358 Agrlcultin-dl. Gazetfr of X.S 7/" 



[Qlai/ 2, 1908. 



nuiv 1)1' jnit down as worrli tioiii £2 lOs. to £7 Ids. jilt acix', tlic value 

 (Ie]iciMliiiL: ii|Miii tlir iiiiprovL'iiifuts, and their proximity to llic railway. 



It is llif f.xe-fptioii to tind wheat farms wliicli have a nalni-al iicriiianent 

 water siipplv. In some instances water is olilaiiicd hy sinkinn' shallow 

 wells. Iiiit ill the majorit\ of cases the mncli neeiled ]irovisioii is made by 

 excavatinii" taid\s or dams in suilnhli' lowd\inL;' sites, wliei-e the water i'l'om 

 the catchment area can l)e led into ihem hy ineaiis of drains or Liutter.s. 

 The u'eneral size of tliese taid\s ranges from 1,(»()0 to 2, ."()() cnliic \ards. 

 costing from 7d. to Is. \)vi- cul)ic yai-d to exclivate. 



Fencing. 



Tile universal practice is to fence eacli iioldiiiL;', and in tlie majority of 

 cases convenient suhdivision fences are ei'ei-ted. Tlie most common kind 

 of fence consists of posts erected I) to 11 feel apart, with six or seven wires 

 runniiiL; through them. The value of this fencing is about £28 to £."30 

 per mile: the cost of tlie wii'e being from £S to £10 per mile; the posts 

 are usualh" ol)tained from timlier on the propert\. The advent of tlie 

 rabbit has rendered it necessary to wire-net the boundary fences, so as to 

 exclmle him, and prevent his depredations; this necessitates an additional 

 exjjenditure for these fences of about £4.") to i^TiO per mile. 



A wire-netted labbit-piool fence, two posts and six droppers per chain. 



From Virgin Forest to Wheat Farm. 



The ground is most commonly cleared of timber l)y first ringbarking 

 the green trees, and allowing;' them to die. befoiH^ littimi- the ground for 

 the plough l)y grubbing them out. Only in a few instances is the 

 ground entirely cleared of green timl)er, as the latter method is very 

 much more exjiensive than the former, and for some time tifti'r the re- 

 moval of the gre'cn wood, the ground is in a sour condition, and not in 

 the best state for the growth of eiops. After ringbarking, the ground 

 gradually sweetens as the trees die, so that by Ww time the timber is dead, 

 the ground is in fit condition for croi)ping ; and whih' the trees are dying, 



