A SOUTHERN TOUR

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 112, 29 January 1918, Page 7

A SOUTHERN TOUR

NELSON, WEST COAST AND OTAGO

VIEWS OF A NORTHERN

MEMBER

Mr. J. A. Young, M.P. for Waikato, has just completed a tour of several of the South Island districts. Mr. Young states that he visited Motueka and took an opportunty to see' what was being done in the matter of breaking in the unimproved lands of the' Tasman district and converting them into fruit orchards. During the past six years something like 10,000 acres of apparently unproductive country has been turned into orchards, mainly apple orchards. The fruit industry in that part ofcijhe province bids fair to become one of premier importance. It has already been demonstrated that apples can bo grown to perfection and on a largo scale, and tlie fruitgrowers, recognising this, have now organised the industry 011 co-operative lines, just as the dairymen organised their industry. In ad-; dition to apple-growing, some very promining experiments were being carried out in connection with tobacco culture, 'and already enterprising orchardists have entered into arrangements to market tobacco and have been assured of ft sale for all that they can grow. Many line hop gardens are still to be seen about Motueka. Raspberry-growing is carried oil iii the district to a very large extent, and is a profitable sonrco of income to a number of the settlers. In the Tasman district quite a number of Wellington folk have taken up small areas for orchard purposes, and by arrangement with syndicates aro investing their money in the Tasman district with a view to providing homes for the day when they retire from city life. Already quite a number of Civil Servants who are nearing the retiring age are directing their attention to this matter. The West Coast appeared to be a district with a considerable agricultural future, in that there were thousands of acres in the river valleys which (now that the timber had been cut out) show that good feed for stock could be grown llsre. It was a class of land which lent itself to settlement by small dairy farmers. Of course, in the past the main industries have been mining and milling, and as these becomo exhausted the Coast.must rely for its support on the cultivation of the lands. Already at such places as Murchison and Kumara dairying is pro- ■ gressing, and there are butter factories. Last year Hutchison produced 100 tons of butter and sent it 27 miles by road to reach Glenhope railway station. At Kumara tho output of butter was 17} tons, and this year it would probably reach 30 tons* Home separation was adopted in this locality. There Were 1 also butter factories at Greymouth, Arahura, Kokatahi, Reefton, and Karamea, as well as three cheese factories. Mr. Young visited Central Otago, via Milton,- and while in the Roxburgh district called on several of the leading orchardists. Much of the Clutha river, flat land had been sluiced away for mining purposes, and while it was sad to see-great heaps of stones and boulders it could not be forgotten that it was miners who plalit-ed fruit trees'occasionally who discovered what th 6 soil and climate were capable of, especially with regard to stone fruits. Tho Roxburgh orchafdists found that Wellington was their best market- for a special variety of -apricots they were growing. A feature of this country, as well as that further on at Alexandra and Cromwell, is that it is not blessed with a. plentiful rainfall, and thousands of acres aro to bo seen which for the want of water present the appearance of nothing better than a desert. At Cromwell tho settlers have, under authority from tho Government, formed themselves into a development board, and propose to ultilise power to be developed from the Kawarau River for raising water on to the Croinwc-ll lands. A remarkable feature is thn !;• once this land is watered it will grow almost anything and produce excellently. There is considerable land in Central Otago which has not been rabbit-proof fenced, and this presents a denuded appearance. In some parts where the land is wire-netted a good growth of native tussock may be seen. But where the rabbits abound the land is almost as bare as a beach, save for tho Canadian thistles. A factor in the depletion of the native grasses in Central Otago has been the injudicious firing of tho country at unsuitable seasons of tho year. Mr. Young believes that with irrigation of the low lands and afforestation on tho hill country Central Otago will be .made one of the most prolific wealth-producing parts of tho Dominion. Mr. Young crossed into Canterbury by the Lindis Pass over the Crown Range. The motor road reachos an altitude of over 4000 feet, and the view m a fine day is magnificent. He visit--2d the Mount Cook Hermitage, and then come on to Fairlie and Timaru, ifter which ho went via Lyndhurst and Jlethven to Lake Coleridge,! and there inspected .the hydro-electric works. In this he was especially interested, in i'iew of the possibilities of developing 1 the resources of the Waikato River. ; In travelling through many parts ■ sf tho Canterbury Plains he was impressed by the great holdings there. 1 He made some inquiries in the Lynd- J mrst district. A typical farm is one ■ )f 1000 acres, all level, half of which i farmer had under crop, the remainder 1 splendid pastures of English grasses. ! Pery little stock, except sheep, appeared to be carried in this country. These ! 'arms are not supporting a. quarter of ] ;he people they ought to be carrying, j First-class land was, rated . at about £12 per acre, and could be bought for 1 ibout £26. whereas the same class of 1 and in a dairying district would fetch J uiything from £30 to £40 per aero. | i