THE DARLING DOWNS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2279, 26 August 1908, Page 1

THE DARLING DOWNS.

CANTERBURY FARMER’S OPINION.

A GISBORNE SETTLER’S PURCHASE.

It is the height of'fashion this winter, remai'ks the “Dominion,” for New Zealand farmers to make a holiday trip to the Darling Downs. The .latest band of trippers to report themselves is a quartet consisting of Messrs W. T. Rutherford and C. F. Bull, of Amuri, Canterbury; Mr. E. Feary, of West- Oxford; and Mr. James Lloyd, of Hamilton, Waikato. It is Mr. Rutherford who tells the tale of this latest visit to tlie wonderful Darling Downs. “When we left Sydney,” said Air. Rutherford to' a reporter, “we went straight to Toowoomba, and then some of the party went out to Roma, a town 2-50 miles from Toowoomba. I did not go with them. I had examined the Government railway statistics, and found that the best area was within fifty miles of Toowoomba. I did not want to go oat back where the rainfall is less. My friends,, on their return (lid not report favorably -of Roma.” What are the rainfalls? “In Toowoomba the average is 33 inches per annum.” ,lt all - comes at once, they say?

.“No; the record showed that it was well distributed throughout the year.” But there lias been none for five months past? “This drought is exceptional. There was a bad drought in 1902, which had not happened for thirty years previously. At Dalby the average rainfall is 29 inches. But what I looked for was not only the total amount, but chiefly the distribution.”

Anil in spite of the five mouths’ drought you arc satisfied with it in regard to' the district around Toowoomba ? “Why, we had a longer drought than that in Canterbury only last season!

“The native grass on some farms was about a foot high—very dry, of course. But the strange thing is that stock were fattening on it. It looks as if it would contain no nutriment at all—the kind of grass that in Canterbury would lie regarded as use'lcss. But on ono farm of 4800 acres near Dalbythere were 6700 sheep and 100 cattle, and-.they were all practically fat. The man hadn’t anv lucerne. He had 50 acres of it when lie bought the place eighteen years ago, hut he took down the fence and let the stock in, and the land has gone hack to the native grass like the rest. They told me that so long as the stock had plenty of water they do all right on dry grass.” _ And -water is plentiful? “In-those parts, yes. At that part of Dalby they get artesian water at a day’s notice by simply boring down 50 feet. It is rich, black soil all that distance. The river Condamine runs through, and they say it sometimes overflows. But i thin'k the chief origin of the black soil is volcanic.” You liked the place? “Yes, I was really taken with it, with the soil, with the condition of stock, and -with the place generally. “I was struck with the poorness of the homesteads. And that put a lot of New Zealanders off them. I don’t think it means poverty. On the 4800 acres of which I spoke the homestead was certainly a very poor looking place, with no garden or anything nice about it. Yet- the owner, who started there with practically no capital eighteen years ago, is now worth £33,000. It has apparently not been the custom of the country, and nobody has started a new system. “Another thing that struck me was the prevalence of prickly pear. Parts of the Darling Downs are smothered with it.”

Is it easy to keep out of a clean property ? “Yes, it seems to b*e. The seeds arc distributed by birds. Any plants that appear must be carted away and burned, because a mere fragment of a leaf will take root. There is no law to prevent a neighbor from letting his place get overrun with it, and in fact the Government lands seem to be the worst inflicted.” Did any of your party make any purchase? -“No. But Mr. Black, of Gisborne, a large runholder who returned with us, bought 15,000 acres of the Joundaryu Estate. Mr. Murchinsbn, of Lake Coleridge, Canterbury, is going to make a second visit to the Darling Downs next February. He will see what- the summer heat is like, and 1 think that is very advisable . I hope to do that myself. If J sell my Canterbury farm I shall certainly get another look at the Darling Downs before I buy another place.”

How are the industries progressing? “The sheep are nearly all merinos. . The place is apparently as backward as Culrcrdon was fifteen years ago, when there was nothing there hut merinos. But the New Zealanders who have settled on the downs are going in for crossbreds. Leicesters and Lincolns seem to be the favorite breeds. One man who tried Shrop-

shires oil merinos became dissatisfied and (fid not try another cross. “Mr. Black, of Gisborne, was greatly taken with the country. I asked him a question which occurred to most New Zealanders. Seeing that it was Victorians and New Zealanders, and New South Wales men who were buying and The Queenslanders themselves were only selling, 1 asked Mr. Black’s opinion why the Queenslanders themselves were only selling out. Le replied; ‘lt’s because, they don’t know tho value of their land. You don’t find dairy farmers selling.’ And this was true.

“What is wanted, however, is a freezing establishment at Toowoomba. The people there are looking to Air. Clrigg, of Lougbeaeli to set up freezing works at Toowoomba, now that ho lias bought an estate on the Downs. The dairy farmers were keeping their cows going on lucerne liny and with silage. They had great stacks of this.” What do your three friends think of the country ?

“Air. Lloyd never hail any intention of Imyihg; his idea was simply for a holiday, Mr, Bull had thought about it before wo went over, but the prickly pear decided him against it. Mr. Feary,—well, the look of the homesteads was enough for him, and tho prevalence of merinos everywhere.”

You’ll go back yourself for another look? “I think so.”