I was very excited to find today's Trove newspaper article, not only because it helped me to fill in more of my relatives life story but because it actually has photographs of the relative in question. Sylvester Gervase Donnelly is my first cousin twice removed and I have mentioned him in previous posts here, here, here, here and here. I wondered how he became a farmer as the electoral roll of 1936 has him as a labourer, then in 1943 his occupation changed to farmer and he remained that for the rest of his life in the electoral rolls I have found. This article helps to explain how he transitioned between the two. It was very interesting to find out that the son of a man, whose ill health denied him the chance to follow his father into farming went on to become a farmer.
COUNTRY Schoolmaster's son, former postal employee, and now share-farmer, Mr. S. G. Donnelly, of Black Springs, Mendooran, was the successful competitor in the local competition.
Mr Donnelly, who has been share-farming for Mr. J. F. Spora, the owner, for only a little over twelve months, produced the winning crop of Baringa, which is estimated to yield 12 bags to the acre.
It was the first crop on ground that had been cleared in August last year. It was disc ploughed to a depth of 4 inches during September-October, at the end of October and again in January, and scarified before sowing with the combine the first week in May at the rate of 45 lb of dry treated and graded seed without super. Considering the new ground, the crop was even. However, there was a bad infestation of Mexican Poppy, the crop was down in places, was flaggy and strangers were present.
Mr. Donnelly has had a grim struggle with Mexican Poppy weed. As soon as he had cleared the land the weed made its appearance almost as thick as wheat. In an effort to eradicate the weed he ploughed some of his land as much as seven times before sowing the crop.
A continuation of efficient cultural methods will solve the problem for Mr Donnelly.
On Mr. Spora's property, which has a total area of 3960 acres, 1200 acres are under wheat. About 800 acres of this is sown on new land, and Mr. Donnelly controls about 600 acres of this area. His main varieties are Nabawa and Baringa.
Mr. Donnelly, who is the son of the local schoolmaster, has been sharefarming for only the last two or three years.
Source: Sharefarmer Son of School Master Scores at Mendooran (1937, November 19). The Land (Sydney, NSW : 1911 - 1954), p. 9. Retrieved from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article104183935
Transcript:
Sharefarmer Son of School Master Scores at MendooranCOUNTRY Schoolmaster's son, former postal employee, and now share-farmer, Mr. S. G. Donnelly, of Black Springs, Mendooran, was the successful competitor in the local competition.
Mr Donnelly, who has been share-farming for Mr. J. F. Spora, the owner, for only a little over twelve months, produced the winning crop of Baringa, which is estimated to yield 12 bags to the acre.
It was the first crop on ground that had been cleared in August last year. It was disc ploughed to a depth of 4 inches during September-October, at the end of October and again in January, and scarified before sowing with the combine the first week in May at the rate of 45 lb of dry treated and graded seed without super. Considering the new ground, the crop was even. However, there was a bad infestation of Mexican Poppy, the crop was down in places, was flaggy and strangers were present.
Mr. Donnelly has had a grim struggle with Mexican Poppy weed. As soon as he had cleared the land the weed made its appearance almost as thick as wheat. In an effort to eradicate the weed he ploughed some of his land as much as seven times before sowing the crop.
A continuation of efficient cultural methods will solve the problem for Mr Donnelly.
On Mr. Spora's property, which has a total area of 3960 acres, 1200 acres are under wheat. About 800 acres of this is sown on new land, and Mr. Donnelly controls about 600 acres of this area. His main varieties are Nabawa and Baringa.
Mr. Donnelly, who is the son of the local schoolmaster, has been sharefarming for only the last two or three years.
S. G. Donnelly
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