A MODEL FARMER.

Mataura Ensign, Volume 15, Issue 1181, 3 May 1892, Page 6

A MODEL FARMER.

In Mr Shuttle-worth, of Lintley we find a nan worthy of the greatest credit, as by ih«er hard vrork ard r.erseverance he ifl now tha owner of 260 acies in Lintley, although at th« time he settled, about nine years ago, be had bat one fifty-icre section, He informs me that he purchased his first section from Mr David Auld. It had no dwelling bouse on it at the time, and be pitched two tento and in these resided until he could set. a more substantial structure. At tbe present time he has two homesteads on his property, one being a ccmfortable four-roomed cottage, with dairy, weatberboarded stable, covered with iron, storeroom, and other outbuildings. The house is securely sheltered from the prevailing winds and has a good garden attached. The other homestead consists of dwelling-house, a good stable, chaff-house and loft, and other necessary buildings for protection of live and dead •took. On this section also is a piece of ground hedged round an! planted with trees on which Mr Sbuttlewohh intended to have tbi» year erected a substantial dwellinghouse, but invested tbe capital saved for this purpose in the purchase of the sections on which the other homestead ttinds. The ' Motions are all laid ©ff in convenient sizad psddocks, a portion of which are in grass, aad as the land is gradually worked and brought into suitable condition more will be laid down and sheep put on it; at present the flock consists of about thirty head only. Some of the best crops grown in liintley have fallen to Mr Shuttle worth'. . lot, I remember last year a paddock giv ng a return of 6* bushels of oata to the acre after getting a Bevere shake. The avt-xare tbis year over about 130 acres will be a triflo more than 40 bußbelß while one paddock gave a return of 68 bushels to the acre. Owing to the superabundance of moisture that fell tha Btraw this Beason throughout Lintley is excessively rank; some of the sheaves would stand fully five feet from head to butt. Mr Shuttlcworth's style of working his land is to summar fallow as muoh as possible, ana, after sowing, to run tbe grubber over tbe surface, by vvhich means he says be can distribute the seed more evenly. He then gives it the iwml harrowing and if possible leaves the ground a little lumpy. Drainage is particularly attended to an this farm, tbe ditches getting , a thorough cleaning annually. Tile draining will also follow the laying down in parmanmt pasture, and by this means there it no quettion that the sole of grasß will Itand longer. Dairying and poultry-keeping form a part of tbe routine business here, also bee-keeping. Mr Shuttlewortb annually grows as much wheat as will make flour for the family's use from season to seaßon. An acre sown last spring give a retain of 12 bags and some small stuff for fowl feed. Mr Shnttleworbh has two grown-up sons, so that amongst them they nonage ttieir own work without any outlay for labc. In thiß gentleman and his family we h*ve an illustration of what can be done by fcheer bard work and perseverance. In nine >ears he has increßed his fmm from 50 to 250 acres with a dwelling and buildiugs worth upwards of L 200; hi has two Bpleudwi teams of horses, alao cattle aud sheep and agricultural implements of every description. It woul.l bs a gloiious day for Lums den if tha land round it suitable lor agricultural purpose, at presint locked up in immense block", were thrown open, and men of Mr ShuttUworrih's stamp settleu on n.— « Southland Times' correspondent.