ROUND HUNTERVILLE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 585, 13 August 1909, Page 7

ROUND HUNTERVILLE.

BIG SHEEP-FARMS, OR SMALL?

Hunterville. -is .a ' grand sheep district (writes our-travelling correspondent). It is chiefly pastoral country,' though in some parts dairying is carried on extensively. Oil tho whole, it is a sheep man's'land, and is held in fair-sized 'farms. Sheep-farming oh a small arca 'is not practicable ?a3 a rule/ especially 'on land' which' is still occupied,;by logs and stumps,. hiid 1 which is .of, too hilly ii- nature to bo put under , tho ' plough— though I have known somo smallshcop : .'farms 0f,120 up to. 150.acres from;which the owners make 1 very: comfortable.;,livings. But, like everything else,; conditions which "fit in" are necessary. First of all, it'want's tho man who is naturally gifted with , tho knowledge of land and stock, and who call adapt himself to ■ his limited, - possibilities,Then, again, in ono man's hands a farm-will . produce almost double tho grass which anro'ther.man would Obtain. At the. sarrio'time, ! because .one man hero and another i thoro have ■ been , successful on small - areas, and entirely' on account of. exceptional : circum!stances, it does not at all follow: tbat .it is 'advisable'to have land cut up'into too small holdings. The certain result of such a policy ,-is that aggregation takes place, and-you cannot stop it. . Men find that thoy cannot make a living arid bring ,up . a family decently- on.their small holdings, and naturally sell out; to their neighbour, and -ill'nine cases out of ten-they tako up a larger place. Now, this- is what,: to- somo''extent,': has gone oil in tho Huntervillo district,- and in my journeys through ' each' part; 1 have .entirely failed to' see that'the; country has suffered by it. "In. f apt,' tho reverse is, th'o casci.. When! there, .are, a lot. of nioderatelV large-to big farms "in a district, the farmers frequently-are in,want' of "'extra labour, and they-thus * provide.- work/for- menl who would otherwise probably- bo ' unable to get- a iob from''the 'smaller.: farmer/ who does Sill i.his ■own work, However, in whatever way ono 'looks ;at it, Hunterville is: - tlio 'centre.,of .- a-' very fine , grazing, icountry,,-; and;:* though . it .does not sown 'to grow I .very, fast, ./.i t. may : bo all the,better for. making hasto.slowly, and its solidity .may. bo av.mor.opermanent character .than; in some, of .tlio booni towns.-,:!