A SUCCESSFUL EXPERIMENT.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 998, 17 April 1891, Page 23

A SUCCESSFUL EXPERIMENT.

A land company in Otago had a large estate of some thousands of acres, from which the revenue was not satisfactory* A. happy thought was struck. The land was cut up into dairy farms of from 100 to 200 acres, which was suitably divided into paddocks. On each farm a small homestead was bunt with suitable buildings for milking. Families were placed on these farms with a supply of cows. Each family bad so many cows, and the milk from which they conveyed daily to the dairy factory belonging to the company, and for which they received 1-Jd per gallon. The experiment was a bold one, but it has proved eminently successful, as the different occupants of these dairy farms have received for their year’s labour from £BO to £l2O. Having no rent to pay for land, stock, or house, this payment represents their year s wages. Besides, they had their milk, butter, and eggs, and other perquisites, and were enabled to live in comfort without decided hard work. They had sufficient garden ground to grow their own vegetables, and were Quite as well off as if they possessed sufficient capital to rent land, buy cows, and farm on their own account. There is every reason to believe that they are satisfied with the experiment. The company struck out a happy original thought on turning a hitherto unprofitable area into a paying estate. J-tie experiment has been in work for two years. The first year it returned a net profit of 8 per cent, whilst in the second the profit totalled up to 15 per cent. This shows that it has been a paying concern to all interested. Xne factory system of dairying has done much, to improve the prospects of milk producers, as it secures uniform good quality for its butter and cheese, and enables those who adopt it to secure payable prices tor their products. The action of the owners of this Southern estate is commendable, and might with advantage be followed by others, more especially m the North Island.