A COUNTRY TOUR.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1451, 28 May 1912, Page 8

A COUNTRY TOUR.

ABOUT LUCmiuf D ° THER As I rode down the Manngnpakeha Koad to Tinui, writes our travelling cone,"ondent, I saw some small patches oi I™ which the farmers there are tryin". From the splendid growth made, I «hould sav there can be no doubt ol EucYes" One patch is at Bush Grove, whete'the Grois Brothers have planted a 'mall paddock just across the cresk from tie 1 road. It was looking particular lv well A littlo lower, down on he opposi o ide is another patch belonging to Mr. M'Bae. this had a ready teen cut twice, making a grand stack of hay. It was just about ready for cutting o«ain. Then another small lot was at "\watea, , ; Mr. J. A. Uroves's property. 'this did not appear to have been m so long as tho other two lots, but was makingnico headway. The soil in. which these three crops are growing is composed of tho washings down from the surrounding papa formation, which as is well known, contains » considerable proportion of-lime in its composition, iheso ucerno paddocks certainly are object lessons for anyone who thinks oi going in for tho same valuable fodder plant 'I he land the lucern is growing on at Mr. M'Rae'<! was in thousand headed kale on a former visit. It was an enormous crop, and a mob of big sheep was turned in, and at the time of my visit only those could be snen which were near the outside. The anima s that had gone into the crop were completely hidden. I rode from "Awatea" over the lilack Hill into Tinui. Mr. Speedy showed me sonio paspalum growing in a paddock near his homestead. It seemed to be thriving well. Tho stations in the Wliarcama Vallej were looking wonderfully well- I mm, tho property of Messrs. Mauiisel, Hag Creek," Mr. D. Specdy's, and "Summerhill, now Mr. Pilmer's trom Tauorn. then the Laugdoiis and Stillborn?. Next over the hill is "Manawa,; , where Jr. Dalziell now owns the station which M i»nna»ed lor its former owners for several years. And at the end of Ihe road is "Annedale, the property of the Williams family, ami managed for over twenty years by Mr. It. A. Nevins. Jhe homestead has a splendid orchard. Apples and pears seem to do remarkably well. "Annnlnle" is a typical sheep station and -when there, one cannot help feeling that it is a station, pure and simple. Some stations give one the idea

"Annedalo" always preserves that pernliar charm which usually accompanies a. well-managed station. 1 rode "cross | '■'■Manawa" next day, there is no v>kh{ .vet, only truck?, though Iho road is being slowly put throii' n 'h from Iho western side. At the back of ".Jlanawa" Here is a lot of pour scrub country, winch is gradually being brought into ,"<•«• * lr ; Ualzicll tnld me one tinie that he had sown Danthoiiia on portions' when- th«> scrub had been cleaned up. mid thai it Has carrying stock now where at one time they could not exist. DcscundiiiK the hill at Hie other side of the run we cross the Tiuicru Stream, up a slig.it rise and are at "Meldnim," Ihe home for so many years of Mr. ..I. WniKal:-, now residing in Masterton. He, was t-.ii-some rears manager of "Jlnnawn. Meldriim is now ljeing farmed by Mr. \\mgaie's son. On again, and we come to a road which leads through the l-.duca-tion. Reserve foni.erly farmed by Mr. Girdivood, ur the expiry of who=e lease the property of six thousand acres was cut up. A few miles more and up o pretty vallev we arrive at "Xgarata, the home of Mr. X. M. Kebbell, a beautiful place 'indeed, snugly sheltered among the hills., Thus ended the journey.