FARMING BY MACHINERY
[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.]
Sia,—May I be permitted to reply to Mr. MacAndrew's letter in your issue of January 27th ? The facts are briefly that Mr. MacAndrew sold the Wexcombe Estate in 1918 to a syndicate styling themselves" The Pedigree Stud and Livestock Co., Ltd." This company went into liquidation in 1920, and I, in company with my brother, purchased the estate (one thousand seven hundred and eight acres) from the liquidator, The. land then was in a shockingly dilapidated condition, and production was at a very low ebb, much of the arable land being derelict and uncultivated, and very little livestock on tire farm.
My brother took all the good wheat, bean, and pasture land, and I took one thousand and seventy-six acres of hill lands composed as follows : Five hundred acres down land covered with heather and creeping thistle (which was so bad that it made the mouths of the sheep sore, and lamed the sheep dogs). About 100 acres of derelict amble fallen down to grass, 70 acres woodland, and
400 acres of poor and foul arable land which, in the words of the valuer, was " not worth a damn." The land was practically unfenced and unwatered. Mr. MacAndrew mentions 350 acres of wheat. I am afraid that acreage must have greatly decreased after he sold the estate to the syndicate, as I see that I only took over 30 acres of wheat, which, inci- dentally, yielded three sacks per acre. If further proof of the condition of the Wexcombe Estate at the time of my purchase be necessary, it is forthcoming in the fact that the tenant right valuation of the whole estate of 1,708 acres came to approximately £1,200, and that in 1920, which was the peak year of War prices ! These facts can all he verified, and I think therefore I have proved my statement that " My predecessor was farming badly, producing little at a very heavy loss." As a practical farmer, Mr. MacAndrew will doubtless agree with me that an estate, if not properly looked after, will very quickly deteriorate, and become more or less derelict. There was plenty of time for this to occur during the lapse of time between Mr. MacAndrew's sale in 1918 and my purchase in 1020.
Knowing the farm as he does, I am sure Mr. MacAndrew will agree that the bulk of the labour in his day was employed on the good wheat, bean, and pasture land below the hill (which is not part of my estate), whereas the down land was solely used for sheep grazing, which would employ approxi- mately one shepherd with a few hundred sheep on about five hundred acres of land. I can assure Mr. MacAndrew that I have not only avoided loss, but made substantial profits every year since I started open air dairying. I have some men in my employ who were here prior to 1918, and I have often heard them say how they would like Mr. MacAndrew to look over the farm now. I join with them in this, and extend a hearty welcome to him to come and look round, any time
he likes.—I am, Sir, &c., A. J. HOSIER. Wexcombe House, Marlborough.
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