The Farm.

Otago Witness, Issue 1383, 1 June 1878, Page 20

The Farm.

OHATS WITH THE FARMERS. A Visit to the Farm of Mr. Thomas Tait, Waiwera. Visiting the farm of Mr Thomas Tait, on the Waiwera Downs, we ascertained €hat jthe holding consisted of 50 acres of freehold, with 300 acres of leasehold adjoining. Mr Tait worked on the Victorian diggings twenty years ago. He never was very fortunate, but he saved enough in the course of six years to be enabled to visit his old home in the Shetland Islands.. There he got married, and soon afterwards sailed for Otago. fiaring worked about for a time, he purchased fifty, acres at £lOperaora at Waiwera, built a comfortable cottage, •rid grew wheat, oats, and potatoes — taking contracts for road-making, and forking,. day's- work for the settlers in winter, and shearing in summer. The ■oil upon his farm is a good black loam eight or. nine inches in depth, the subsoil being ' a regular hard-pan. The water lodges upon this clay bottom in wet •easons, and readily evaporates in dry weather. The consequence is, that the •oil is cold, and crops do not stand drought Wry well. We suggested Bubsoiling and drainage, but his objection was the expense. He grows very good crops, towever. This year he had eight acres of wheat, 20 of oats, 3 of turnips, and half-mn-acre of potatoes. He has 9 dairy cows, *nd 6 good horses. He estimates the average yield of wheat this year at 25 bushels, and of oats 35 bushels, but the season was a bad one, having been too wet ? ,He has had 35 bushels of wheat, find 50 of oats. Upon the leased land he Mad Merino sheep, but he had just sold off his flock, intending to purchase cattle. The dairy «*nd the poultry-yard are well looked after by Mrs Tait, who is not only ,an expert' in the manufacture of tmtter'and cheese, but a thrifty housewife,. ioid a good hand at the sewinginachine, making all the clothing for the limily . > There was in the, cottage a good supply of ,]>aoon of her own curing, and an air of tidipesß and comfort about the house which it was pleasing to behold.