THE FARM GATEWAYS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIII, 9 January 1929, Page 8

THE FARM GATEWAYS

NEED FOR ATTENTION (By lirnckon'’ in the "Auckland ■Star") To different people, what a variety of pictures those three words can visualise, to the urban population and the uninitiated into the mysteries' of farm life, they probably convey but little, but to those who know they visualise very often a sagging relic of a gate hanging precariously over a welter of much a foot deep, of liie consistency of porridge. I can think of no farm operation that, is quite so scandalously neglected as this repairing of gateways, dust consider the amount of labour I hut. 1 lie neglect of this very necessary piece of work entails, on a farm where the dairy herd numbers perhaps 70 cows. The owner will probably have a fairly good shed and yards, which have to be washed down every morning. This in itsel! is a simple job, front December to Mart'll, for during those few months the ground is dry. For the remainder of the year, however, more especially in the spring, this Washing down of the shed and yards becomes a lengthy process, because the held lias been driven through one and perhaps more gateways, that would bog a duck. 1 am painting no imaginary picture, it isu Its prototype can lie seen any day in any dairying district in New Zealand. Like the man from Missouri, “you’ve got to show me,” why, in this enlightened country, where tanners can get so much practical advice free, it should be so. The fact none I lie loss remains, that for six or more months in the year the average farm gateway is impassable and is responsible for a big proportion of the filth that accumulates in our milking sheds and gets into our machines. It is not ho many years ago since measures were taken to enforce the erection of sheds and yards that were comparatively sanitary, and although at the time, this innovation was regarded somewhat in the light of an unnecessary imposition by a certain section of the farming community, the majority ol them would to-day I am sure admit that it was a step in the right direction. Its advantages are, liowover, still largely disjointed by this matter of the gatewavs.

I passed a farm some weeks ago in the Waikato, upon which a herd of over 90 cows was being milked. The herd was at that moment crossing By the time they finally emerged into the shed paddock, there must have been but a handful that would not liavb required careful washing before the machines could have been put on. They were plastered with muck up to their udders, most of which would be carried into the yard, necessitating extra time in washing, them and in afterwards cleaning the bails. Spread this over a period of four or five months and you will find that the value of the time lost and the added labour entailed would in one season have more than paid for the cost of metalling those gateways. Except in the case of a comparatively small number of farmers, reasonably good metal is not hard to come by, nor is the spreading of it to advantage beyond their intellect. It stands to reason that the steady traffic of it big herd through any gateway, at least twice a day and in* ail weathers, must have disastrous results. The consequent erosion soon becomes marked, and wttli advent of rain there appears, not a gateway, but a morass..

If you ask a farmer why he doesn’t fix up his gateways he will either tell you that he hasn’t thoHime or remarks that “they’ll he all right itt the summer.” Lack of time is not infrequently lack of desire, an attitude of indifference. engendered by long association with this class of bug-hole. Quite apart, however, from any ques tion of sanitation or expediency, there remains yet another aspect of the affair that to niv mind is worthy of consideration. Every farmer is at times liable to hr. .paid a visit hv some one who lias tin interest in the farm as well as himself. It may he his mortgagee Wve arc unfortunately few of us lice from then-, these days), it may he a stock agent, it may be a prospective buyer. But, he lie who he may. if lie is forced to wade through a sea of mud to open the gate, not- only is his temper quite'liable fo he frayed during tile process, hut that delightful impression which we had hoped to create is likely to he marred. It iswell to remember that many a poor farm has been well-sold thanks to a trim, well-ordered and prosperous appearance.