A TOURING PARMER.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1923, 4 December 1913, Page 10

A TOURING PARMER.

■.RETURN OF MR. WM. PERRY. ; l " THE MAN OX THE LAND IN ,;, v r • ENGLAND. (By Telegraph.—Special Correspondent.' ~ . . Auckland, December 3. ,Mr,, \Y.m. Perry, the well-known Wairarapa sheep breeder, who, with Mrs. .Perryy has been abroad for eight months ■returned' to New. .Zealand by tho _ " -In au'.intcrview, Mr. Perry, who was making his first trip Home, said that everywhere ho travelled there wero abundant -signs of prosperity. Tho Nation's.'of Europe, as well as' the peo.pje."qf. Gj'eat Britain, were busy on tho iland.-as well as commercially and industrially. He had passed through FraiiGO, .Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, "and Italy, and whilst there wero abundant signs of extremo poverty, with much-begging, especially in Italy, the great mass of all tho Continental peoples ■were busy. Tipping was moro ..thana.diabit; it was the-curse of the 'Continent,' and as a matter of fact it ..wa's'ii.'iiftisanco in the United Kingdom and;lreland, but in Europe it was reduced* to-'a tine art —oven a demand for mahy'se'rvices that wero not rendered.

.. ."JJy.i.tho way," added tho New Zcailander,,,;'! would like to put in a word hero-about my experience with tho Gcrappears in our papers about the enmity of Germany towards the' British people. ■Well, all I can say is that during our tour Mrs. Perry and myself-v received nothing but kindnesses and courtesies from tho German people;.'.:';- Everywhere wo met no anti--1 British 'sentiment ■whatever."

i Asked -. for somo of his imItrcs'sion's" of farming in ' the ''Hoipphincl, tho Mastertoniait replied,:that the land and tho men upon it. in ■ England had provided quite a revelation. Farming at Homo was a very, leisurely affair. There was nothing about it, tho landowner diti not take his coat off. Tho English farmer .thinks it infra dig to ■tako-a"-turn in tho field with the men as New Zealand fanners did. Joining in tho'hunt and attending the slock sales comprised tho business in Jifo of the' English farmer, .and, liko master •liko'mai), tho workers on tho English farms wero very slow, ■ but they wero certainly thorough. It was a treat • to. see'an English paddock after tho 'plough liad been over it. The siuglcfurrotv plough was still used. A double-furrow might put- Hodge out of a job. -It was complained by some farmers in New Zealand that they paid too -dearly for their farm, labour, but M}'; Perry is convinced that ono worker oh a farm in Now Zealand does as much work as'two hands do on an English farm. "England," said tho Now Zcalandcr, "is a land of slow growth and development, and tho people tako very much after tho naturo of their, land. I did not properly un- , del-stand this fact until I had travelled through tho country and mado obscn ations at first hand."

..Scotland was found to bo much moro progressive- in the farming, and the land (which was excellently tilled) gavo promise of an excellent harvest.

Ireland contained two widely differing countries: the south was poor and badlv tilled, the north was bright and rich and prrigjioss'iye,:,, Dublin,,' the'eity,..was. typical'of'the south. Belfast'of the north— tlw.'oiie dull and lacking in modernity, tlio other full of life and activity arid enterprise.

Homo Rule? Thero was no interest taken -in. the question iu tho South of Ireland.

Would Ulster light?' In the New Zcalauder's opinion,. Ulster was in earnest iu. it's, protest. He had no doubt whatever that they would fight, but ho know nothing about Irish or English politics. Thcyhad not interested him. Ho had not even ho.v.-d ono of tho loading politicians of.eilher sido speak. "It was tho hmd aiid the stock that interested mo

all the way through the tour," said Mr. Perry. 'At the Bristol show there was great activtiy on tho part of buyers of stock for countries over seas. Tlio two years' embargo duo to foot and mouth disease, had ■ been. lifted off exportation ■to/ :.tho" Argentine, and breeders . there wero paying big prices for champion prize-winners at tho show. Much money .Was"'cdnscquently pouring into tho of English breeders. Mr". Perry •was lucky in somo purchases he had beforo tho show Ho secured ■also Worries good stock for somo friends in New. Zealand. For himself, tho Mastcrton- breeder secured tho three, first prizo'vßomney owes at- tho Bristol show —a tfiQ.V'that had not been beaten at any of-the English shows; and a Lincoln rant'" and owe. Ho bought somo 'Jiomncyslfor Mr. A. Matthews, of Wai•orongojlitrr, and some Southdowns for "Mr.'W. H.' Booth, and Southdowns also John Strang, of tho Wairarapa. 'flicso have all probably been delivered on their respective farms by time.