A FARMING BALANCE-SHEET FOR 1900

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4313, 23 March 1901, Page 4 (Supplement)

A FARMING BALANCE-SHEET FOR 1900

Mr Eider Haggard sends to the “Times” the balance-sheets for 1900 ot the land ha farms, in Norfolk. These show a profit of £423 lls 2d, against a loss of £4O 16s 3d in 1899. His agent, Mr Hubert Simpson, in sending him the accounts, remarks that he is pleased at the result;he is afraid, however, this will be an exception for the year, as he fears generally it was a very bad year for farmers; and Mr Rider Haggards good returns, he thinks, have principally been made out of the stock, bred. So far as the sales go, Mr Rider Haggard is of opinion that Mr Simpsons explanation of the profit is not entirely borne out by the figures. T ke ference in stock sold in 1900 and 1899 is only £52 3s 3d in favour of 1900,

This'increase is owing to the sale of ten, pedigree young Redpolls for breeding purposes at an average of about £ls per head, twice as muoh. as they would, have fetched had’ they been unregistered cattle. But in order to get them up for the market it was necessary to keep them longer on the cows, with the result that the return for dairy produce in 1900 shows a shrinkage of £25 8s 2d, as against that for 1899. He finds, tne further explanation for the profit in. the diminution in the tradesmen’s hills by £124 15s Id (jn other words, by the practice of strict economy), and in the increased fertility of the land, especially of the young pastures. He remarks that for the rest he is pursuing his policy of doing away with the plough land wherever possible, and replacing it by grass and kindred crops. A separate account of the poultry is given, Mrs Rider Hazard having taken over the management of the fowls; these show a profit of £35 8s 4d.