SOME IMPRESSIONS OF AUSTRALIA.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 8754, 19 December 1908, Page 5

SOME IMPRESSIONS OF AUSTRALIA.

BY A PRACTICAL FARMER.

A farmer, who has recently returned to Palmerston from a visit to Australia after an absence of about .20 "years, plied, a few interesting particulars to a representative of this journal yesterday afternoon. His visit, he jitated, had been chiefly to South Australia, and he was astonished at the progress that had been made in some of the districts. At one place he saw a paddock of wheat covering 1600 acres where formerly there was nothing but an open, barren plain, and this was only one of many. Twentyfive years ago, this land, which was situated about 140. miles north of Adelaide, was considered of little value, and formed part of a large station belonging to a man who counted his land in square miles. Since then, however, it had been cut up into smaller areas, and fertilisers had. been used with such good effect that the results mentioned had been obtained. An idea of the value in- which it was held may be gathered from the fact that in those days it could be' leased from the Government for a period of 21 years at 6d per acre, while how it would bring from £6 to £10 per acre. He also paid a Visit to some of the much-talked-of Gippsland ■ country, situated about 3,00 miles north of Melbourne. For the best of this people paid as much, as from £50 to £100 per acre. Seeing a somewhat incredulous look on the reporter's face, the farmer in question stated that the people who paid these high prices supplied the produce markets in Melbourne with all kinds of garden produce. In other parts, East Gippsland for instance, the land was used more for dairying and grazing purposes, and was not so dear, ranging in price from £4 to £20 per acre. ■

The season in South Australia promised well, and the outlook was exceedingly bright; in fact, the'farmers in that part had been favoured with good seasons during the.past six or seven years, and exceptionally good crops, ranging from 16 to 20 bushels .of wheat to the acre, had been obtained. The average crop, however, would be from 10 to 12 bushels per ac.re, which would pay farmers well at from 3s to 5s per bushel. The fact had to be taken into consideration that the cost of cropping and harvesting was not nearly so great as in New Zealand. Some of the farmers used ploughs with 19 furrows, while 12 and 16-furrow ploughs were in common use, eight and six-horse teams being able ; to draw them without any difficulty .on' account of the loose nature of the 'soil. The harvesting machines in use were up-to-date in every respect, and included machines for reaping, threshing, cleaning and bagging. These machines were usually drawn by four horses, and would take a swathe about 4ft 9in wide, and, having finished a paddock, all that remained to be done was to sew up the bags and cart them away. This, of course, did away with a great deal of labouk besides- effecting a great saving in timk A New Zealander who was not accustomed to the work.•„ might at first find some little difficulty, but having learned now to use the machinery the rest was comparatively easy to a man accustomedAto working on the land. Farmers from New Zealand were usually welcomea for their energy and the careful manner in which they worked their farms. It was commonly stated by Australians that they could always pick a farm that belonged to a New Zealander on account of its neatness and the good repair in which the fences were kept, Australians, on the contrary, being inclined to be more negligent and easy-going: In the opinion of the farmer, a young man who wished to start for himself could not do better than go over there and take up land, which he could get either under a freehold or leasehold sv3tem. There were large areas of Government land that were open to selection, and all that a man had to do was to go and pick out a piece that would suit his requirements and then make application to the Land Board; The application had to be made personally, and, having explained his object "and satisfied the membais of the Board as to his bona fides and that he had a little capital—not very much was required—he was given a title. If two happened to be after the same piece possession was usually given to the man who was considered most suitable, lne price asked for this land was not high, those quoted being for improved land. "I am decidedlv of the opinion that a young man with a few pounds in his pocket could not do better than try it, concluded the farmer.