THROUGH THE WOODVILLE DISTRICT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 934, 29 September 1910, Page 8

THROUGH THE WOODVILLE DISTRICT.

SETTLEMENT AND PROSPECTS. (By. Otuv Travelling Correspondent.) 'v-'-'. The green hills of Molcoia! Yes, they 1 Certainly were green when ;. I passed them ; vfvs:'-i;™Votliw;.day.:iT]ie ; sim.-was'-shinins.ibnl- : • liantly ;and' all-the'hills-and downs .were ... .clothed in. a vivid coat of •:rich young grass::; Sheep : .ahd;lambs,were dotting the hillsides,' and V the country - generally > was .--, looking remarkably well for September. ~:Mokoia was one; of:;Mr.'Johnston's runs,' . and .was cut up and.sold by him. . \Voodville. people were, desirotij. that ."the Gov,i« ernment should acquire the properly and • cut .it up under the- Lands lor Settle- ; ment Act,- as if was thought that .the :r,'; 1 % of-'a number -oifnew', settlers • ; i;. would ■■ mean } increased >, benefit to"- 'their.' town.; - However, - when the owner of' the' - ; it;the:result was' that only two sections , were taken up by men •from outside, tho' rest being, purchased ~ ;by residents, in',the district. . -AJ'W-A': Hitle further. on is another estate which tho -Government - purchased somo years ago'from, jMr: -T. : Crosse. I think, it was';somo fivc,;or...sii'thousand acres: 'v.vi''/.'The -larger'/area; ' try, but; ; there are", some;. rich i flats' ■ near'" , •' •:.'theManawatu'-River,. and ; on., these: -tho. ,: ;vfarmers are dairying. or.o' very pieasing feature about- "Ifo'pelands"""as -it> is ! ,vioWi'.called. -isV-that-the 1 dwellings aro : or • a ; very good class,' better- than. on' : a" good many -; other, '.lands for .- settlement . . .areas.'- Tb<S"-'farmers seem to bo doing' > •;; .well -and -iseeiri...well''.;«itisfied . with their holdings..The.hills'.-and'-'downs-aro godd ..- pastoral: land, carrying on .an ■ average;' : ; -jabpiitj-. two :sheop.;.to- ; the-.acre, - though; ■I; | r the settler's acres ' carries': three. . 'i'Kat seems pretty, good W:;'-': : gqing,;'^nd l is risky:V;,The' old. saying, "be-, ware here' as" • clsewbSre. • ■' ■' '.•>; > Crossing tho Manawatu. River bv' the iv-handsome new-bridge which replaced one, ' that was almost worn out, arrived V. it,-the; Kumeroa township, which is on ; > very restricted i scale—there- is' a store i and post office, blacksmith's shop, public hall, and a . hotel. half a mile, away, a . few'/dwellings scattered'about, and there you have Ifumeroa village.'Then; Jeav?. '■ ; ing- tho village one road - branches off to Makaino," a. little"further; on another; runs up the l'otara Valley, and: the other, rises' over a steep hill into the. Otawhao ; . Valley. -All is beautiful -pastoral 'country, , .with;'a', wonderful spring -;6f grass • on. all the' slopes. A good deal .of it -is limestone country, and most of. it is capable ; of .being mustered; on horseback,'. On some of the xariiis lambing, was; almost through and the farmers'were'looking forward to ...- ' good average numbers. ',-

< About thirty • delegates . from the Na- -• tional ■ Agricultural Society of Germany recently visited various English farms. Six :days' experiments 'under the aus-: : pices of the Royal 'Agricultural Society'at Bygrave to;ascertain the adaptability ; of " • motor tractors for use on-farms were .'eluded last month. The experiments at- . ' • tracted much'attentioriin farming circles "all over .'the world, and: were witnessed 7. by agriculturists from South Africa, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, among . .7.: ;.other places..v They 'included . ploughing, ;• f ' harvesting, and' haulage .on-the road; and ■'■: ■ farin.