LARGE-SCALE FARMING

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 75, Issue 118, 21 May 1932, Page 8 (Supplement)

LARGE-SCALE FARMING

Large-scale farming is not confinen to the Dominions as the figures given in the Scottish Farmer of an enterprise in Britain make clear. Alexander Wis hart, of Aberdeenshire, does not limn his activities to Scotland. In addition to 11. farms iff his home shire, extending to 2214 acres arable, ho carries on two farms in Oxfordshire extending to 780 acres. Besides this he rents 1000 acres of sheep grazing and 4000 acres of sheep winterings. Air. Wishart's activities are not wholly agricultural, for he assists in his father’s butchci business and is also owner of a dairy in Aberdeen. As a youth Air. Wishart took advantage of the training provided by the North of Scotland College of Agriculture, and in his farming operations ho successfully combines the scientific with the practical. He believes in fanning so as to secure the greatest possible production from tho soil. “Alaximum yields,” he says, “help to reduce costs.” The extent of Mr. Wishart’s farming operations may be judged from the fact that he finishes off between 700 and 800 fat cattle yearly and keeps above 900 stores, while he also has a stock of 500 breeding and feeding pigs, including 60 sows. Ho keeps 27.60 breeding «wos of various breeds, 301" a feeding sheep, and between 70 and 80 stud ranis. Crossbred live stock are favoured. Sheep are of mix* d breed ing; so arp his pigs; and for dairy pur poses he prefers a first cross Detwev” purposes Mr. Wishart urofers b’ two pure dairy breeds. For feeding polled cattle. The key to successful farming on such a large scale is skilful organisation, personal supervision, freedom from tradition, and readiness to test new methods. Mr. Wishart makes a daily round of his farms, and he spends two clear days each fortnight in Oxfordshire. Reports have been published of successful large-scale farmers who work with norscs only, and of others who make extensive use of trac tors. Air. Wishart uses both. In Aberdeenshire he has three tractors, and makes the fullest use of them in driving threshers and barn machinery as well as for cultivation. A tractor docs the work of three or four pairs of horses and brings on the work rapidly in a late season. In horse cultivation I he has departed from the usual prac- I ticc in that his horsemen drive three [ horses in a single-furrow plough. I ploughing eight inches deep. These three horse teams do practically the same work as two ploughmen with a pair of horses each.