7 6 7 



sent to bring in or out the cattle, something attracts their attention 

 and the fastening is overlooked, and perhaps in one afternoon 

 many pounds' worth of crops may be destroyed. Several strong 

 and cheap gates, as well as all classes of fencing, are fully 

 described in Part II. of the GUIDK. Wherever cattle are kept all 

 fences shouLl at least have a top rail ; if they have two, so much the 

 better, but a top rail and six wires will make a very good and 

 economical fence. A paddock should always be made to keep the 

 bull in, and the fence of this ought to be made extra high, with at 

 least two rails, or better still, three. In laying out the paddocks, 

 it" there is not natural water available, wells or tanks should be 

 sunk, say where four paddocks join, in the corner of one. By 

 doing so one set of troughs will do for all four, as they can he 

 moved through the fence into whichever paddock they are required ; 

 or if it is preferred to have the troughs permanently fixed, one set 

 of troughs set close along side or partly under the fence will serve 

 two paddocks. 



The cultivation paddock should also be so arranged as to 

 adjoin three or four grass paddocks, when, in case of green feed- 

 ing or ensilage making, the cattle could be fed with the least 

 amount of labor of carting. Much time, money, and trouble might 

 be saved if, instead of laying out the farm haphazard, as careful 

 attention were given to it as in the laying out and building of a 

 house. There is no sense in having to cart feed a mile or two 

 when it need not be carted a quarter the distance. Neither is it a 

 wise thing to cart green stuff to a silo a mile in one direction w r hen 

 it has to be taken perhaps two miles in another afterwards. I can 

 fancy I hear many farmers say, " Sure, any fool knows that," or, 

 " Does he take us all for idiots ?" No, I do not ; but for the past 

 ten years, having had a very close connection with farm life, 

 inspecting farms, reporting on them, and judging them, I can say 

 that many farmers act as though they had no brains at all, and 

 often make their horses and themselves walk a mile with a load 

 when 100 yards would do, and my experience has been that few 

 farmers sit down and consider how to lay out their farms so that 

 they may be worked to the greatest advantage and at the greatest 

 saving ot labor. This colony being young, and many of the farms 

 not having been laid out, I would draw particular attention to the 

 necessity of working to a plan. Go over your farm, carefully 

 examine it, and see where you \vill build your house and outbuild- 

 ings, where you will cultivate, and then lay it all out on paper and 

 see how you can sub-divide it so as to work economically and to 

 the best advantage. You may not perhaps be able to complete 

 your plan for years never mind, keep on working with that end 

 in view T , and ultimately you will reap your reward having a farm 

 where no unnecessary expense is required to work it. 



