CHATS WITH THE FARMERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1582, 18 March 1882, Page 6

CHATS WITH THE FARMERS.

A Visit to Hartfell, the property of Mr John Johnstone, Kaihiku.

It is nearly thirty years ago since Mr Johnstone left the pastoral uplands of Dumfriesshire, and wended his way per vessel to the then primitive port of Otago, where the nucleus of the present Dunedin City lay in all its primeval grandeur, surrounded and interspersed with the ' flax and the fern and the'braw cabbage tree,' specimens of which throve luxuriantly -where now the tramcars busily ply, and before Princes street knew aught of the durability of asphalt, or became acquainted with the mysteries of Macadam. No doubt Mr Johnstone could not fail to be struck with the natural wildness of Otago Harbour, or the bleak and desolate port named after the eminent Scotch divine; and perhaps he little dreamed that a quarter of a century could transform his landing place from the few meagre habitations into the flourishing and busy City of Dunedin. The contrast too, from the cultivated glades of his native shire, to the wild bush-clad gullies that .surrounded the place which was destined ere long to be the commercial capital of the ' Britain of the South,' must have been striking and romantic. Shortly after his arrival, he concluded that his energies could not be applied to anything more worthy than agriculture, and owing to land being high in price he leased a small farm at Green Island on a purchasing clause. Not long after this, Governor Brown became aware, that to entice emigrants to the shores of New Zealand some prospects of obtaining cheap land must be held out. The Government then resolved to reduce rural land to prices which could not fail to induce a steady stream of immigration to our shores to set in. Availing himself of this reduction, Mr Johnstone added largely to his holding at Green Island, and after a properous term of farming there, he repaired to Kaihiku, where he had secured a block of land. Sheep being his principle study, he entertained the thought of taking up a run, if he could find a suitable partner, but this project failing, ho now thinks that perhaps it is better as it is. The original size of the Hartfell property was 640 acres, but out of this some land was taken for school and railway purposes. There still remains a respectable farm of over 600 acres, which, with the exception of a small piece, is entirely surrounded by block roads, so that the farm had wholly to be fenced by the proprietor, as he had no neighbours to contribute their moiety to the work. The land is undulating, and if anything, exposed, but in the less sheltered paddocks Mr Johnstone, some years ago, commenced planting belts of forest trees, which in a short time will have a material effect in retarding the aeriel currents in their swirling flights, and break the force of the nor'wester, as well as being the assurance of shelter to sheep and cattle. Excellent crops are grown on the property, and the soil, although resting on stiff clay on the ridges, and shingle on the flats, seems to be favourable to the growth of all farming requisites. No Bystem of rotation is gone_ through, as, the principle is getting the land into grass. Little crop is grown, seldom more than 30 acres, of which a proportion is usually new land. Mr Johnstone has g_reat faith in the rough land for sheep lambing, and consequently he has always a piece in reserve for that purpose. On this they may be run when on turnips, on which the sheep are allowed to go only through the day, and are always put on the rough tussock all night. The principal stock is sheep of the fine merino kind, and the care and cultivation of the flock is well understood by Mr Johnstone. The last clip off his flock of merinos averaged 41bs of washed wool, and took in the good figure of Is GM per pound, a fact which indicates that the sheep are of tho proper sort, and that they are carefully culled and looked after. Ho has not hitherto gone in for dipping his sheep till this year, when he procured the necessary apparatus, and dipped the sheep with Cooper's dipping powder, which lie imagines is the best for the purpose. Mr Johnstone has been at considerable trouble and expense in getting his flock to its present standard of excellence, — a standard which is only arrived at by careful selection, combined with sound judgment and practical knowledge of the work. In rearing stud ranis for Bale, he always allows the lambs time to arrive at a maturity, when it can bo determined whether they are fit or not to be reserved, and all points are taken into consideration before the final selection takes place. He considers merinos to bo the befl. paying sheep known, and founds his afgombjits m (.heir favour and thsir mipfi'ioiity ovoz' tin ]onf(woola, on the facte of their beiiitf easier kept, loss likely to wander and stray through fences j

have as great a value of wool, and that two can , be kept against one lonprwool. So far as their suitability for the butcher is concerned, he seldom kills one that does not turn the scale at 601bs. Mr Johnstone does not go m for gram growing, as at the present state of the grain market it is more advisable and infinitely better for the land, to raise wool, which does not diminish the fertility of the soil, but acts quite the other , way ; and moreover, perhaps, on the whole, causes less trouble and anxiety. He. has had * no loss of sheep on turnips, because, if the land is wet, they are always removed from it to some rough field. What are required in severe winters, and • what all sheep farmers should have, are houses especially designed for sheep, so that in the event of a storm no loss ensues from exposure. Superiority of wool is the climax of Mr Johnstone's aim, and the prices he has received for that commodity, and the numerous prizes' he has taken for his sheep, evince the fact that he ' has attained, or is on the point of attaining, the great desideratum. The hoofs of the sheep are dressed once a year, and if any should happen to have got foot tot, they are at once attended to, and the^feet carefully cleaned and saturated with ammonia and nitric acid, which is, in his opinion, the best remedy to be obtained for the purpose. With a view to further adding to the purity of his merino stock, Mr Johnstone obtained several well-bred rams . from celebrated Australian breeders, and until last year he had it principally his own way in .the merino sheep exhibits at the Clutba Agricultural and Pastoral Society's show, of which body he is the present president. Several tro- ' phies, in the shape of silver cups, &c, can be " shown, which of themselves testify that to gain honours required the capability of selection, as^ .! well as the purity of the animal by which they were secured. Washing the' sheep preparatory to shearing has been generally indulgecHn ; butin cases in which it is done, care is always taken to prevent any sand, &c., from adhering' to the wool, as if the operation of washing is' not< faithfully performed, but left in a half and half manner, it had better be let alone. If wool is to be washed, it must be properly done, otherwise it pays better to let it go in the grease. The flock is culled every year and the culls sold, so that nothing but payable sheep are kept to increase the stock and to convert into mutton.

The cattle number about a dozen, and are a mixture of Ayrshire and shorthorn blood. Mr Johnstone considers that the Ayrshires are too small for general purposes, but a cross gives' size and symmetry, besides making serviceable dairy cattle. He procured a wellbred short- , , horn bull from a cattle-breeder at Wrey's Bush, .., Southland, a short time ago, and, possessing, some wellbred Ayrshire cows, he finds that the progeny are much better adapted for dairy and' beer purposes than the pure article. Only one ••' team of horses are kept to work the ground ; but with regard to expensive , implements, he cannot see that he is justified in laying out a large sum of money on them. In sowing turnips for winter feed the usual plan adopted is to break up and cross-plough new land, and then sow the turnips. Hitherto they.hava always been a good crop, but the dry weather which has been experienced this year has, had the , effect of • spoiling .the chances of a good, crop,', and the drilled turnips are all that are ho the ' fore , to .support the sheep throughout the winter. In drilling the turnips, manure, from, the stable, &c, is only applied, and, if this [is -^ not sufficient for the area' to be sown, fou'r'cwt, of bone dust is applied per acre. ' There are at' least eight acres of turnips ' 'in 'drills,' aridj','"' taking into consideration the dry weather; 'they ' ' , are looking well. As Mr Johnstone does not go in heavily for grain-growing, his crop's 'are' 7 ' usually good, and in some places he has in- " creased the fertility of the lower ground by ample drainage, the benefits of which he has always been aware of. The cost of tileS and labour rendered the undertaking expensive, . but as he does a little at the work every year, *'> the expense is not felt, and the^andis very imich improved. The dwelling-house and, steadings are in good repair, and attached to the former is a garden and orchard. Attempts were made to pursuade the ' blue gum ' to take root around the building, but, owing to the frost and other; perverse agencies, they were a failtire. The' proprietor has now, however, the plea-, sure of seeing the Home trees thriving well, and they will ere long form . a comfortable shelter for the dwel7 ling-house. Thorn hedges are the most conspicuous, and are the kind of which Mr Johnstone approves. Keeping gorse hedges in . order requires constant work, while the thorn requires little trimming, and is not nicely to spread. Asmerinosheep are not difficulty to keep in, it is intended to plant nothing but thorn for future lines of division. . >

.GEICOLA.