THE COUNTRYSIDE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 615, 18 September 1909, Page 8

THE COUNTRYSIDE.

; ;!;■as it. ;' Up the' Pakihikura. .Valley,''■ 'arid the . o the] Folleys. in. the'district,' there. 1 is : a £ne are; of sheop country, nice rolling to hilly land which gets plenty =.of sun, of. papa formation tmderlyiug a strong loam, which' carries ry< rery.well.; At, the.time of'my'visit (writes oni Df our-travelling correspondents/'this heautifa lountry .was looking in' splenilid. order, anj linount of grass and all , stock- looking excel unit. ."Like many another district," , there an few.-.of the original soloctors leftf Purelysheoj land in.hilly country must as a rule be holt in,fair-sized blocks', though the contrary opin ion is hold.by many men who 'have never, hac Farming experience, •■ and whoso knowledge ii jained by.a holiday'. , trip, -o v':■■■:: ': ■ I sometimes wonder whether town-dwellerf bave any idea as tothe area;required,to'fced l sheep—as' they rush, along, by..train and'see the .nice , green , paddocks with , sheep dotted lbput.vNo doubt it seems to them incredible that so few aro: seen , grazing,in'-what appears to them an abundance of grass, v.Some thinl that there" ought- to be three-or -four times the v number, and are very doubtful when one tolls them that two and a half .sheep to the »cre is good carrying. Just let them try it, put.five sheep ohtwo acres for , twelve month's, ind'see how it goes! ' i ''■.., :;>':: Mr. B. Short has a considerable holding at ;ho,lower end of the • Pakihikiira;" part of his :un being the -farm , ' previously l owned by Mr. i. H..Atkinson, but now the ■ well-kiown auc:ioneer of Feilding. Mr. Short has built a fine roolshed, . just, . completed Vblarge rards, and- the timber was going in for the jrcction of ■a. large dwelling.', ift was a treai :o see how: well rhis elieep w<>re looking; in 'act," they were doing better;'.here ■ than at Parorungi. In the latter there-is more cocksfoot pasturage, while rye- does-better in Pakilikura.. . '■..-,,■. .:■■ ■ ;■■:.-» .-■■-.'"n , .■■;.; ;.■.■•" ... ■'Passing up the valley,' the. fine-residence■ oi ifr.. C. : F., England comes into- view. It is or in , - admirable site, a low plateau Jutting out :r.om the higher hills.. .It was iwonderful to see jow'clean, the hills had becomes I' remarked ;o; Mr.-'.England how much, improved it all ooked since" my Inst visit; There is no doubt :hat itiis.one of the:best pastoral;districts in ;he province.'Sheep grown hero' , hw good constitutions, and , do. well.- •■'. i< ■■'.• ■-"," :'• . ';'■';..'-., .■•-, a:,. . ; '■''. '■■':■■ "... ■-..;' ,:■ ■;