FIRST PRIZE ESSAY. 13* 



of wheat and lucerne growing in the Karroo. Of course individual 

 yields of 10 and 12 bags, and more, per acre have been obtained in 

 Karroo, but we are dealing with practical averages here. We 

 have before us some figures on the '* cost of wheat growing " in 

 the Karroo, which appeared some time ago in the columns of the 

 Midland News, The writer, who claimed to be a practical farmer, 

 showed from actual account kept that wheat cost him just about 6s.- 

 per bag of 225 Ibs. to produce. To arrive at the average clear* 

 profit per acre, per annum, we shall assume that the five bags of 

 wheat weighing 225 Ibs. each (average yield of one acre) fetch an 

 average price of say 22s. 6d. per bag on the market, realising the 

 sum of 5 12s. 6d. Deduct from this the cost of these five bags at 

 6s per bag as shown, making a total of 1 10s. Od., leaving a net or~ 

 clear profit of 4 2s. 6d. say (for easy calculation) 4 Os. Od. per- 

 acre, per annum. 



Now, personally we have never} even in fair years, been able 

 to make 4 per acre clear profit at wheat growing here, still less to- 

 average it. Nevertheless we take 4, as shown, to be a fair and 

 liberal estimate of the average net profit per acre, per annum, 

 derived from wheat growing. We now come to the profit per acre- 

 derived from lucerne growing for stock. By way of preliminary 

 we may state that when once lucerne fields have been properly laid 

 down and established, the yearly expense is almost solely confined 

 to the mere cost of applying the water to them. On fields properly 

 laid down, this should not exceed 5s. per acre, per annum. 



COST OF GJU3WING LUCERNE. 



We begin by quoting actual figures of results obtained recently 

 by a leading Graaff-Reinet grower of lucerne, whose lucerne fields- 

 depend entirely upon periodical flood water diverted from the Sun- 

 days River by means of a weir across the river. This gentleman 

 informs us that during last year (1898) of terrible drought through- 

 out the Midlands, he made in six months (June to December) 

 1,300 from fattening hamels, and 700 from making butter a 

 total of 2,000 in six months from about 150 acres of lucerne. 

 Deduct from this say the six months expenses of milking and tend- 

 ing the cows, and tending the hamels in the paddocks, say 100- 

 for this and 2s. 6d. per acre on 150 acres for water leading during: 

 the six months, amounting to 18 15s. Od., making a total extreme 

 for the six months of 118 15s. Od. This will leave a profit balance 

 of 1,881 15s. Od. from 150 acres of lucerne in six months, being a 

 clear profit of 12 10s. Od. per acre in six months, or 25 Os. Od. 

 per acre per annum, as against 4 Os. Od. per acre from wheat 

 growing. This is between six and seven times as much as from 

 wheat growing. This too during a very severe drought. This 

 same farmer in the year 1895 made from one ten-acre field of lucerne - 

 under dairy cows, at the rate of 5 per month, per acre, from butter,, 

 equal to 60 per acre, per annum this is of course exceptional.- 



