SMALL FARMS.
, Sir,—-I wish to heartily endorse tho views in " The Coiyet's" letter in Tuesday's . Herald, and in the letter by "Q.H." in Thursday's on Land Settlement. There are thousands of farms in this country,' which are much too largo to be worked successfully." Take tho average small holding in any district, in comparison to.the; large faims, : and which nets the!largest profit per acre? Anyone can tell'you. My idea is that from 30 to 50 acres is ample lor one man to work properly. Fence into Small paddocks of say, two or three acres, have water and shelter in every paddock, top-dress well and harrow frequently, and. it will surprise anyone, what can ho done off 40 acres, or even 20 or, 30 acres. •, Add to that the reservation of a small area for growing supplementary summer and winter crops every ytiar,' and the stock' carrying capabilities are. much increased, The hired labour problem is done • away with also on a small farm, and rates, taxes, interest, etc., are decreased . accordingly. There are hundreds of acres in every- district which are a veritable eyesore to' travellers passing along ths roads, being overrun with noxious weeds, and paradises for rabbits, wHo camp in them in the daytime and emerge.at. night into near-by farms to get a feed ot good grass,, to the everlasting worry of the unfortunate owners whoso holdings happen to be close, to the wilderness. I contend that there should be legislation, to force people who are hold-ing-such land to'sell after a given time,' at ,a . price agreed on by some competent authority.- llie land would then bo made productive, Why not give such land to seittlers, : giving them ,30 to 60 acres apiece', and say " go: ahead and: see if you can knock it into, shape. I won't charge you anything' for five years, and then , very Jittie if you do it at your own expense." Or let the Government employ, a likely man to bring the land into production, and pay him wages, arid then let.him take it .over' on easy terms at the price'if cost" to improve it. The solution of the problem to, my mind lies with the Government. Ex-Cocky.
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New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19413, 23 August 1926, Page 6
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365SMALL FARMS. New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19413, 23 August 1926, Page 6
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