CHICORY CULTIVATION IN OTAGO.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 7253, 16 May 1885, Page 2 (Supplement)

CHICORY CULTIVATION IN OTAGO.

By Our Clctha Cobbespondent,

MESSRS GBEGG AND OO.'S CHICORY FABiM

AT INOHOLTJTHA,

Perhaps your reader*! will fcol interested in the few lmprea'jiona I formed, and which I am about to pen, regarding a visit I recently paid to Messrs W. Qtegg and Co.'B (of Dunedin) chicory farm and mill, which Is situated on tho most northern point of Inch-Cluthfc, on tho Koau branch of the Clutha Birer. Old local readers will best remember the place by the name si Balrd's Farm. Your correspondent docs not intend going Into all the dotal's concerning the manner in which the chicory works are carried on, as, if I remember Might, a report in extenso waa given publicity to In the Witness some time back. Since then, however, a development, eteadily and (surely, has taken place in the quantity of ground cultivat d, the return of crop, nnd the number of hands employed, &c , &c. I mi fortunate to secure a passage across the river in a boat on Monday alternoon, and w.is rewarded in finding the mill in full working order. A number of men bl(1 lids were emploj oil in a paddock lifting the chicory. To Huso who know little or nothing about tin's root It may be explained that in appearance it is almost a duplicate of a li'ge pweuip, and ias a shaw much rescnibling th it of a turr.ip The chicory la planted in Btrnlght tows, and to lilt it from the ground a furrow la fi.st of 1.11 made between tha roxs with a plough; then a mm comes behind wth a lung-pr-jnged grape, and eases the root. H» is followed by luJ, who pu'la it up, and twisting off the top, thrown it In a heap to one sido. Iho chicory U caricd to the mill, whero it goes thrcuga Bubaiqnont processes. .Somo sheep wero to bt> observed in one pad :ock eating off the tops, which they evidently relished. In answer to my question as to whotber the i abblts proved a eourca of annojanco, tho nmnagrr replied in tho affirmative. He said that, not content with his external depredations on tha tops, buiiny burrowed to the roots and played sad havoc—ta'.her a strango circumstance, ouo would think, aB to tho human pahte the chicory has a decidedly-bitter and repugnant tasio, much akin to that of the dandelion. Forty acres of chicory are in crop this season; last sea3on 30 a^res wore sown There has been a corteaponding Increase every scar, and nexv season it is anticipated GO acres of chicory will bo sown Finding that thilr term wa3 too small to griw an adequate crop for thdr over-increasing requirements, tho pronrictnrs purchased ICO acres, comprising the homestead of Mrß Bowler's well-known Koiu Bank turn, adjoining their old property. This now purchase ia udmU'.edly the richo.t part of tho fertilo land of tuch-Ulutha, and promises to answer its purpose in every respect I almost forgot to mention that fresh arrangements are iv contemplation for lifting the cro», which aro bolkv-d will be much cheaper and quicker, and in other ways more expediont, than the protent manner of digging it by hard labour. The new cropper will take the shape cf a BptcialJy-devlseu plough, which will penetrate under tho longest routs and lay them bare ready for throwing In the cart. Thia teasOD's crop has proved an excellent one Tint grown on tho homo farm ia oxctp(tonally co, whllo tho prrtioa grown on a leased pjddick Is very good, tho soil bung hardly so Bultable as that on the homestead.

Excellence haa taught that tho ground best adapted for chicory culture is buah land. Iho to? portion oi Andereon'a Bunh formerly etosd wheio the most prolific crops of chicory aro now grown. Threo or four acres of heavily-timbered liini have been cleared ever}- year. Last year four acres were cleared, and the crop at proseut embedded on the former cite of tho stately black pino ard totara premises to glvo the best yield of aoy portion of tho farm Clearing the bush land is curled on by contract labour, ana this item forms an expensive matter in connection with the flrm'd annual financial outlay on their InchClutha firm.

This season'^ digging operations wero b9gus at the Utter end of April, acd will continue for threo mooihs, bo it will be Been that a mo:e expedient plan than the present manual one is desirable. The shaw of the chicory do not grow to any great s!z', and in consequence a bt of trouble and care has to bo oxercised in keeping the plant from being choked with weeds. The weed nuloanco requires to be kept ia constant check nearly all the year round, from the time of sowing in early spring till jußt previous to lifting. A number nf bands are kept In steady employment all the timo from sowiDg to lifting, in thinning out the chicory plants, aud keeping down the weeds. Id may ba added that occasionally the roots attain a phenomenal length, snl one pulled last year measured sft. But it was not of a shape that vvou'd encourage the growth of others of similar length, being " as thin all the way as a pig's tail."

Juat a few words on tho quality of the article produced here, and then I tblnk my remarks on ita cultivation aro concluded. I was informed tint the Home article will not bear comparison with it. Samples from a chicory farm at Chrbtchurch belonging tj a Canterbury flrm, havo been compared with samples from the farm under noticj, and the palm for superior quality was awarded t3 tfco latter's article. The quality of tha Inch-Clutha soil H eminently adapted for tha cultivation of chicory :gcodcropicnn bee jnfidently relied on—always provided that tho management of the farm la In the hands of a qualified overseer, and this Mr Jamei Tonans (Messrs Gregg and Co.'a manager) aa3uredly !b. Land in other parts of tbo province has been cultivated with or less success, but nono with such recuperative results aa that on Inch-Clutha. Leaving tho men busily engaged at work in tho field, I next vi3i'ed the mill Just after my arrival there a cartload of chicory was emptied in a loin to of the mill proper. In which are fixed the steam-engine and the machlnjry fcr elf ai'iag and cutting up the roots. En passant, the bui ding is composed amovt entirely of concrete, and the possibility of deitruction by fire Is not for a moment worthy of bfing entertained. Tho engine iv fnur-hnrse > ower, and Is quite strong enough for the w tk. Besides driving the " chopper " and " cleaner," It is connected with the rod of a force-pump, which comes up throueh the floor from the river level and supplies tho mill with water. Tho rooti are put in and cleansed in the "oleaner"—which may bo dascribed aa a wooden tr iu;-.h half filloil with water, in which ia fixed a rovolving cylindrical sieve; then they paß3 on into the " chopper "—a piece of w odon furoiiure not unliko the mouth of a huge American churn, underneath which a sot of blades are constantly working backward and forward — and are thus cut up Into small pieces, and finally drop Into the mouth of a bag spread underneath for tholr reception. Then cornea tha drying process. The Minis supplied with three furnacoj fired with coke. They are kept going night and day, and a supply of SO or 40 tons of coko 1b already on tho ground far fuel. The drying-room is immediately above tho furnaces, I hvl about two minutes' "experience" In this room, and I wai glad to j;ot out into fresh air again Tho fumea from tho coke fires below are not of the pleasnntoit nature to a novice, and the steamy odour coming from the betted roots U, to epeak slantingly of thorn, "a bit eff " I should judge that about two hours'work daily in In the drying-rooms, filling ba.39, would be a much more effective remedy than Anti-fat for reducing anyone with a tendency to corpu ence. A number of bags of tho cut-up chicory ia spread on tho floor, which is of porforaoi iron ; the lis.it from tho furnaces below ac!a on It immediately, buf, it takea 48 hours to do its work thoroughly. Dried chicory resembles a bit of an old bone, and is of a rather pleasant sweet tuste. A (hoot sends tho dried article outside storel In bass, ready for tracemlß.ion to Dunedin or o'.sowhoro.

I think my lmprc:-siona regarding this plon'nui and htoresting visit are now nearly told. Fully a dozen hinds. aro employed in the different dnpartmonts of the work, and there is a tldy-bi^ed lot of stock and implements also. Thia shows thav the expenses in connection wi'h the works must be very heavy. Jhe entire management i 3 :'n Mr James Turrans' hand*. To thai gentleman I have to tender my thanki for the courtesy he showed me, and the Information Euopllcd during my pleasant r»m lo over tho chicory farm last Monday nltor.ioon.