THE RURAL WORLD

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7451, 27 May 1911, Page 2

THE RURAL WORLD

UNSUCCESSFUL FARMER

There are not a few among the farming fraternity who are continuously bewailing the ill-luck which they allege follows every enterprise or speculation they enter into. "With. some, this peculiarity has developed to such a degree that it has become a fixed trait oi their characters. These men, according to their own accounts, never have good crops, their stock never does well, they can never spare time for a holiday, and they are ever ready to find fault with affairs in general, political or otherwise. Generally speaking, the farmer is not a grumbler, quite the reverse, hut the tearful outpourings of a few of his kind havo been responsible for the oft-repeated remark, “That the farmers aro always growling over something.” , ~ As a class it is doubtful whether there is any more, if as much, discontent among the primary producers as there is in commercial circles, although at times they are apt to dwell too much on the fact that, because they are the producers, preference should be given them in providing facilities for making more money at the expense of the consumer than they are enjoying at present. it is not the purpose of this article to dwell upon this latter pliaso of the subject. It m the constitutionally discontented, one, who is always complaining of_ his imsiortunes and making comparisons with the results of his raoro successful neighbour, that will receive some little attention, together with a few of the causes that, in the writer’s opinion, aro contributory to whole or partial failure. It is not at all uncommon to hear it remarked that certain farmers are favoured with luck in every undertaking they enter into, and that these men are more prosperous than some of their neighbours engaged in the same class of farming, who work long, hours in the fields ■ every day. Now, it frequently happens that the farm that shows the best results is worked by a man who seldom takes his coat off, except under extraordinary circumstances , during the rush of harvesting or shearing optr rations. Ho never takes a team and works it day in and day’ out, but ho is always bo bo scon about tlio fields when any important work is going on. Ho is a regular attendant at the stock sales, or any gathering of farmers, and appears to have the most pleasant time imaginable. On the other hand, there are a large number who toil early and late, year after year, and never seem to make much headway. These plodders aro generally natural toilers, who never seem to he satisfied unless they are personally doing the lion’s share of the work. They wonder why it :s that others can -find time to go about the country and yet keep their farms in good order, while they have to stay at homo. -Farming nowadays is not the heart-breaking occupation that it was years ago, hut some men seem to burden themselves with moro work and worry than is necessary. In fact, then over-anxiety to succeed is one of the reasons why they fail to obtain the best results. In, seeking a reason why some - farmers appear, to have . more , luck than others the conclusion arrived at is summed up in the word “ management.” There are many farmers—moro than is generally supposed—who lose more money on their holdings by working themselves than they would if they employed men to do the regular work, and occupied their own timo in doing odd jobs, and by looking round to see where improvements in methods might ho effected. It is not a difficult matter to buy muscle, hut tho fanner himself must find tho brains to plan out the work; the manager on thefarm should act in a similar capacity as the general does to his army. Ho does the planning, leaving his subordinates to carry out the details. In few other walks of life is it necessary to . look ahead to a greater extent than in farming. The man who tires himself out by physical exertion is unable to devote the requisite time, nor has he sufficient energy left to think out plans, or study tho markets whereby incomes might be increased and worries greatly reduced. When a manj is pointed out as being lucky, it will, generally be found that ho is working' with his head rather, than with his hands. Ho is keeping himself up-to-date in improved . ideas, and' - using more thought in tho conduct of , his business. Tie is ready to do the right thing at the right time, let it ho ploughing, sowing, or harvesting; everything is calculated and provided for beforehand. In changeable weather such as prevails on this coast ho is always ready to take advantage of every fine day in getting his crops in; sometimes ho ‘ gets caught, but not often. Under normal' conditions he gets his seed sown'at tho right time, and his stacks are built before tho corn gets spoiled by the weather or eaten by birds. His less methodical hut envious neighbour puts it down to proverbial good luck, but it is not, it is management. On very small farms, perhaps, the owner cannot afford to pay for all tho labour required, but he can avoid a great proportion of his anxiety hy exercising forethought. There are others who fail as farmers because they neither work nor think, and whose homesteads seem to be only, used for them to spend odd days upon when they have no excuse for going elsewhere. These , men employ the labour, but do not supply tho brains. Unless they have exceptionally good paid managers their farms are soon, unprofitable, and if their fathers or guardians have not strong banking accounts to assist them through adverse times their property is soon in tho market to satisfy the mortgagee. In the older settled districts these “farmers” are ..getting weeded out, but there is still a good percentage who know more about the breeding of last year’s Cup winner than they do about the peculiarities of their farm and its requirements.

The writer is not' afraid of hurting the feelings of these men by the foregoing remarks, because this will appear' in a portion of the paper in which the headlines they usually look for are not to be found. All work and no play has its drawbacks,_ but there are limits in either . direction, and a reasonable amount of each, combined with observation and forethought, is the medium that is most likely to lead to success and dispose of the prevailing idea wit 1 ' many that a special providence is tak ing caro of those wlio are in reality taking caro of themselves by makinc the most of their opportunities. i ' GLEANINGS. The Ashburton County Council expended .£1643 6s 3d in the district on small birds for the rear ended March 31st. It has been decided to discontinue supplying poisoned grain to the fanners.

but the -whole question of the destruction of small birds will be discussed at tho coun-cirs nest meeting.

Several farmers from the Laghmor and Maronan districts recently informed one of the "Ashburton Guardian’s reporters that the' grass grubs have been responsible for destroying the whole of then stock feed; and in addition to this the nests have made disastrous inroads into cereal crops that were sown at an curb s ?ta« T e In a number of instance.-* the land'will have to be re-ploughcd and cown again.

rpi . p-rnin traffic in Southland cuntimies limiT. The quantity raOed Jast week being 50.343 socks, very little snort of tho returns for the previous week, ho date 573,663 sacks have this season been carried over tho railways, compared with 513,035 for the corresponding period last year.—-‘‘Southland Daily Times. Tho consignment of butter forwarded to London by the Ashburton Dairy Factory Company in December has in everv way been satisfactory, aad consignment has realised close on over and above the advances made. Farmers in various parts of the county are so short, of natural stock feed that they have already been obliged to teed their stock with chaff (says the- Ashbu.ton Guardian"). Several W^t cutting UP wheat straw and feedm a it to stock with a mixture of molasses. According to a correspondent, the grass gmb has wrought so much damage in grass pastures in the Launston and byndhuret districts that an unusually large area of land will have to be ploughed and re-sown with grass and clover seeds. According to Mr VT. Jaqucs. at.one time Government canning expert, who is at presoiit visitin'? Auckland, ttn outbreak of "bitter pit" in 1 Vrmmlrt due to excessive sap apAon, brought about by heavily pruning tho tree while the roots receive ro attention "hatover. The remedy, he maintains, is systematic and intelligent root pruning.

Very hard frosts at night are being experienced in the Moth von district, but the days are beautifully briglit and sunny (sav-s the Christchurch Press ). Most of the farmers in the dirt net are Tiloti rrlii n cr liarrovan g > mid clrixim m _ theii” wheat. Reports are being received from all the surrounding districts that the grub' is more numerous and its devastations considerably greater than any previous season on record, but m spite of this the farmers have decided to again nut a largo area under cereal ciops. Grain, both oats and wheat, has been coming into Methveu in large quantities during several weeks past, and the railway authorities found considerable ciitficulty in supplying tho J p ” la ", c ? ,/,° r trucks. Prices have receded slightly, buyers in nearly every, instance being reluctant to do .business except at a lower price than was ruling a week or ten days ago.

At the Auckland Winter Shear several of the prizes for butter came to this district. For one box of butter (561 b) spitable for export, manufactured under the most favourable conditions, the Cheltenham Daily Company and hairanga Dairy Company divided the second Prize with a third 'factory, each getting Ml points. For one box of butter suitable .tor export. open to competitors outside the Auckland province, the Kai.ranga Ormpanv was awarded second prize, with points, and the Bunnythorne and Cheltenham companies each got M dividing the third prize. The Kairanga Company and Wanganui' Company divided tWfirst prize, each getting points. The Makino factory scored a fifth place.

So valuable is a variety of apple grown near Hake Chelan, in Washington, that tho tree could have been 'sold recently for .£6000,V had not its owners, considered it worth more to them, the intention being to propagate the variety and put it on the market.- The, fruit is yellow and has remarkable* qualities of preservation. The tree is on e : of' several which grew from a handful of seeds planted hy an Indian twenty years ago.

Angora goats are doing good work with tho blackberries in the North Island (save tho “Evening News'). One farm i ‘nthe Omata distinct has been practically cleared of this noxious weed during the past six years and the owner now leases his flock to his neighbours iat a small weekly rental, which, needless to say, shows a small profit on the first cost of the goats. <

As showing the profit that can he made out of .poultry-farming on systematic lines, it may be mentioned that an Ashburton fancier has just refused an offer of .£3O for a silver-Wyandotte cock (the winner of last year’s championship), the wanld-be purchaser bonig a southern [fancier (remarks an exchange). Last 'year’s champion is at present in the pink of condition, and will take a lot of beating for, the championship this year. Should the bird again win the honour, it will establish'a record for Australasia.