THE TROPICAL AQRIOULTURIST 
[April i, 1892. 
15 ^ 
There they have found that 10 or 12 acres shonl'* 
maintain 4 or 5 cows. This may aonnd asloniahing but 
it is notoriona in tho Waoa country. Th on onr author 
desoribea the absence of the coloured cattle in the iioidr 
and describes the perpetual atill-feediug of the cattle 
srtiioh prodneea better beef and an enormous increase 
1 manura. It may look inhuman and may in time 
reed diieuse, as the method of absolute imprisonment 
does not appear natural. That however is long ago 
exploded. In Ceylon where cattle were never allowed 
ont they enjoyed better health, and this method 
cheapened the manure immensely. To return to our 
author Combination enables small farmers to 
construct expensive works for irrigation.'’ Then 
again. But of all the charges brought against small 
farmers the most amazing is that which represents 
them as slothful, so diamotrioslly is it opposed to 
truth, which literally leaps into tho eyes of all who 
are willing to look in the right direction small farmers 
(such of them, that is, as are either owners or lease 
holders of their farms ; and it must be distinctly 
understood that this vindioation is intended to apply 
to no others) are not only not generally indolent, but 
their most distinguiahing ohacaoteristic is ardent, 
constant, nay almost oxcesaivo, industry. Circum- 
stances may no doubt be Imagined in which it wonld 
be impossible for them to be uninlerrcptedly employed. 
If in any district all the farms were of the same 
sixe, and if that size were iasudicient to occupy the 
entire labour of one man, the occupiers would sotae- 
times bo without work at borne, and would bo unable 
to prooure it elsewhere,” This is one of i ho moat 
serious drawbacks to Mildura, that is to eay, if the 
fruit growers ate dependent on their labour. And 
why notf In snch a colony tho able bodied men 
should bo constantly employed or assuredly the 
evils mentioned above that spring fr..m idloiiers 
will arise. Tboogh nut in pocket set in health and 
morals, constant labonr (though light) is an abso 
late necessity. Of coiirse if ocoiiyanls have literary 
reaonroes, or professional acquirements that cau be 
mode use ut in slack times than it will be all I ho 
better. But still llio fact that the bolding will bo 
generally about the same size, the products of the same 
ebareoter, and tho periods of work and slackness general 
throughout tho colony, the fact will tend to rob tho 
colony of the advantages of eonetant outside work. Of 
course there will be many to whom the idia of 
labonring for others will be utterly repugnant but I 
am referring to the poor roan. Ho he gentleman 
or not, in a colony like Mildura theie will never bo auy 
disgrace in working for a neighbour for biro. Let 
the oolunlets realize this, let them thoroughly consider 
if it be not better to keep out the ordinary hired 
esrvant with his niiions and olub and stricks, and Ut 
all help— let there be none idle. Mildura should never 
be dependent on the working man. Harvest time w.ll 
require special assistnnoe, but extra efforts and mu- 
tual help OD the part of the eolonis's will almost 
be luffioient to cope with the special needs. Thcro 
will be always a mustering of harvest hands from 
the town centres, when the railway is made, who 
hope to get employment, jnst as in tho bop-fields of 
Kent the ownere have the poor of Ijoudon off ring 
themselves in large numbers for present healthful work. 
This influx, if it be necessary, will entsil extrs sniiitary 
and police precautions. Mr. Thornton continues: — 
“ But when email farms are defemlcd it is of ooiirso 
understood either that the smallest is suHicicntly large 
to keeps its tenant in full work, or tha*. if any am 
below that size a proportionate number am abovo i‘. 
unless therefore it be supposol that small a-rnslii e 
a tendency to deotease in size tho acprehc nsioti tlm 
small farmer must neoesssrily be occasioiially h lo 
from absolute defloienoy of work may le at onre 
dismissed. 
•‘It is farther assorted, however, that the sinall 
farmer even when he has work to do, will bo apt to 
shirk it. He is subjeot to no compulsion. No one 
can forbid his silting down as soon as ho is tired, or 
taking a holiday whenever ho feels inoUrt;d; and it 
la presumed that he will not foil to abnse this liberly. 
But although he is exempt from the same oompulson. 
he is stimulated to exertion by influences much 
stronger thsn any that affect the hired labourer. The 
latter must not indeed openly dawdle about bis busiuess 
or ho may bo dismissed j but provided he works hard 
enough to Content his master be is himself contentaud 
aims at nothing more.” 
Mr. Tberutuu proceeds to argne that the great sti- 
mulant to the hired servant is to pay him by ‘‘ piece 
work,” or as in Oeylon, yon coll it ‘‘ task work.” 
(The Tamils calls it ('ontrap vadie.) Oeylon planters 
know how that puts life into ooolies. The ooolios can 
do work wllh a will when it is a case of knocking 
off work : ” K aniktnoodinjappulay.” Thus a hired 
lervant is stimulated to work first by fear of dismissal, 
secondly and still more strongly by pioco-work, but 
this work is of less value than work on bis own land. 
Ho will not delibiTutely waste bis own time on bis 
own land in working unprofitably. In Zurich where 
tlie holdings are small the iudastry is simply mar- 
vclloup. Adam Smith says " A small proprietor who 
knows every part of his little territory, who views it 
with all the afleotioc, which property, ospeoially small 
property, mturally inspires, and who on that account 
takee pleasure, not only in cultivating, but in adorning, 
it is generally, ot all improvers tho moat ihdustrious, 
the most intelligent and the most suooessfnl," and Mr. 
Thornton adds “ tho moat entorprisiog.” In this light 
docs not Mildura compare favcutsbly with Oeylon I* lias 
it not beoD the great stiimbling-biook and rookof offence 
tho peiuioions greed that led to large acreages which 
was bred in the unbialtby atmosphere of specnlatiou. 
But in Ceylon and India, the exotic European is greatly 
to bo excused. AH those years the struggle, tho end 
of the struggle, is to bo able to '* go home.” That is 
almost if not quite hopeless now to file great majority. 
How many have, how many could, how many will evtr 
clear out ? It is not a climate torEoropoaua, therefore 
salaries or profits should he ou such a scale that fro- 
tjiicnt furloughs and a speody retirement should be 
easily possible. But, alas! the pay of educated plan- 
tera, the profit oi men who were once capitalists, 
tho nturus of most of the morebauts : men in other 
countries would be simply astounded when they learned 
for what a small pittance Englishmeu endured exile, 
loneliness, deptivation of the pleasures of a cultured 
HIV, and from amusements, and from good food, and 
all the concomitants ot modern life among white people. 
And the future is blacker. Then how could he whore 
it is impossible to w ik, think of small holdings. 
Tho thing is out of the question in Oeylon, but not so 
here. It is not only in Mildura ot auy snob like scheme. 
But near Melbourne whore the raina are eufllcient 
and the market ie near— market gardening is a pplendid 
employment. It is true Ohinamcn are the chief 
market gardeners of Australia. Well, as one’s businees 
inrroased it would bo perfectly posaiblo to employ s 
Chinaman or even our old friend U imasamy — but this 
is tho beat lino to take up. 1 could give you pat. 
tionlara. In the manual published by Birtobnell, 
Barridge, and Fortrr, I find a great deal oi iutereating 
matter. 
” Tea acres can bo bought for £150 ; £1 deposit per 
acre and balance in monthly, quarterly, half yearly, 
or yearly payments extending to, 5, 8, and 10 years 
wbioh is little more than an ordinary rental. 
Tomatoes grown in a practical way will produce at 
least £150 per acre after paying all expenses. Robert 
Bomstimes gives £250 per acre as It comes early in 
the seafon. Strawberrios i.s also a very profitable 
proiluot, small holders can go in for poullry-brcediog. 
frni -growiug vegctahle-growing, perrume plants and 
tr,.c.-:, llowors, imrscrie", dairying and goner .1 cropping. 
Then, is no mono cuuuio lure and variety enough. 
Band with water available for irrigation may be had. 
I must call on the firm whoso pamphlet I have been 
quoting andgetmoro particulars. Many say Mil'luta 
is Ino far away, and too much money is lequired wr 
the land which makes it hard work to recover the 
interest and oapltnl. There is land to be had near 
Melbourne and a man can enjoy town life with a 
country occupation and n ready market. Horses are 
cheap, and a spring cart would jnot coat much to ta 
in produce. That nsod to bo tho way wrth farmo 
