A WELL-MANAGED FARM.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume VI, Issue 3, 15 March 1913, Page 306

A WELL-MANAGED FARM.

THE WAIMAHAKA ESTATE.

A. Macpherson.

The farm of the late Mr. James Holmes, of Waimahaka, Southland, is regarded as one of the best managed in the South. Some particulars of the methods in vogueintroduced by the late respected owner and continued by his son, the present manager be of interest and assistance to others engaged in farming similar country and following the same phases of primary production. They are assuredly worthy of emulation.

The property consists of 1,641 acres of freehold, of which 1,000 acres are in grass, 200 acres in turnips and oats, and the balance of 441 acres in native bush. There are also 250 acres of leasehold. The land is undulating. Some of the grass-paddocks have been down fifty-five years. The mixture of grasses sown has not been varied since the first paddocks were laid down, and is as follows : Perennial rye-grass, 20 lb. ; Italian rye-grass, 5 lb; ; meadow fescue, 7 lb. ; meadow foxtail, 2 lb. ; crested dogstail, | lb. ; timothy, 5 lb. ; cocksfoot, 5 lb. ; cow-grass, 3 lb. ; white clover, 2 lb. ; alsike, 1 lb. : total, 50| lb.

The pastures are excellent, being covered with a thick sole of succulent grasses, the most prominent varieties being cocksfoot and perennial rye-grass. The cultivation given is somewhat on the following lines: The land is broken up as a rule in the month of June, ploughed 6 in. deep, and fallowed all winter ; double-disced the same way as ploughed and double-disced at an angle; tine-harrowed three times and Cam-bridge-rolled. The land is cultivated for five years before laying out to grass. During that time usually two crops of oats are taken and three crops of turnips. The oats are drilled in, and the turnips are sown on ridges. . No fertilizers as a rule are applied when oats are sown,' but for turnips 3 cwt. of manure per acre is used, two-thirds of the mixture being bones and one-third superphosphate. The bulk of the land under cultivation has been subsoiled. All the cultivated land has been limed at the rate of 2 tons per acre. The liming is done before sowing down with grass. A light chain harrow is used to cover the grass-seed. The land is not rolled afterwards. Swede and yellow- and white-fleshed turnips grow well, the seeding beingswedes, 2 lb. per acre; yellow- and white-fleshed turnips, 1| lb.

per acre. The plants are thinned out to about 8 in. apart in the rows, and intercultivation is frequently given. Amongst a number of varieties tested Crimson King has proved the best swede, and Aberdeen Green-top Yellow and Stobo Blue the best of the yellow-fleshed turnips. The stock carried from year to year consists of —Cattle, 400 purebred Herefords; sheep, 1,500 purebred Romney Marsh; horses, 30 draughts and a few hacks. Besides the foregoing, there were also at time of my visit .700 lambs and 150 calves. With the exception of males for stud purposes no stock is bought in. The Hereford herd and Romney Marsh flock are said to be among the oldest established in the Dominion. Three teams of horses are employed to carry out the work of the farm..