EXPERIMENTAL FARM, WAIRANGI.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11684, 20 June 1901, Page 6

EXPERIMENTAL FARM, WAIRANGI.

TO THE EDITOR. Sit,—ln the Weekly News of Jun« 7 appears a letter from "H.W.," which, I think, outlines the only practical plan for utilising our poor waste lands, so far as yet known. It. is only three or four years since I noticed Danthonia in this district first. Nov, it i 3 spreading rapidly. If, when fern am! teatree are burnt off, the seed is sown, it will only be a matte! of time till it spreads sufficiently to carry the fire, which will soon clear the tea-tree. Of course, the value of the grass will vary with the quality ot the land. But if wo can feed even one sheep on three or four acres of land, which is nowworthless, it will be a very great gain. The 20 4 ,0 »' to which your correspondent "F.J.J, refers, as having been laid down at airangi Experimental Farm, is another experiment, which, like the lawn (whether tennis or croquet) is, on account of the expense, not likely to bo extensively copied A part of this 20 acres is, I am told, sown with macrole-ana, a grass which I have noticed stock will not eat if they can get anything else, and on account of the seed spikes, which annoy sheep so much, should be in the list of noxious weeds. "P.J.F." asks if I have been appointed spokesman °L r^ 6 > Vairani ? i People? May I ask 1'.J.1 if ho has got a commission to boom \\ airangi Experimental Farm, and from whom did he obtain his largo amount of information'.' I have spoken on the subject to se-eral Wairangi people, all of whom estimate the grapes higher than I did. Your own correspondent advised people to put their sons to grow grapes'-on these poor lands. Now, before skirting any venture, surely it is well to see what prospect there is of a profitable return. So if "F.J.F" will give us a balance-sheet of this farm, from , the start, the total cost and the cost of each experiment, then the public will have something to go upon. And even admitting his estimate of the grape crop, he may find I was not far out in the cost. But with all his inquiries, this is a most important part of information, that I am afraid he failed to obtain. Money may bo no object in the conducting of this experimental farm, but in most cases it is with country settlers the other way about. Those who have to make two ends meet are not likely to attempt to copy any of those costly experiments. They have now been carried on for somewhere about 14- years, and have changed Wairang Hag-station from being one of the most de solate-looking spots imaginable to look a< if it were well cared for. They have given employment to a lot of very respectable people, and circulated money in the district A wine cellar has been erected, so it is po*siolc you may have some more very glowing accounts of the doings there. But'l challenge b.J.F. " or anyone else, to point out anything that has been discolored for farmers or settlers' benefit How is it that every tinker arid tailor, barber and baker, thinks he knows all about farming, and is qualified for a professor? We may not know- so much about tennis lawns as the Queen-street experts who wish to teach us our business, hut when we follow their teaching we shall well earn the title of Happy-go-Luckt.