury • ■emed to think some one ought to S i yV s i w rt ['rotation of crops, I have enaeavourei iace to do so. I sincerely hope to see « un t. one into in good earnest and h m" . ho strictures"! have made on Cauteroui ( | K> ive been that they are not pari"'" • t he «d they sow, and do not propei IV pother •ain alter it is grown. I appeal to i [porters, if complaints are not t ' on,l . uua ,,: IUH .(I. them of the dirty state of the gram - s 1 am ilOßT.