FARMING IN THE SOUNDS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1640, 6 January 1913, Page 8

FARMING IN THE SOUNDS.

:.;■■(.*. ■ ■■/&■.'■■:■s:[: ' '"." ' ■'■■.'.■-'■'■' ■:'■■• ;^'. '■'.,'■ .; 'A NOBTH.'iSL'ANDER'S.VIEWS.: . -Writing id •",reference to a recent tour . 'ill' the'Pelorus Sbundj our travelling cor- ■ '. 'respondent- has'the following to 'say:—"l-* had. been spending the week-end with; Mr.. . Anderson, in'. Bolton Bay,:,having gone thero by'launch from, Homewood.; On; the ■ Sunday 'morning 'we .'started, out. to, get i . to Mahakipawa.: ' After 'ft walk over.-the 1 hills into. Mahakipawa Valley, we eventually "landed dt'Jlr.vGawtes's..-:Thereis a : great deal more- -ploughnble land at Mahnkipawa than I had hitherto seen in i the' Sounds;. ; >A' good- deal, of cropping; is ; 'carried on, ond a considerable;amount of dairying,'as there are a good many suppliers of milk to. a.-;cheesc, factory; at the Grove. : \Vo spent the :.night ■• at Mr. Cawtes's, and-had a drive round the 'district nest day.' In' the course of our outing we' : cam© to Auikiwa, nestling in.a at the head of-the Sound.: This.prbperty is farmed by.Mr. Beauchamp,who runs sheep; and also crops. The property, was'taken\.up : some, 50, years ago. ftcxt day I boarded the mail launch at the. Grove, and: in- about a couple ;of hours ■ landed on Picton wharf. Thistrip.thTough: the Sounds bas boen most enjoyable. I , have travelled nearly:: 400 miles in motor : launches,/and have mm. most of the Pel-, , orus and" Queen Charlotte Sounds, although I did not go; into Tory Channel. My impression gained during the tout is: that as an ideal holiday resort, the Sounds will bo hard, to beat. : There are plenty of places where visitors can stay, with com-, fortablo quarters,' plenty of nice' walks, on tho.bridle:tracks, and unlimited fishing. 'From a' farmer's point of view, I liavo decided that should" I at any future time require another farm," I shall not go to the' Sounds. 'To North Island eyes, it is a hard country from whichto .make , a : living. .The-"great battle .which the farmers are constantly waging is with the universal fern. Still, as a rule, sheep are healthyi have a good constitution, and Sounds wool .actually bring 6 a good price. The carrying'capacity of tho land is not "large/and it is not'a-'cattle country. The hospitality of tho dwellers in tho Sbund9 1 is unbounded. In every, case it was' -'come again.' -'.--. -,'■'■ ; , ',- •;'-';.":-,'-.■.'(. ■',• '■:<}