AN ORCHARDIST'S VIEWS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1801, 14 July 1913, Page 4

AN ORCHARDIST'S VIEWS.

CONDITIONS IN THE NELSON DISTRICT. Mr. P. E. Nottage, orchardist; of Tasman,'Nelson, lion. secretary ,of tho Tasman Fruit-growers' Association, and formerly a, member of the staff of the 1/e----partment of Agriculture, writes as fol—l.—lThe salaries offered to teachers in small country schools preclude Iho possibility of getting men and women capable of rousing enthusiasm for agriculture to take up the work. Most of tho teacliers belong to a class who are totally unfitted to take a lead in so important an industry as farming. ' 2.—Returns aro good where men realise that there is "plenty of room at the top. The day of the slovenlj and careless farmer is passing away. . 3.—Railways do ' not exist in this district. Koads are fair,, but therp is heavy annual loss through mistakes made in laying out the roads. If more attention were paid to grades, drainage, and general utility many pounds might be saved for the pioneer settlers. A system of light monorail tramways could bo introduced , with distinct advantage in many closely-settled districts, as/they are cheap to construct and operate and save tho wear and tear on the roads, where good metal is not procurable. 4—Mail services, fair. Telephones far too. expensive to become general. Country districts are starved in order to provide elaborate buildings. Cheap slot telephones for the cities. ■ ■ 5. —Too many small agricultural shows.. Concentration on a; smaller number of first-class shows would give better Tesults. 6—The Agricultural Department has been'disappointing. Too many inspectors and too few first-class instructors. More inducement should be held out to really successful farmers to give tlieir services to the country as instructors. Too many of the "instructors" are men who have never shown any marked ability in managing their own affairs. 7.—Practically no organisation and much waste and loss annually. B.—The majority of the settlers are freeholders, and it is noticeable that in almost every instance the freehold properties are developed more fully than the leasehold. 9.—The supply of farm labour is satisfactory and men aro loyal and contented. 10.—Eminently satisfactory. Thp men in this district are encouraged and assisted to take up small areas.of land adjacent to the larger orchards. These properties they are improving and developing and meantime are making a good living by working on the adjoining orchards, many of which are of considerable areas. 11.' The most important single thing to be done for the genoral betterment of country life is to sacure a very substantial extension and increase of the graduated land tax in order to hasten tho openingup of all our really first-class agricultural lands. Send the men with money to rlic back-blocks and encourage the producers to settle handy to our railways and shipping ports.