SOUTHLAND MODEL FARMS.

Southern Cross, Volume 3, Issue 3, 20 April 1895, Page 15

SOUTHLAND MODEL FARMS.

The decision and reports from Messrs Wra. Patrick and James Duthie, the two judges appointed to inspect the various farms enteredfor the competition, have been received by the president of the Otago Agricultural and Pastaral Society. The prizes consist of two 50-guinea challenge shields (presented by Sir John Bennet Lawes, L. L. D.) as first awards and 20 tons of agricultural lime (presented by the M.ilburn Lime and ;Ce-, ment Company,) as second awards one shield and 10 tons of lime to beawarded for the best managed-farm of from 100 to 400 acres, and the others from 400 to 1,500 acres. The report is in the following terms : We beg'to advise you that we have visited and carefully inspected all the farms entered for competition, and have awarded the first prize for the best managed farm from 400 to 1,500 acres to the executors of the.lafeWilliam Secular, Almondel, Wright’s Bush Southland. This farm comprises 1,002 acres, and is subdivided into 81 paddocks of which 850 acres are in pasture, 50 acres in oats, and 102 acres in turnips. The live stock consist of some 3,801 sheep (including 1,808 cross-bred ewes, 50 Romneys,. 38 Leicesters, 1,841 lambs, 62 flock:rams, and 2 stud rams,) 9 draught' horses 1 light horse, and 3 milk cows sufficient only for their own le■quirements. It is worthy of note that since December 758 fat sheep .591 store sheep, and 134 cull ewes have been sold from this farm; and •at the date of last shearing 3,100 sheep were shorn (all of which were wanted on the farm the wool being sold on the premises at 7d per lb.) The second, prize we have awarded to Messrs .John Reid and son, Monte Christo, Wright’s Bush, Southland. This farm com pries 958 acres, and is subdivided into 27 paddocks, exclusive of four small paddocks adjoining the homestead, of which 723 acres are in grass, 67 acres in oats, 48 acres in lint, 7 acres in Italian ryegrass for seed, 12 acres in Poverty Bay grass for seed, 93 acres in roots, and the balance (8 acres) is occupied in the homestead, gardens, yards, plantations. The live stock consisted of -2 350 sheep (including over 400 pure Shropshire Downs), 102 head of cattle :23 horses (’draughts, hacks, and brood mares), and 4 pigs. The principal paddocks and their gates are all numbered, and the condition of every paddock is noted annually in a tabulated form, so that at a glance the state of any and every paddock can be seen since 1890, when this system was adopted. This should be of great assistance to principals when advising and communicating with their managers. . ,