CROSS-COUNTRY JOTTINGS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 51, 23 November 1907, Page 3

CROSS-COUNTRY JOTTINGS.

; [From Ouii Travelling CojiTtEsroNDEST.] , AROUND WAITOTARA. ■ •'■' What an extraordinary amount of- sheer , rock ono >.ees when passing north from K.ii Iwi. Tlio whole country seems to bo one huge bed of sea shells. It seems strango that no lime kiln has. been started in''tho district, for the great • deposit of puro shell would make, tho hest of lime." ; In one place I noticed-a layer of oyster shells, fully five • feet thick. Then there.are other seams of smaller shells', such as pipi, in layers up to twelve feet thick, several of them together, mo'rely divided by some thin papa .doposit. What splendid roads this shell rock makes. This stretch of country is an idoal one.for the bicycle and motor car. It Is as smooth as a table, with. no ruts and no stones. Going up tho Pukcrimu Road I saw quite a lot of stalactites hanging from tlio shell rock. In another place there was a formation of lime, where water had been running ovor tho rock. It is clear that there must \ bo. a.very valuable deposit of lime, if only it can bo. turned to money. '-. • Relics of Old' Days. I had -a look ovor Pukcariki, a celebrated fighting pa in bygono days. It is on the property of Mr. J. W. Hughes, at Maxwcltown, and occupies a splendid position. Rifle pits and trenches are still easily seen!' There are numbers of Maori fortifications all over this district, another- very large one. being seen on the high hills overlooking Waitotara. A Raspberry Past. In my last notes •I. wrote of • the silver blight.- There is another very serious pest which attacks raspberries—tho ~mite and borer: I was in a large plantation the other-day, and was amazed-to-seo how this pest, is destroying the canes.. Tho grub eats the buds in the autumn, and, of courso, thero is ho new growth iii the spring. ' I know of a grower near Marton who last year spent a deal of timo in .going over. his plantation picking off and destroying the grub, with tho result that' his raspberry . patch • looks .in grand. order this season, arid promised an abundant'crop'. In.the Bush. ....';,'•'■ ' ■What a splendid, sight it is. to see a grove of our beautiful tree ferns, particularly the mamaku,,the' black variety. Justnow they aro looking'very, fine; the. now, opening fronds remind one of a bishop's staff.' There is a'nice piece'of Native bush on th'c'roid from Kai Iwi, and in it -are a good many, mamaku fern trees. ' It. is to bo'hoped this bit-of bush -will nover. be'cut down ; " It . certainly ought -to be: retained as. a. scenery, reserve... < > ';-',. V ; Coptl Crass. Country. -.-,, .•;'.'•■•'' Tlioso lovely, clear paddocks mentioned -'in'.' my last letter are still tho great feature of this; beautiful,country.' It is' so.- restful, to see nothing'but a stretch of. absolutely clear: grass in _tho pa'ddoeks—no rushes, .no gorso; it 'in;-quite'' a" treat. Arid' what 'a;, 'grand grass country it is to'be suro. I'daresay .it. is.not so fattening as the Manawatu, asthe country- here, having . a much lighter - soil, .takes cocksfpo't bettor than. "ryo. ' For 'a' dairying grass,. I -believo- cocksfoot is 'the better.' ' Sonio-years ago .in Canterbury: an • experiment was- tried .with-cocksfoot: and rye,,the same cows.being alternately grazed on •theSQ two' grasses. ■ 'At .the end of the experiment, which lasted •some months,'- it'was proved that - cocksfoot gave tho best results. Those' who are milking up 'hero are having splendid' this season.-; I- hope, in-my' next budget: to-be'able'to' givo some weight's 'arc getting, .-iylilhavb Aboard of some Which are 'exceptionally; good; "but will ■ have itp make more i '■■ . .-. •••

Land and tand Values.' '< ' ' • This has been a great "white'y'wood" court-' try, arid'it no doubt; to a largo'extent'explains the quality of the; land.; jit is generally considered that where' there is an abundance of rata, whitey'woo'd, and'konini tho soil is of the very best quality; and goodness 'knows'-!'there is' any amount of' tho 1 'two former aboivt here.': Wherever Igo land values' are !still on the up-grado. ■■ I saw a section near Maxwelltown for which £30 an acre'was- refused: No.doubt proximity to rail makes: a great difference: in prices. -Take land;of' the!character in. this vicinity;, abso-*' lutely clear of rushes, logs, '■■ or stumps—every foot in use—arid then .contrast it witW a deal of Mariawatu *land, where 25. per cent. is. rush, it does not scorn out of the way. With proper selection of co\vs, it seems quite feasible that, with butter-fat at even a lower price than at present, there must boa decent margin. Ths Shearing. Shearing is in full-swing now; paddocks' begin, to look quito white with! newly-shorn sheep;. the grass' is now coming up, so that fleeces .will be much heavier, than a short time' ;■' ago. . I was ,'hi .a shed tho other. /.day where -the fleeces were' coming off hr good' condition:! They are'very, .clean/ too, on account of there being'no. rubbish in the paddocks.' Shearing rates here, asin othor parts, are 20s. arid found,.or 235. arid not found, though I did hear somo talk ono day of a gang who said they'would take 225; 6d.' Considering the bad ' shearing seasons which havo been the' rule for so many years, and the ''broken.time wliich has been made, it is not out'of the. way, especially ''when! the wool .itself has been fetching the' splendid prices.wh'ich have been obtained!in recent years. •