AGRICULTURAL MATTERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19066, 11 January 1924, Page 14

AGRICULTURAL MATTERS

Primitive Methods of Cultivation.

Women’s Part as Farm Workers.

For some years little headway was mad in regard to agriculture in South Otago., this being principally due to the primitive implements employed. In some cases the ground was chipped and the grain sown, but frequently more fern than wheat or oats came up. Other people sowed the grain so thickly that the crops were a failure. The first advance in the way of improved implements states Mr Wilson’s “Reminiscences,” was made by Mr Job Dabinett, who constructed a wooden plough and a set of barrows, and with the aid of these and four bullocks broke up a good deal of his land. Haulage by bullocks was slow and expensive, but it was the only method available for a time

When the crops were ready they were cut with sickles, ' threshed with, a flail (or, in the very arly days, with a stick over a barrel), and winnowed with the wind. It is recorded that one settler did not know how to reap his crop and that eventually his girls clipped the heads off with scissor*

In due course the sickle was supplanted by the scythe, the operators of which were paid Ss per day and found. At a later stage reaping machines, now known as the “back delivery” were introduced, and later these gave way to the reaper and binder, which is in universal use to-day. A few words of praise are due to the women, who faced great privations with a fortitude that is worthy of the highest commendation.'' They had to face a shortage of bread with very little flour in hand, a shortage of clothes with no material for repairing, a whole winter without stockings, hard work in the bush, and a strenuous life when the men were away on expeditions or at the gold-dig-gings. Apart from anything else the lack of neighbours and the solitude entailed by a long residence at home without the opportunity of getting a change must have been a severe trial. The women however, faced the position boldly, and never complained about their onerous lot. Other samples of the spirit of the pioneer women may be quoted. It ia recorded that on several occasions Mrs Ayson had to cut some wheat, thresh it with a stick, winnow the grain, and ■grind it into flour before she could provide bread for the family’s tea. Another worthy woman, Mrs Hislop, assisted by her children, cut a field of wheat with a sickle, bound the sheaves, stocked them, and afterwards stacked them. When the crop was threshed the grain was found to be in splendid condition. Other women and children carried 'out exacting tasks in a manner that proved that they were equal to any emergency that arose.

About 1856 the place of the flail was taken by a portable threshing mill, which was capable of putting through about 100 bushels of grain per day, and which was worked by four horses. A little later steam threshing oame into vogue, and in due course the methods adopted in connection with agriculture were greatly improved. About 1866 or 1867 a large number of ploughs and other agricultural implements which were to he worked by steam were imported into New Zealand. It was expected that they would revolutionise the methods of traction in regard to agricultural work, but it cannot be said that these hopes were realised. They were landed at Invercargill, and most of them

went to the New Zealand Land Company’ properties at Mqrton Mains and other places in the district. One drawback about the ploughs was that they turned up too much ground, with the result that in many cases a great deal of clay was brought to the surface, and a large area of land was spoilt for many years. One of the ploughs was sent to Clydevale, where it was worked for a considerable time, but it was eventually decided that the work could be done more cheaply by horses, and the plough was discarded. The engines of these ploughs were very useful, and were easily disposed of to owners of sawmills. *