CHATS WITH THE FARMERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1422, 22 February 1879, Page 4

CHATS WITH THE FARMERS.

A Visit to Mb John Douglas's Mount

Royal Estate, Palmerston.

Mr Dougla", the son of a farmer in Forfarshire, Scotland, arrived in Dunedin in 1861. He came out as principal in the firm of Douglas, Alderson and Co., who were interested in some of the properties now owned by the New Zealand and Australian Land Company. Some years afterwards he purchased a Maori claim of 8000 acres from Mr John Jones, in the Hawsbury district. He continued adding to this estate, buying out Neilson, who owned Mount Royal, part of Captain Fullarton's lands; Mr Oliver, Mr Weir, Mr Heckler, Mr M'Kelden, and others, who had purchased from Government, aud ho made purchases himself from Government direct, until he had completed the Mount Royal Estate of 23,000 acres, in one block, as well as propei ties in other districts. It is a rugged, broken country, chiefly flat-topped ranges aud undulating downs, embracing the niount-iiu peaks known as Mount Royal, Taieri Peak, Stony Peak, Middle Mountain, Mount Trotter, Mount M'Kenzie, and Mount Watkins, which are conspicuous objects from the Waikouaiti Bay and the seaboard. The greater portion of this land is suited only for grazing, although 2500 acres have already been ploughed, and there is no telling how much more may be fit for cultivation. Pleasant River, two branches of Trotter's Creek, Flag Swamp Creek, besides numerous streamlets, pass through the property. The only timber within its boundaries is at Mount Royal and Mount Watkins. It lies within two distinct formations — those known by New Zealand geologists as the Wanaka and the Oamaru. The former is composed chiefly of mica-scb.Lt. Professor Hutton says that one of the principal characteristics of the rocks of this formation is the numerous laminre of pure white quartz of considerable thickness generally found in them. This, he says, must be the effect of extreme tnetamorpbism. This is the main goldbearing formation of Otago. It is identical with the " contorted felspathic schist" of Dr Hector. The characteristics of the Oimaru formation as found upon this estate, ia the section between Mount Royal and Palmerston, are grey, trreen, and yellow smdstoue, associated with sbellj beds. It extends up Shag Valley and to Waikouaiti, aud thence in a narrow band to Blueskin, and as far as Flagstaff hill, being occasionally capped by basalt. The soil upon this mica-schist, limestone and volcanic rock varies from the richest loam to the lightest clay. Tho estate is bouuded on the north by Moeraki and Dunback districts, on the south by Mount Watkins and Flag Swamp, on the east by the Mount Royal bush, and on the west by the Waikouaiti river. The whole of this immense tract is fenced in and divided into thirty^ paddocks. There are over sixty miles of fencing, chiefly ditch and double bank, with six wires.

Mr Douglas, iv the management of this estate, has gone in more for reproductive improvements than for cultivation. The bulk of the cultivated laud has been laid down in English grass after careful preparation, and the greater portion of the uncultivated has been cleared of flax, scrub and rubbish, and surface sown with grass. Nearly all swamps aud gullies have been drained, burnt, and surface sown, watering troughs have been placed not only iv the cultivated paddocks but in the open downs. Miles of piping have been placed in gulliea, which have been filled in, so that the plough can work straight across them. An immense amount of capital has been expended iv this way, with a view of improving the estate, and enabling it iv the future to carry a large number of stock. In a ride which we took over a portion of the estate we had an opportunity of noticing the great improvements made by Mr Douglas, especially iv the cultivation of grasses. Where the growth has been coarse it has been burnt off early iv the spring, aud where necessary the scrub and flax have been adzed out, gathered in heaps and burnt, and the ground sown as soon as cold with gras3 seeds and clover. Mr Douglas considers the surface sown grasses even better than the cultivated for winter feed, the native grass protecting the plants from cold in winter and drought in summer. The seeds thus sown reproduce thomselves by spreading from the root as well as by seeds shed by the plant. The crops this year consist of 30 acres of wheat, 150 of oats, 20 of barley, and 200 of turnips. They are all looking well, and will yield little under a fair average. There are 25,000 sheep, over 1000 horned cattle, and 50 horses, including 12 draught horses used on the farm. The system adopted with the ploughable land has been to plough and re-plough, according to the nature of the ground; take a white and then a green crop, and lay down in English grass, generally without a crop — the laying down iv grass being the chief object. Some of the back ridges have been ploughed, sown with rape, eaten off with sheep, and then laid down in grass, the mixture being chiefly cocksfoot, with alsyke, white clover, and cow-grass, timothy being added where the ground was clamp. Mr Douglas speaks highly of the cocksfoot as a permanent pasture giass. It starts early in the spring and keeps on until winter. It res'uts drought well, aud there is no grass that better deserves the name of perennial, as it lastß for many years. When grown upon rich ground it should be fed close to_ prevent its forming thick tufts, and to prevent its running to seed, when ib lose 3 a large proportion of its nutritious matter, and becomes hard and wiry. Mr Douglas considers it an admirable grass for his hilly land. He hai sown an immense deal of it, obtaining seed from Auckland, Akaroa, and the Duuedin Peninsula. Other seeds he imports from Homp, and recently has been getting gup plies from Boston, Massachusete, It is ALv Douglas's intention, as coarse herbage disappears, to lossgu the number of cattle and increase that of sheep. The sheep are crossbred between the merino and the Lincoln, with the exception of a stud flock, which are pure Lincolns. Acertaia numberare fed off on turnips every yoir to have fat stock ready for_ market between winter and spring, when prices are good. Through studying the mtrket Mr Douglas has had for the last few years from 193 to 20s per head for fat sheep. Two or three thousand merinos from the up-country stations are purchased every year. Upon our asking Mr Douglas his opinion as to the be.-t policy for the sheep farmer to pursue iv regard to the growth of wool, he said that so long as the Home demand was good for cross-bred wool there was no doubt as to the advisability of keeping a crossbred.

long-wooled sheep, where the ground was suitable. Btit now that t-ho Homo buyers were giving such a decided preference to merino wool the question arises whether it would not be advisable to let merinos take the place, to some extent, of half breds. This course he would take himself if the Homo market did not improve. In regard to preparing wool for market he said that if a country produced wool, not heavy from sand, &c, it would be advisable to wash. He cold water washes all dry sheep, and scours the wool of the ewes, as well as all locks and pieces. For this purpose he has fine appliances — a splendid pool of clear soft water in the Pleasant River — boilers for heating water, a series of perforated boxes, fine drying ground, &c. The cattle are colonial, improved with shorthorn bulls, the cross making a splendid animal for beef. They are sold mostly as stores, to be fattened for the Canterbury market. He gets the best bulls to be obtained. Just now four fine short-horn bulls are coming down from Mr. 3ohn Reid's herd at Elderslie. Mr Douglas's improvements in the way of drainage, ai c worthy of further notice. He haa had pipe 3 made on the estate with a machine, and obtained a quantity from Dunedin, of all dimensions. There are now six miles of close and about fifty miles of open drains. The result of all this drainage is highly satisfactory. An intelligent man, who is manager upon the place, has by digging in blind gullies discovered, water, where it was never suspected the^e was a drop. He was guided not only by the appearance but by the nature of tre> herbage. When it was found that water collected in a hole dug half way up a blind gully, that hole was filled with stones, and clay pipes were laid from the bottom of it for some distance down, where a clearing was made and a water-trough waa placed. This, we think, is an idea that may be used to some advantage on other estates. Another gond idea adopted by Mr Douglas, is that of ploughing up patches of ground and sowing timothy, to induce the sheep to change their camp. This allows the gra=s to grow on the old camping gr jund whice has been poisoned, and makes poorer spots rich. Rubbing posta, too, of willows and poplars have been put up over the eatate, to save the fences. These posts take root and grow, becoming everlasting. Willow and poplar trees, when sis inches through, are cut for fence pests, and will no doubt last for manyyeara, as they take root. The dwelling house is situate in a finely sheltered position, in Pleasant Valley, about a mils and a-half from the Paltnerston and Goodwood railway stations. The grounds comprise about 12 acres, including a fine garden, orchard, vinery, &c. A splendid avenue of English, Australian, and American trees leads up to the Uwa in front from the main road, and round to the wool shed, stables, and other buildings. There are three good sheep yards on the estate ; one at the home station, one at the Taieri Peak, and one at Mount Watkins, with all the necessary small paddocks,, and huts adjoining. Reid and Gray's reapers, double-furrow ploughs, and harrows are used. Mr Douglas says he finds no difficulty in obtaining labourer?^ He pays £1 per week, with rations, in ordinary seasons, and ploughmen receive £10 or £15 per annum more. A number of contract men are also constantly at work on the estate, contract jobs being kept ready for the dull season, when work is scarce,