A FARMER’S COMPLAINT

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17241, 24 April 1930, Page 8

A FARMER’S COMPLAINT

(To i the Editor of t.ho Hor aid.) Sir, —Tin 1 ., greater part'- nr' my life lias keen spout in tin 1 backblocks, often beyond tlio formed road, and on my : wedding day wo rodo to our now home leading a jiaokimrse. Our town friends often “chaffed” us and called us the f ‘Waybaeks, ’ r and as our children reached school ago rve were told “for. voui; children’s sake get near town and civilisation” The opportunity came ami we made our home .on . a lit tie .farm, bought: a few Jersey cows, some pigs and chickens, and made .up our , minds t,o enjoy ‘'civilisation.” .T planted some maize for t lie fowls and field pumpkins for tlie pigs, and waited for the cream cheque to come each 20th. Picnic parties came .along the road. I invited them to the shade of my trees, 'gave water and fruit, and my ‘kiddi es .played with the town children and we made many friends, Aly maize grew, and was tilling nicely, and I wont through to admire it. uiiiL.fouml 1 hat many rows had been stripped of cobs, 1, .am told that it is usual for■ people to come into-.the country . in -ears and help ihemselv.es to-green maize for cooking. My pumpkins in the meantime grew apace, and ,1 have visions of “knocking them” at the Winter Show. On Easier Sunday a car stopped, and the motorisf,- aided bv his family, helped himself to my unripe pig pumpkins, What tt waste of time! What a lesson to his sons! and what a joke when the pumpkins cooked to a watery mess. Is it,any wonder farmers. are suspicious of strangers,'? If shooters would not shoot first and ask afterwards—if .caught—they would be allowed on most farms. If people waul good pumpkins, my advice is to buy them from a greengrocer. — .‘.‘HAYSEED.”