THOUGHTS ON FARMING.

Timaru Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 2057, 27 April 1881, Page 3

THOUGHTS ON FARMING.

TO THE BDITOE Or THB TniAETJ HBBALD. Sib, — A time of severely felt depression is ] frequently the forerunner of a stpudy but more sure return to prosperity. Tfie mind gets roused from its lethargy to remedy past evils, and devise means to prevent a recurrence of the same. i It is evident that the grievous lesson of the 1 past three years has not been thrown away ! on the tillers of our naturally fertile plains, ' when we see them, m a cooperative body, do- ' termined to obtain the fair market price for their produce, and effect immense savings m ' necessaries imported. It has always been ' proverbial with our forefathers and, to within a few years of the present time, that farmers were the last branch of aociely to pull together for the general weal. Facilities m ' travelling, and steady advance m education, haro wrought great changrs of late years m old England, and it is not a little to the credit of some active members of the South Canter- ' bury yeomanry, that they were amo'ig the ' firet to use every effort to induce all New ] Zealand farmers to join m a fraternity which mutt ultimately carry success with it. Obtaining a legitimate prica for produce is only one step (though a most important one) towards general prosperity. One demanding immediate consideration is the pait exhaustive ' mode of cropping, and the adoption of ; systems, suitable to the various soils, to repair ' past evils, and imure better returns. If ' continued, neither quantity nor quality must ' be expected. : Tbe rule has been to grow wheat and oat", and sometimes barley, as many years as ' possible, m fact, till the poverty of the last ' would often spoil the profits of previous years. All this time, straw was burnt, and tbe land becomes a dense seed be 3of ' innumerable noxious weeds. This waa the : state m which the land n< laid down for a few years grazing, often with no judgment as ' to seed sown. Of course it could not carry ' nearly the stock it should ; and shortly would t be ploughed again to undergo tho same round i ol cropping. Of courso there have been exceptions to the above, but a!as ! too few j aß tens i of thousands of acres of our plums will ; testify to. . Undoubtedly the future prosperity of New '• Zealand depends ou multiplying tho variety of its marketable products ; and importing nothing that can bo produced or manufactured to advantage, the natural result of which would be a rapidly increasing population. The next question is, bow is this to be dono ? I must think over it. I am, &c, CMDIIOFPEB.