NORTH OTAGO.

Evening Star, Issue 3446, 9 March 1874, Page 2

NORTH OTAGO.

{From our own Correspondent.) Oamaru, March 1. A short time ago it was announced that Mr Yogel had undertaken to edit a work descriptive o' New Z-aland. It is expected that it will contain all that is worth knowing about the Colony, all that Anthony Trollope has seen painted in its true colors, and much that he has neither seen nor heard of. An* phony Trollope did not see New Zealand in its best dress. He should have been in the district I visited a few days ago, when harvest was going on, when he would have been better able to estimate the capabilities of the country and the rapid improvements in progress, than he was, through any observation he could possibly have opportunity of making at the period of his visit. Mr Vogel’s emigrant’s guide will be imperfect without a notice of them, nor should Mr Holloway go away without seeing the district west and north-wist of Oamaru. It is not in the coach track, but must be made the object of a special visit. Ho may see sheep runs in abundance; sheep runs fenced, and sheep runs unfenced; sheep feeding on tussocks and ranging over vast tracts of country co pick up a semty living, and sheep feeding on paddocks. He must go and visit the beautiful downs in the valleys of the Waiareka and Kakanui rivers, in order to learn what the application of capital and skill, as applied to farming in Otago, are capable of achieving. Of course there are other streams with unpronounceable Native names, and other districts ditto ; but there is one general character pervading the country—the hills rise by gentle slopes capable of cultivation, leading dp to fine table laud, equally available for grazing' or agriculture. Here and there is broken ground, but even that in many instances is valuable • as the rock is fine building stone, of which there is sufficient easily procurable to build fifty Londons, and even then it would not be exhausted This fine district extends northward as far as Maerewhenua, and perhaps further, and westerly towards the' Horse Range, ft is not much known by the people of Dunedin, for only since the amalgamation of Road Boards has any advance been made towards forming passable good roads through it. borne two yea-s ago the proprietors of land in the district, sensible of the va-’ue of cheap communication with a seaport made an effort to form a railway to Oamaru, and with praiseworthy spirit off red to give the necessary land, instead of seeking after comp nsation, as the fashion is with most; but the ad- erse action of the Legislative Council in throwing out Bills intended to promote the construction of branch railways prevented its being made. Potty jealousy with rival districts also prevented * action iu making roads. The last ilimculty has been overcome by the union of three local Roan Boards, Windsor, Taranaki and hinfield ; although we do not think sufficient progress will he made to enable the

landowners'- to part their produce fojf, ship* -cent at y. ania> u before the wet weather seta iu. A survey has, however, been made for a railway, and tenders ate invited, so that next years matters may be different. To every theory, it is said, there are two aides, both of which, under certain conditions, may be. true. The accepted proposition with our laud philosophers is that no man should hold too much land. /Some would cut up the country into small farms of fifty or sixty acres, others would extend them to five or six hundred ; but nobody advocates selling thousands of acres to one man, excepting now and then the Provincial ireasurer of the day, who perhaps wants money to pay off a bank overdraft. In the district we speak , of are instances shewing that something may be said in favor of large proprietors j but then they must be men'of the right stamp. Two large estates, that of Mr Raid of Blderslie and thatof Mr Menlove of Windsor Park one of 18,000 acres of freehold, and the other about 14,000 -give evidence of what oan be done by judicious management, aided by. sufficient capital. On each of them thousands? of acres have been ploughed, much of which:' has been under crop, and has this agricultural year produced at least forty bushels of wheat to the acre. Where barley has been sown, the yield is estimated at fifty bushels to the acre ; and as the weather has on the whole been favorable, an estimate may be formed of the heavy weight of produce that will, hivo lo be c&rted to Osunuru. for übip* ment. Of the land broken up, a. very largo acreage is sown with Bn, lish grasses, which afford nourishment to many thousands of sheep and large herds of cattle, whose happy and contented looks tell of the rich feed on WMch they fatten. Horned cattle, scarcely alarmed at the approach of a st anger, wmk their lazy eyes, turn their lazy heads, and go on grazing. The different paddocks are separated by hundred of miles of fencing, and sufficient laud is left in indigenous pasture to permit removal of the sheep and cattle wkea the artificial grasses require time for gro.wth. We ncel not enter into any detail of the management of the two enterprising gentleman \ye have named. In somefe*spects it varies in details ; but in principle it is identcal. Both believe that fairly treated land will amply repay the labor put into it; both behove that art can multiply production when rightly applied; both believe that macead of an acre of laud being requisite for the support of one sheep, three sheep may be supported on a wdl-grassed acre.; both believe that good soil only needs proper cultivation to become well grassed, and their experience in gradually but rapidly bringing their estates into manageable condition amply justifies the expectations they have formed. On these two estates we believe harvest, has required the aid of about two hundred men. We could not help contrasting the yield we have mentioned, and which be believe to be under-estimated, with the seven and a-half bushels per acre reported to be the yield iu South Australia, Nor did we see reason to consider the quality inferior to the produce of that sunny land. The sun shines brightly in the Waiareka district, and, if anything, the seasons may be said to be too dry; for there, as well as between Waikouaiti and Uamaru, timber is scarce so scarce that it is quite refreshing to see some antiquated cabbage trees, monuments of Maoridom, standing here and there like guide posts high up the hill sides. And this brings us to notice another work partly executed, and partly purposed by Messrs Ueid and Menlove. In these scientific vlayswd need not spe-ik of the effect of trees upon climate. Their tendency to make acquaintance with the clouds and to induce them to discharge rain is well known. All farmers and graziers know that dumps of trees afford shelter for sheep and cattle, of which they are glad to avail themselves in storm or wind. Crops, too, requite protection from winds that usually in-such districts'as we have been describing blow strongly and lend to lay or damage growing corn. A Iready largo belts of forest trees have been planted where needed on these estates in favorable positions; and when the proper season arrives, on each about forty acres -more will bfj added' fro'ta nurseries in which! the phnis haW beefi raised from seed m pursuance of this design, Che ground already planted is The blue-gum has been made use of fop prqtect ng trees of less rapid growth, and under its protection pines of various countries, oaks, beeches, elms, sycamores, walnut trees, and oth rs have grown, and give promise of soon becoming valuable. w, e mention Blderslie and Windsor Park, because, although there are several other landed proprietors in the district, none have taken similar pains with their land. The others seem to be of the. class who think that the land ought to keep them without coaxing, ami very likely fancy, with many others who do not know how to farm, that farming wont pay ; so they are trying what idleness will do. We hope good example will undeceive them. If not a more energetic race will supersede them.