The Farm.

Southern Cross, Volume 3, Issue 51, 21 March 1896, Page 6

The Farm.

HARVEST NOTES. SOME SOUTHLAND FARMS. FAT STOCK VALUES. THE PRICE OP OATS.

[By Our Special Reporter.]

Harvesting is now well advanced, and" so far the crops have generally been fairly well got in—more in spite of the weather than favoured by it. From the days when agricultural areas were measured by half-acres, up tcfthe present time, when cultivation is returned by tens of thousands of acres, it is very questionable if so lengthened a season of continually cold winds and rain has heen experienced in Southland. This unpleasant weather started its gallop about the end of last March, and seemingly has not yet pulled up. In the Win ton district the as a rule, are early. The warm, alluvial soil tells in bringing forward the’crops, and in this climate early harvests mean good quality of grainA fine crop of wheat, giving upwards of fifty bushels per acre, was cut by Mr Swale more than a month since. The grain is of excellent milling quality. In this locality are to be found a number of good farmers — thorough judges of the soil—who have good land, and know how to farm it. Early seeding in a wellworked dry and waj-m soil leads on to early harvests of good well-ripened and marketable grain. On this principle, together with thorough drainage; many of the Winton farmers work their lands, and they have been successful. Take, for example, Mr G. Sutton, of “ The Willows,” a farm of the richest soil managed with great skill Here the production is of the best quality. Whether wool or mutton, grain or grass-seed, it is always the best in the market. Grassseed grown on this farm is known for its quality far beyond the boundaries of Southland. And yet this productive and beautiful farm was, about twenty years ago, a deep and watery Swamp —the water lying on part of the land without any escape. Skill and courage were wanted to convert it, and in Mr Sutton these qualifications certainly were not wanting.

The Centre Bush Estate is another fine holding, also worked by a skilful farmer and stock-manager—Mr Jno. Shand. Few men have handled sheep and cattle in larger numbers, or more successfully, than he has done, and still fewer have the instinctive knowledge of stock, and how to manage them, that be has. The Centre Bush Estate extends to nearly ten thousand acres of rich land, the greater part alluvial, the productive capability of which has been proved; bush well distributed and within easy reach of any part of it. The Invercargill and Kingston railway runs through the length (with three railway stations) of the estate. The great North Road passes through, with well-made crossroads opening up every part of the holding, and two sawmills, both in operation. Mr Shand bought this block about thirty yenrs ago, and has been resident on and improving the laud ever since.

We hear of purchases by the Government of large estates for the purpose of settling people on the'land. Merrivale has been bought, and is good in soil, timber, eta, but is not

good in position. Pomahaka is secondclass both in soil and position. Both these estates required a large expenditure in surveys, reading, etc, before they were fitted for small settlement, and this has added considerably to the cost —the incoming tenants or purchasers have to bear the extra outlay. If the Government are sincere in their professions of planting population on the land, why have they not approached Mr Shand with a view to acquiring this accessible and handy block of land ? No expenditure on reading is wanted. The greater part is at once ready for either grazing or grain-growing, and is just the description of land farmers would ‘go for’ and do well upon. Mr Shand may not be disposed to sell his land, but whether he would or not, much more unlikely estates have been bought, or offered for.

The values obtained for fat stock in the South are not quite up to the prices going in Dunedin and northwards. This is the more noticeable as there are three freezing establishments operating in Southland. Pat sheep should not run over the paddocks and roads looking for whom to devour them. Farmers are shrewd fellows, and yet some of them are not without their mistakes. Some months ago oats were up to two shillings a bushel. A few who had not sold at Isd did not think 2s good enough—they held, and are still holding. The story of the ‘ nimble ninepence ’ had been overlooked. The new season’s oats are coming in at from 13d to 14d at wayside stations, with no very bright prospects of immediate improvement. Some farmers say that rather than accept these low prices they will give all their oat crop, in the shape of chaff, to the sheep, and thus get a better value for their crops in the form of wool and mutton.